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Sansa’s Vegan Lemon Cakes | Game of Thrones inspired recipe

Soft vegan lemon cakes topped with gem-coloured lemon curd are the perfect treat to have while you celebrate the return of Game of Thrones to HBO! You can whip them up a half hour before your guests arrive and fill your home with the bright, cheery aroma of lemon sweetness to armor your heart against the upcoming endless winter. Or have them any time; they are so easy to make! Sansa’s favourite (vegan) lemon cakes are also a wonderful snack to have with tea while you curl up with to read (or listen to) a good book.

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Video tutorial for Sansa’s Vegan Lemon Cakes

 
The Game of Thrones books (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin) are full of descriptions of the foods (and fabrics) of Westeros, Sansa’s lemon cakes are THE treats that are talked about again and again. There’s not much of a description in the books other than the fact that they’re lemony and sweet. So these lemon cakes are mostly inspired by the ones we saw in the HBO show Game of Thrones, particularly the episode when Sansa has them with Olenna and Margaery Tyrell. There is an official recipe which consists of a fluffy egg-based sponge cake flavoured with lemon zest baked in a water bath. This vegan version will be light and fluffy but much easier for the average baker. No whipping up eggs, no water bath! The official version also looks like it has a lemon curd topping which we’ll also veganize easily!

This recipe is perfect for new bakers as it’s pretty easy without complex cake baking techniques like having to whip up a meringue and carefully fold in other ingredients. Instead of whipping up egg whites to make these cakes rise up light and fluffy, we’ll use a combination of baking powder, baking soda and lemon. The reaction will create a fluffy foam which we’ll gently stir flour into. The only thing to watch out for is over-mixing. So just stir gently and slowly until the flour just disappears into the foam; don’t stir a second longer than that. Over-mixing is the number one reason some cakes, muffins, and pancakes turn into a gummy mess.

Use a bowl big enough to hold the expanding foam!

It won’t be long until you have these fluffy little cakes.

Another item that new cooks/bakers might be unfamiliar with is lemon zest. Or how to get that darn zest off a lemon. This recipe only uses a couple of teaspoons of lemon zest which you should be able to get off of one large lemon. I used a zest grater, AKA microplane to get just the yellow zest off the lemon. Avoid the bitter white pith under the fragrant yellow zest.

Ingredients for Vegan Lemon Curd

While we’re on the subject of how many lemons you’ll need – a single lemon contains about two tablespoons of lemon juice. So for one batch of these lemon cakes, you’ll probably need one and a half lemons. Since lemons come in all sizes though, do measure the juice before using it in this recipe.

The vegan lemon curd gets even thicker as it cools.

Fluffy and soft on the inside!

Recipe for Sansa’s Vegan Lemon Cakes

Yield: 6 mini cakes

Sansa’s Vegan Lemon Cakes

Sansa’s Vegan Lemon Cakes

Inspired by Sansa's favourite lemon cakes from HBO's Game of Thrones, these easy little vanilla lemon cakes are topped with sweet and tangy vegan lemon curd. Make them in 30 minutes or less and have warm vegan lemon cakes fit for a queen!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Cooling Time 5 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes

Ingredients

Lemon Cupcakes:

  • 5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
  • 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (50ml) soy milk
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) neutral-tasting oil (eg. sunflower, canola, refined coconut)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • pinch of salt
  • 2/3 cup (85g) all-purpose flour

Lemon Curd:

  • 4 tablespoons (60g) sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (60ml) lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (aka cornflour)
  • 1 tablespoon soy milk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of turmeric (optional for colour)

Optional garnish:

  • extra lemon zest
  • lemon slices
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

Make the cakes:

  1. In a medium – large sized mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy milk, and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Add baking powder and baking soda and whisk to combine. The mixture will bubble up; continue to stir about 10 seconds.
  2. Add the oil, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Stir to combine.
  3. Add the flour a few tablespoons at a time and stir gently until just combined and no dry flour remains. Continue until all the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix!
  4. Line a 6-cavity muffin/cupcake tin with parchment or silicone re-usable liners. Spoon the cake batter into all the molds evenly.
  5. Bake in your preheated oven (350°F / 180°C) for 18 to 20 minutes. When done, the tops will be a pale golden colour. To test, insert a toothpick into the largest cupcake. It will come out clean if it’s done.

Make the Lemon curd:

  1. While the cakes are baking, You can make the lemon curd. In a small pot, combine sugar, lemon juice, water, cornstarch, soy milk and lemon zest. Mix well until there are no lumps. 
  2. Turn the heat on medium-high and cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir well. The mixture should be thick and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Add the turmeric while rubbing it between your fingers so it doesn’t land in a clump. Stir well. To make the translucent lemon curd a little more opaque, stir in the vegan butter. Taste. You can adjust the flavour by adding a little more lemon juice for extra tang, extra sugar if you prefer sweeter lemon curd, or add a touch more salt to contrast the sweetness. Set aside until the cupcakes are ready.

Assemble the Vegan Lemon Cakes:

  1. When the cupcakes are done, carefully take them out of the muffin tin. Wait 5 to 10 minutes until you can turn them out of their liners cleanly. Place them top-down on a serving plate. Spoon over warm lemon curd and top with extra lemon zest for garnish. Optionally, dust over some powdered sugar and garnish the plate with fresh lemon slices. Enjoy!

Notes

Storage: Leftover lemon cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Heat them up in the microwave for about 10 seconds just to get the chill off before serving.

The lemon curd can be made ahead up to a week. You can store it in the fridge in clean, airtight jar. Feel free to multiply the recipe for a larger batch. This recipe as-is makes about 3/4 cup of vegan lemon curd.

