Vegan Cherry Loaf Cake

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Vegan cherry loaf cake - this easy glacé cherry and almond cake is like an old fashioned cherry madeira cake. It is simple yet comforting and satisfying, with a moist, tender crumb and plenty of sweet cherries.

This is the perfect retro cake to snack on with a cup of tea, and one slice is never enough!

Vegan cherry loaf cake on a marble board with cups of tea and bowls of glace cherries and flaked almonds.

This vegan cherry almond loaf cake is a very nostalgic recipe; it is my vegan take on a traditional cherry madeira cake, which is the kind of old-fashioned cake you would expect to be served up by your nan on china plates with a pot of tea.

It is a simple, unfussy kind of cake, but those are my favourites; give me a basic loaf cake over a frosted layer cake any day.

It has a moist, tender, dense crumb with a delicate almond flavour and is studded with sweet, sticky glace cherries, it tastes very much like a cherry Bakewell. Best served in thick slices with a cup of Earl Grey.

Labelled photo of the ingredients needed to make vegan cherry loaf cake.

Ingredient Details:

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.

Yogurt: Vegan yogurt helps to make the cake moist and flavourful. Use a plain one, unsweetened if possible. I use soya yogurt but coconut yogurt will also work.

Milk: Any kind of unsweetened non-dairy milk (except tinned coconut) should be fine, but I always prefer to use soya milk for baking.

Sugar: I use caster sugar but granulated is also fine. Light brown soft sugar or coconut sugar would also work. Do not swap it for liquid sugars (such as maple syrup) or sweeteners.

Olive oil: I like to use olive oil but you can swap it for another neutral oil if you prefer.

Lemon juice: This reacts with the raising agents to help the cake rise. You can use vinegar instead.

Vanilla and almond extracts: The ground almonds alone don't provide enough almond flavour so I add some almond extract as well.

Glacé cherries: Also known as candied cherries, you can either use natural coloured ones or the bright red dyed cherries.

Close up of the sliced vegan chherry loaf cake.

How To Make Vegan Cherry Loaf Cake:

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

Step 1: Rinse the cherries with warm water to remove any excess syrup then pat them dry with kitchen paper. Cut into halves or quarters and toss with a Tablespoon of flour.

Step 1, the prepared cherries in a bowl.

Step 2: Mix together the plain flour, cornflour, ground almonds, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl.

Step 3: In a large jug, whisk together the milk, yogurt, oil, lemon juice and vanilla and almond extracts.

Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a balloon whisk until combined. Fold in the cherries, reserving a handful.

Step 5: Transfer the batter to a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin. Scatter over the rest of the cherries and poke them into the batter. Scatter over a handful of flaked almonds.

Step 6: Bake for about 1 hour until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

The sliced vegan cherry loaf cake on a marble board with cups of tea and bowls of glace cherries and flaked almonds.

Top Tips:

USE SCALES. As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scales rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

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 is ready when it is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.

Variations:

Add in a couple of handfuls of chocolate chips instead of or as well as the cherries.
Fold in some cubes of marzipan for extra almond flavour
Use fresh pitted cherries instead of glacé ones.
Swap the cherries for sultanas.
Add the finely grated zest of 2-3 lemons.

Slices of vegan cherry almond cake on a sheet of white baking paper.

FAQ's:

How should I store it?

This vegan cherry loaf cake will keep for around 5 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Can I freeze it?

Yes this cake freezes really well, either whole or in slices. Make sure that it has cooled completely before freezing and wrap it well to prevent freezer burn. Allow to defrost at room temperature to serve.

How do I stop the cherries from sinking?

It is very common for the cherries to sink to the bottom in this type of cake but there are a few steps we can take to minimise this.

Firstly, wash the cherries in warm water to rinse off the syrup then pat them dry very well with kitchen paper. Then cut them into either halves or quarters; I do a few of each.

Next, mix them with a tablespoon of flour so that they are well coated.

Finally, when you mix the cherries into the batter, don't add all of them; save a handful to poke into the top of the batter before you put the tin in the oven.

More Vegan Loaf Cakes:

Close up of a slice of vegan cherry almond loaf cake.

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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5 from 3 votes