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    You are here: Home / Cakes / Vegan Orange Loaf Cake

    Vegan Orange Loaf Cake

    Published: Mar 26, 2021 · Modified: Mar 26, 2021

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    Vegan orange loaf cake - this delicious vegan orange cake with chocolate glaze tastes like a giant jaffa cake!

    It is moist, tender, orangey and easy to make. A perfect cake for snacking, afternoon tea or a celebration.

    Vegan orange loaf cake on a wooden table with oranges, a bowl of chocolate glaze, a bowl of orange zest and a linen cloth.

    This vegan orange loaf cake is addictively good!

    It is a moist, tender orange cake made with fresh orange juice and zest, and is topped with melted chocolate; because what is better than chocolate and orange?!

    It would be a wonderful cake to make for an Easter celebration, or just for snacking on at any time of year.

    I adapted this recipe from my very popular vegan lemon drizzle cake recipe; it turns out it works extremely well in orange too!

    Close up of sliced vegan orange loaf cake.

    What Do I Need To Make Vegan Orange Loaf Cake?:

    Oranges: Can't make orange cake without oranges. Most of the flavour comes from the zest rather than the juice so I add the finely grated zest of three large oranges plus 120ml / ½ cup of juice. Either freshly squeezed or from a carton is fine.

    Non-dairy milk: Any kind should work but do use unsweetened if you can. Soy is best for baking as it has the highest protein content so that is what I always use.

    Non-dairy yogurt: Non dairy yogurt is one of my favourite ingredients to use in vegan baking, it gives cakes a lovely texture and helps keep them moist. Either coconut or soy yogurt works well; I use the Coconut Collaborative. I haven't tested any substitutes for the yogurt.

    Olive oil: I like to use olive oil as I think that the flavour goes well with orange. Use a mild one, not extra virgin. You can swap it for another neutral oil if you prefer.

    Orange extract: I like to give the orange flavour a boost with a bit of orange extract. Make sure it is extract rather than essence so it doesn't taste artificial. You can swap it for vanilla extract if you don't have any orange.

    Plain flour and cornflour: Regular plain (all-purpose) flour with a bit of cornflour (cornstarch) added gives the crumb a nice texture. You can swap the cornflour for an equal weight of plain flour if you don't have any, but I do recommend using it if you can.

    Ground almonds: Ground almonds give this cake a beautiful texture. I really, really recommend using them if you can. If you can't have nuts then you can try swapping them for an equal weight of plain flour.

    Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): You really do need both for the best texture and rise.

    Caster sugar: Caster sugar is best for baking as it's fine grain means that it dissolves into the batter easily. You can use granulated instead if that is all you have.

    For The Chocolate Glaze:

    Dark chocolate: I use a 70% dark chocolate as I prefer the glaze to not be overly sweet. Any kind of chocolate you like should be fine however. (Don't use chocolate chips, they are designed to not melt properly).

    Coconut oil: Adding a little bit of coconut oil to the chocolate prevents it from setting too solid. You can swap it for vegan butter if you want.

    Slices of orange loaf cake on a sheet of baking parchment.

    How To Make Vegan Orange Loaf Cake:

    (Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

    Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl then whisk in the ground almonds, sugar and salt.

    In a jug whisk together orange juice and zest, vegan yogurt, vegan milk, olive oil and orange extract.

    Step 1 - a four image collage of sifting together the dry ingredients and whisking together the wet ingredients.

    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a balloon whisk until no dry lumps remain. Be careful not to overbeat the batter as that can make the cake tough.

    Step 2 - a two image collage of adding the wet ingedients to the dry and the mixed batter.

    Pour the batter into a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

    Step 3 - a two image collage of the batter in the cake tin and the baked cake.

    Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

    Once the cake is cool, heat the chopped chocolate and the coconut oil in a bain marie until just melted. Don't let it get too hot or the chocolate may sieze.

    Allow it to cool and thicken slightly then pour the chocolate over the top of the cake and serve.

    Close up of sliced orange loaf cake.

    Top Tips:

    Try adding a couple of handfuls of chocolate chips to the batter for an extra chocolate hit!

    Be careful not to over-beat the cake batter as that can make the cake tough. Just stir it with a balloon whisk until no dry lumps remain. Make sure that your wet ingredients and your dry ingredients are very well combined (in their separate bowls) BEFORE you mix the two together.

    Grease your tin well and line it with baking parchment to ensure that your cake doesn't stick. Leave a strip overhanging on either side so that you can lift the cake out of the tin easily.

    The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for four to five days.

    Close up of a slice of vegan orange loaf cake.

