We have a winner!!! Congratulations Judith, hope you enjoy your new cooking gear! Also, thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. xoxo, Kate
Guess who’s got a birthday coming up?!!!
That’s right, Babyface!
Aaaaannnndddd ME!!
Because I want to celebrate with you (and Babyface), I’ve made us all cake. My favorite kind to be exact. A tall double-layered beauty filled with bright lemon flavor and pretty enough to be put on a pedestal. And because I want all of us to eat it, I’ve made it dairy and egg free so there’s no excuse to not have a slice…or two.
Also, in honor of me completing another year with my brain and body still (mostly) intact, I want to give you a gift or a bunch of gifts to be exact. My friends over at Dreamfarm are giving one lucky winner a new set of kitchen tools from their ever practical, super ingenious line of products. Here’s what we’ve got for you:
- Levups: Measuring cups that squeeze to scrape a level and accurate measure.
- Smood: Mash anything from avocados to potatoes in seconds.
- BBQ Clongs: Stainless steel tongs that are extra long for grilling and sit up off the table to stay clean.
- Clongs: Easily click and lock into place and sit up off the counter to stay clean.
Now back to that cake!
I’ll be honest with you, it took me more than a few tries to get this one right. Making a dairy and egg free cake that doesn’t use crazy ingredients, rises properly, and tastes great takes a little bit of magic and a whole lot of patience but I think I’ve finally found the right formula. Can someone however tell me why a cake recipe with cocoa powder yields completely different results from one without (all other factors remaining the same)? Anyway, a food scientist I am not but I did figure out how to make a lemon cake that is super easy and pretty much out of this world so let’s just pretend I know what I’m doing.
Because this is a birthday cake for me there is a limited amount of frosting. I like frosting if it is homemade and fluffy but not a ton of it. I’m absolutely not the person who takes the corner slice of a sheet cake for the extra frosting. I take the middle piece and scrape the frosting to the side. I think this recipe is what they call a “naked cake” but I’m never certain if that means a cake with no frosting on the outside or a minimally frosted cake, I think it’s up for debate, thoughts?
This frosting however, is the good kind, not too sweet and what sweetness there is is a honey sweetness combined with floral notes from chamomile. There is just enough frosting to layer a bit in the middle and barely cover the top and outsides of the cake, in other words, the perfect amount in my opinion. If you are a frosting person, you might want to double the recipe so you can really slather it on.
For the final touches, a layer of fresh raspberries sandwiched between the layers, thinly sliced lemons to decorate the edges, and of course sprinkles because it’s really not a birthday without them.
Giveaway Entry Rules:
- Leave a comment below telling me what your ultimate kitchen appliance/tool would be if you could have anything in the whole wide world. I’ll go first: A Bosch 800 Series Dishwasher because at this point I don’t have any dishwasher so why not want the best, right?
- Extra entries will be given to those who sign up for the ¡Hola! Jalapeño newsletter!
One winner will be chosen at random 1 week from today, April 14. I will contact the winner by email then that person will have 24 hours to respond. If I haven’t heard from you in a 24 hour period I will move on to the next person. Giveaway prizes can only be shipped to US addresses. Good Luck!

Double Layer Lemon Cake with Honey Chamomile Frosting Recipe {Dairy and Egg Free}
A double layer vegan lemon cake recipe with honey-chamomile frosting and raspberries. Perfect for any spring celebration.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
- 1 1/4 cups plant-based milk (I use soy but almond or rice would work too)
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
- 14 ounces fresh raspberries
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced for decorating, optional
- sprinkles for decorating, optional
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup water
- 2 chamomile tea bags
- 1/4 cup honey
- 13 ounces vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 10-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease and flour the parchment.
- Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Rub lemon zest into sugar with your fingers until it is completely incorporated and fragrant. You don't want any clumps of zest.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until completely combined.
- Add lemon juice, milk, oil, and extract if you are using. Stir together with a rubber spatula until just incorporated and evenly moist. Don't over mix.
- Distribute batter evenly between the prepared pans, scraping all the batter out of the bowl. Bake until cake springs back when gently pushed with your finger in the middle and a toothpick comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes.
- Let cool on wire racks about 15 minutes. Run a butter knife around the outside of the cake in the pan then turn out onto the rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Combine water, tea, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until honey is dissolved. Gently boil until mixture is reduced to a syrup and only about 1/4 cup is left, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
- Place vegan butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add cooled syrup and powdered sugar and beat on low until incorporated. Turn speed to medium and continue beating until light and fluffy.
To Decorate:
- Place one cake upside down on a sheet of parchment paper placed on a cake stand or large plate. Evenly spread about 1/2 cup frosting over the top. Place raspberries over the frosting until the entire surface is covered.
- Place second cake upside down over the raspberries. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with lemon slices and sprinkles if you'd like.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 698Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 568mgCarbohydrates: 84gFiber: 4gSugar: 52gProtein: 5g
One More Thing
Did you love this post? I want to know! Leave me a comment and snap a photo for Instagram. Tag @holajalapeno so I can see your beautiful creation! Your feedback is super important to me. If you run into trouble shoot me a message on Instagram and I’ll walk you through it.
Also, don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Love a self cleaning dishwasher.
YESSSS!!!! Here’s to awesome dishwashers Manda!
First off, I want that cake for my birthday too. Secondly, I need an awesome range to make and bake those creations in my house. ie: I need an ultimate Wolf range. Not a monster, just accurate, reliable and beautiful – Like the GR304!
Oh wouldn’t that be wonderful, Anne?!!! I’d love a range like that too!
I would love to have a stand mixer! It would make baking so much easier!
Absolutely Jacky! I love my stand mixer.
i’d love a stand mixer!
I’ve had the same Kitchen Aid mixer for almost 20 years and LOVE it, Judith!!
I would love a real gas stove with a grill
Oh my gosh, YES Steph!!
my birthday was friday! happy birthday to you, and kudos on a great cake. 🙂 i’ve coveted a kitchen aid stand mixer for as long as i can remember.
It was?!! Happy Birthday! I can’t believe you don’t have a stand mixer with all those beautiful desserts you make. You need to get one. 🙂
Beautiful cake! Love the combo of the lemon and raspberries. One of my favs! And the frosting!!! I would love a vitamix.
Oh yes!! A vitamix would be awesome. I haven’t been able to justify spending $500 on a blender but if someone else wanted to buy me one that would be fine!
Hmm, I’m gonna have to go with a stand mixer too!
You can’t call this cake vegan if it contains honey. Vegan means no animal products (including insects). Could sub rice syrup or maple syrup perhaps? Or golden syrup? $500 for a Vitamix – that would be half price here in Australia.
You are so right Dyan! I’ll change the name right away. Thanks so much for watching my back! 🙂