If you read this on a regular basis you’ll know that our household is vegetarian, with an occasional dip into a vegan diet due to problems with egg and dairy. For a long time, I didn’t think that it was possible to make good cake that was egg and butter free – my first experiments were horribly oily, stodgy and bleh. After some experimentation, however, I came across one cake that showed that it was the recipes, not the concept, that was the problem.
Vegan orange cake has a great crumb. Where’s my cup of tea?
After some experimentation of my own, based on that first cake, I’ve arrived at a recipe for sponge that works really well. The first time I made it, I thought the orange juice would add a lot of flavour, but it doesn’t. Flour soaks up a lot so without the zest, this isn’t an orange cake. This is good news! Leave out the orange zest and add a splash of vanilla essence and you have a lovely plain sponge. The colour is a little richer than an egg and sugar sponge, and the texture improves with a 12-24 hour rest. If you can wait, do. It is worth it.
I like baking and freezing. This cuts into up to 16 pieces (small, but perfect for elevenses) and keeps for up to three months in the freezer. I separate pieces with slivers of grease proof paper to ensure they don’t stick together.
- 350 grams plain flour
- 225 grams caster sugar (white or golden)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- Zest from half an orange (if you have a zester: great! If not, use a sharp knife to shave off the zest and then chop it finely.)
- 250 millilitre orange juice
- 60 grams golden syrup
- 100 grams almond or vegetable oil
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Measure out the juice and heat it.
- Add the syrup and oil to the hot juice and mix to dissolve the syrup.
- Pour the juice into the dry ingredients and beat into a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into a 23 cm cake tin.
- Put into the oven and leave for 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick before removing.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting and serving.
