Lemon chia seed cardamom moist cake (vegan)

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    In France, we have several celebrations in some regions and before Carnival, the 84th Lemon Festival is being held in Menton, on the French Riviera between Nice and the Italian frontier since last Saturday and until March 1st. So I decided it was going to be lemon week on the blog! I love citrus fruit and lemon is part of them of course, the lemon cake is one of my favorites but I had never baked one, except these Italian lemon ricotta individual cakes. 

   I also wanted to try chia seeds in a cake for a long time because, in addition to their nutritious properties (omega 3, antioxidants, fatty acids (the good fat that our body needs)), they can replace the fat in a cake, act like a binder (like an egg) and make preparation moist. But to do so, you must use them wisely and not just throw them into the recipe but make them blow up into some water. If you've never used them like that, you'll see, the texture kind of looks like egg white !

   If you a poppy seed lemon cake fan, you'll find the crunchy of the poppy seeds more subtle but also without the little black seeds stuck between your teeth, what is not negligible. And to finish, because I'm in kind of a cardamom phase, I added some to the cake because I like it and it goes well with citrus fruit, it only adds a delicate flavor. No icing or syrup, the cake is god enough by itself you'll see !

   Stay tuned because tomorrow, we'll fly to a sunny destination to enjoy a savory recipe... with lemon of course. 

Lemon chia seed cardamom moist cake


Resting time : 10 minutes
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cook time : 30 minutes


- 2 tsp chia seeds
- 2 to 3 tbsp cold water
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt (classic or soya)
- 4 tbsp vegetable neuter oil 
- 150 g / 5,30 oz / 3/4 cup blond whole sugar (or another non refined sugar)
- 2  organic lemons (zest and juice)
- 40 g / 1,40 oz ground almonds
- 200 g / 7 oz flour
- 1 pack of baking powder (10 g / 0,35 oz)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 to 1 tsp ground cardamom

• In a bowl, mix the chia seeds with water and let them blow up for 10 minutes.

• In a mixing bowl, mix the yogurt with the oil, sugar, lemon zest and juice and swollen chia seeds.

• Add the ground almonds and the flour, sifted as well as the baking powder, baking soda and the cardamom, mix just enough to have an homogeneous batter but too much either.

• Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes at 180°C / 356°F. Check the cooking by putting the blade of a sharp knife or a tooth pick into the cake, it must come out dry and crumbless.

• Let it cool in the pan then take it out and let it cool down completely on a wire rack before enjoying it. I tasted it just like that but also with a vanilla soy yogurt (that tastes like custard), both versions were good !

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