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.

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!

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.

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.

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 a greased and lined 2lb loaf 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, 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.

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.

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:

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

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