You can also feel free to double the cake recipe as well. Do not make make more than a double multiple of cake batter in the same bowl though — it becomes more difficult to avoid over-mixing.

NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients by weight. This recipe has not been tested using gluten-free flour. Please let me know if you do try making it gluten-free! I prefer Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour when I do make gluten-free baked goods.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 345Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 361mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 1gSugar: 49gProtein: 3g

Nutritional Information automatically calculated by a plugin and may not be correct.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Please leave me a comment if you make these or if you have any questions! Enjoy!

Showing 31 comments
  • Christina
    Reply

    My neighbor just gave me a half dozen lemons so I’m definitely making this for my pottery class tonight! Will let you know how it goes. 🙂

    • Mary
      Reply

      Christina! If that is not the most perfect sign from above, I don’t know what is! Have fun with the cakes and the pottery class! <3 – Mary

      • Christina
        Reply

        Thank you for this perfect recipe! I can’t believe how good they are, not to mention easy. Followed this to a “T,” taking your advice to swap more lemon juice for soy milk if we like it extra lemony. I’m making it again today so I can hunker down with some tea for the season premiere. Woot!

        • Mary
          Reply

          Yay! I’m so happy to hear that,Christina <3 Thank you for letting me know how they turned out. And how about that premiere! I'm pumped for the rest!

  • Helen Hornbuckle
    Reply

    I will definitely be making these for Sunday! Thank you!!!

    • Mary
      Reply

      You’re welcome! Enjoy!

  • Danielle
    Reply

    Would it be possible to make this in cake form? I really wanna make a lemon cake and I don’t have a cupcake tray.

    • Mary
      Reply

      Probably, however I have not tested this particular batter in a larger pan. My guess is that you’ll need a little extra time in the oven. I’ll be testing this for an upcoming recipe — stay tuned! In the meantime, if you give it a try – good luck!

    • Mary
      Reply

      Hi Danielle,
      I recently tried in a cake pan — I had to double the recipe for a 9″ cake pan and it came out pretty thin. Not bad but if you want it decently thick, use a smaller pan or cut in half and make a double layer half moon cake 🙂 – Mary

  • Emma
    Reply

    Made these with Pamela’s GF flour blend and turned out well!

    • Mary
      Reply

      That’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing, Emma 🙂

      • Melissa
        Reply

        Hi Mary, thanks for a great recipe! I made these for our Easter dinner desert. They where a perfect vegan treat for our non vegan familys! Happy Easter to you guys! Looking forward to more tasty recipes in the future!

        • Mary
          Reply

          Yay! So glad to hear this, Melissa! Thank you so much <3 – Mary

  • Katrina
    Reply

    So so good! Made them earlier in the week as a test and will be making a double batch tomorrow to bring to my in-laws for a GOT party! The texture is so delicate and the flavors are spot on. Thank you for the recipe!

    • Mary
      Reply

      Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Katrina! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂

      • Juliana
        Reply

        Have you had luck doubling this recipe? I want to make them for a crowd

        • Mary
          Reply

          Hi Juliana,
          Yes, doubling is fine. Any more than that and I would make separate batch though.
          Cheers,
          Mary

  • Esther
    Reply

    Is it okay if I replace the soy milk with rice or coconut milk?

    • Mary
      Reply

      Hi Ester,
      Yes, that should be fine. Have fun!
      Mary

  • Nisha
    Reply

    Hi Mary,

    How many tablespoon is 2/3 cup of flour. Thanks.

    • Mary
      Reply

      Hi Nisha,

      I believe that should be 10 tablespoons and a half.

      Cheers,
      Mary

  • Krista Bowers
    Reply

    I made these for our first GoT viewing party, and they were a HUGE hit! So much so that my friends have requested I bring them again this week.

    • Mary
      Reply

      Krita, that’s amazing! Ugh thank you so much for giving the recipe a try and obviously you did a great job! <3 Have fun tonight! – Mary

  • Jennifer Loula
    Reply

    These were so light fully and amazing!! Have you ever made anything like this recipe in cake form? I’m looking for a nice light sponge cake and can’t find a good recipe…(loved the baking soda/powder foam) I think I may try tomorrow either way. I doubled the recipe and may just do that again but in 3 separate batches (as recommended above in comments) for a 3 tier raspberry lemon curd cake! I will let you know how it works out!

  • Heather
    Reply

    Made these for yesterday’s episode and everyone loved them! The lemon curd is soo good, and it’s such an easy to follow recipe. Thank you so much–will definitely be making again!

  • Natalie D Bojesen
    Reply

    It would be lovely if the print button linked to just a printable version of the recipe rather than 34 pages of pictures etc!!!

    Thanks

    • Mary
      Reply

      Hi Natalie,
      Sorry, the printable recipe plugin I have been using for years doesn’t work atm. I’m in the process of upgrading the site so I can install a new one. In the meantime, you can always copy and paste into a document and print that. Thanks for your patience.
      Warm regards,
      Mary

  • Jennifer Loula
    Reply

    Made these gluten free with Bob’s red mills 1 to 1. Turned out great. I even swirled raspberry coulis into the batter… so good… I also mixed confetti into another batch … also soo good. Love this recipe. I’ve made it in cake form(1 layer of 8 inch) by doubling the recipe, works great too. Thanks Mary!

  • Sophia
    Reply

    Hi Mary, I’m from Malaysia.

    Today I double up the recipe and make 12 lemon cupcakes!

    Thanks so much for your recipe!

    Cheers

  • Ebba
    Reply

    Have made these a couple of times now, and they always turn out perfect. Great recipe!

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