Fluffy and easy vegan orange cake drizzled with zesty orange icing. Comes together in one bowl with pantry staple ingredients. Perfect for making the most out of citrus season!
Prepare: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease an 8" loaf tin and place a sling of parchment paper into it to help lift out the cake once baked.
To make the vegan "buttermilk" add the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl, stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Add the sugar and orange zest to a large mixing bowl. If you're using a vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add them to the bowl as well. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar.Add the olive oil and whisk to combine. Then add the vegan buttermilk mixture and the freshly squeezed orange juice, and whisk again.
Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and there aren't any visible pockets of flour - be careful not to overmix the batter.
Bake: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 mins. Check the cake is ready by inserting a knife or toothpick into it, which should come out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
Make the glaze: Meanwhile, add the confectioner's sugar and orange juice to a bowl and whisk until smooth.Once the cake has cooled, place a sheet of parchment paper under the cooling rack to catch any icing. Pour the glaze on top of the cake, you can add more or less depending on your taste.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.you can also freeze this cake in an airtight container and defrost it a couple of hours before serving.
Notes
Use unwaxed oranges, organic if possible. Waxed fruits are generally not vegan due to their coating. It's also a good idea to go for organic if you can as you'll be using the orange peel.
With any baking, accuracy is key, and measuring in grams will always be more accurate.
Light muscovado sugar can sometimes "clump" together. Get your hands into the dry ingredients and work out any lumps of sugar as these can create spots when baking.
Use a parchment paper sling: A parchment sling covers the bottom and sides of the loaf tin, making it so much easier to lift out your vegan loaf cake once baked.