Vertical align middle text without lineheight and table-cell

Question

I have a Teaser with a "toggle"-Animation, as can be seen on JSFiddle or below:

.ax {
    height:60px;
    width:150px;
    background:gold;
}
 .caption {
position: absolute;
    left:0;
  top: 35%;
  overflow: hidden;
  right: 0;
  background-color: rgba(24,88,140,0.7);
  width: 100%;
  height: 52px;
  z-index: 2;
  -o-transition: 500ms;
  -webkit-transition: 500ms;
  -moz-transition: 500ms;
  -ms-transition: 500ms;
  transition: 500ms;
  font-weight: lighter;
  padding: 10px;
  color: #fff;
}

a.link{
  color: #fff;
  overflow: hidden;
  width: 80%;
  margin-bottom: 30px;
  font-weight: lighter;
  font-size: 16px;
  line-height: 22px;
}

 .caption:hover {
  height: 100%;
  top: 0;
}
.box {
    position:relative;    
    width:250px;
    height:200px;
}

/*TABLE CELL METHOD*/

 .caption2 {
     position: absolute;
    left:0;
  top: 35%;
  overflow: hidden;
  right: 0;
  background-color: rgba(24,88,140,0.7);
  width: 100%;
  height: 52px;
  z-index: 2;
  -o-transition: 500ms;
  -webkit-transition: 500ms;
  -moz-transition: 500ms;
  -ms-transition: 500ms;
  transition: 500ms;
  font-weight: lighter;
  padding: 10px;
  color: #fff;
    display:table;
   
}
 .caption2:hover {
  height: 100%;
  top: 0;
}
a.link2{
    display:table-cell;
   vertical-align: middle;

  overflow: hidden;
  width: 80%;
  margin-bottom: 30px;
  font-weight: lighter;
  font-size: 16px;
  line-height: 22px;
}

<div class="box">
<div class="caption">
<a href="#" class="link">Lorem Ipsum blabla bla blahah ipsum lorem blablablahh</a>
<p class="captiontext">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.</p> 
</div>
</div><br><br

<br><br>
    table cell method (div.caption2 display:table and a.link display:table-cell + vertical-algin:middle)
    <br><br>
        
<div class="box">
<div class="caption2">
<a class="link2" href="#">Lorem Ipsum blabla bla blahah ipsum lorem blablablahh</a>
<p class="captiontext">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.</p> 
</div>
</div>

I want to align the link in the vertical center of the blue box. The link can be a single line or two lines (at most), but it should always be centered vertically. The CSS property lineheight doesn't work with two line links, whereas the table(-cell)-method also doesn't work (see above).

Is there any way to center both one and two line links in my box?

Answer 1

The display type "Flexbox" may be useful for this. Apply this CSS to the parent of the child you want centered:

display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;