    Can I Make A Vegan Orange Drizzle Cake Instead?:

    Yes! Instead of adding the chocolate glaze you can easily turn this into a vegan orange drizzle cake.

    While the cake is in the oven, mix together 3 tbsp orange juice, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 50g caster or granulated sugar in a small pan.

    Heat while stirring until the sugar has dissolved then set aside.

    When the cake is baked, let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes then poke holes all over the top with a cocktail stick.

    Drizzle the syrup all over the top of the cake, making sure that you pour it around the edges as well as in the middle.

    Leave the cake to cool in the tin.

    Can I Freeze It?:

    Yes this vegan orange loaf cake freezes well, either whole or in slices.

    Freeze well wrapped or in a freezerproof container for up to three months. Make sure the cake is completely cold before you freeze it.

    If you are freezing it whole I recommend NOT adding the chocolate before freezing. Allow the cake to defrost at room temperature then add the glaze.

    More Vegan Loaf Cakes:

    Vegan Earl Grey Tea Loaf

    A slice of this easy, fat-free fruity tea loaf spread with vegan butter is an ideal mid-morning or afternoon snack.

    Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake

    The ultimate vegan lemon drizzle cake recipe! A soft, moist, easy to make & intensely lemony loaf cake soaked in tangy lemon syrup & lemon glaze.

    Vegan Marble Cake

    Vegan marble cake - this vegan chocolate and vanilla pound cake is moist, soft and very moreish!

    Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf

    Vegan carrot cake loaf - this is the best vegan carrot cake! Easy to make, moist, sweet and spicy with a zingy lemon glaze.

    If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

    All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.

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    5 from 1 vote

    Vegan Orange Loaf Cake

    Vegan orange loaf cake - this delicious vegan orange cake with chocolate glaze tastes like a giant jaffa cake! It is moist, tender, orangey and easy to make. A perfect cake for snacking, afternoon tea or a celebration.
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine British
    Keyword cake
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Servings 10 people
    Author Domestic Gothess

    Ingredients

    Cake:

    • 280 g (2 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
    • 20 g (2 packed Tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
    • 50 g (½ cup) ground almonds
    • 200 g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • finely grated zest of 3 large oranges
    • 120 ml (½ cup) orange juice
    • 90 g (6 Tbsp) non-dairy yogurt (I use the Coconut Collaborative)
    • 90 ml (6 Tbsp) non-dairy milk (I use soy)
    • 120 ml (½ cup) mild olive oil (or another neutral oil)
    • 1 tsp orange extract (or use vanilla)

    Chocolate Glaze:

    • 100 g (3 ½ oz) dark chocolate chopped
    • 10 g (2 ½ tsp) coconut oil

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease an approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 in loaf tin (2lb loaf tin) and line it with baking parchment.
    • Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl then whisk in the ground almonds, sugar and salt.
    • In a jug whisk together the orange juice and zest, vegan yogurt, vegan milk, olive oil and orange extract.
    • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a balloon whisk until no dry lumps remain. Be careful not to overbeat the batter as that can make the cake tough.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
    • Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
    • Once the cake is cool, place the chopped chocolate and the coconut oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.
    • Stir until the chocolate is just melted then remove it from the heat. Do not let it get too hot or it may sieze.
    • Allow it to cool and thicken slightly then pour the chocolate over the top of the cake and serve.

    Notes

    • For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them. A gram is always a gram, but a cup won’t always measure out the same amount.
    • Be careful not to over-beat the cake batter as that can make the cake tough. Just stir it with a balloon whisk until no dry lumps remain. Make sure that your wet ingredients and your dry ingredients are very well combined (in their separate bowls) BEFORE you mix the two together.
    • Read the post above for tips, substitutions and step-by-step photos.
    Pinterest collage image.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julie

      November 21, 2021 at 8:33 pm

      Can this be frozen, if so would it be with or without the topping.

      Reply
      • Hannah

        November 22, 2021 at 10:07 pm

        Hi Julie, if you are freezing it in advance to serve later I would freeze it without the topping. If you are just freezing leftovers then with topping is fine.

        Reply
    2. Mickey

      April 12, 2022 at 7:48 pm

      5 stars
      I've made this twice now and I love and everybody has liked!
      The 1st time I used neutral oil but the 2nd I'd ran out so used mainly olive oil and stirred some choc chips through, both times have been delicious.

      Reply

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    Hannah Hossack-Lodge (Domestic Gothess)

    Hi, I'm Hannah! I'm a UK based vegan food blogger, recipe developer and food photographer specialising in the best vegan baking. Welcome to Domestic Gothess!

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