Moist and delicious vegan orange loaf cake with a simple orange drizzle icing. This is everything you want in a citrus loaf cake, plus MORE!
Vegan orange loaf cake
This super easy Vegan Orange Loaf Cake has a deliciously moist and fluffy texture with a fresh, citrus flavour. It’s topped with a simple orange icing glaze for an extra burst of citrus orange flavour. It’s the perfect cake to serve along side a cup of tea / coffee for an afternoon tea break or summer party. I took inspiration from my popular Vegan Lemon Loaf, but made it with a fun orange twist! You’re going to love it!
Why you’ll love this recipe
There are a million reasons why you need to make this cake, and why you’ll absolutely LOVE it, but if I were to write them all down, i’d be here for hours, so… i’ve listed my top 5 – haha!
- Vegan – This recipe doesn’t use any animals derived ingredients.
- Quick and easy to make – The cake takes minutes to make and can be made in 1 bowl!
- 2 ingredient glaze – The glaze uses icing sugar for fresh orange juice for the best flavour. You can even add in some fresh orange zest.
- Full of citrus flavour – Use fresh orange zest and orange extract for the ultimate orange flavour
- Soft & fluffy- The texture of the cake is perfect. The light crumb melts in your mouth!
Ingredients you’ll need
This cake is such a winner, you need less than 10 simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen! Find the full ingredients list in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Fresh oranges – Use fresh, ripe large oranges. Make sure to wash the orange before zesting.
- Caster sugar – Use a fine white sugar for this recipe.
- Plain / all purpose flour
- Baking powder – Helps with the rise of the cake. Makes it super airy and light.
- Sunflower oil – Make sure to use a neutral flavoured oil, such as sunflower oil.
- Dairy-free milk – Soya milk works best, but alternatively you can use any dairy-free milk – almond, cashew, oat etc.
- Orange extract – A splash of orange extract works wonders in the cake. It adds a strong citrus flavour, while not effecting the texture of the light cake.
- Dairy-free block butter
- Icing sugar
How to make a Vegan Orange Loaf Cake
The recipe instructions are super easy to follow, with no mixer required!
- Make the cake batter
Mix all the cake ingredients in a bowl until smooth, then pour into a lined loaf tin.
- Butter
Cut a slither of butter and place into the middle of the cake (see photos for reference). This will help with the loaf ‘crack’.
- Bake
Place in the middle of the oven and bake until tall and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Glaze
Mix the icing sugar, orange juice and zest in a bowl until thick / runny, drizzle over the top of the cake. Allow to set at room temperature.
- Slice and enjoy
Cut into slices using a sharp knife, serve and enjoy!
How to create the classic loaf cake ‘crack’
There is a super simple trick to get your loaf cakes to perfectly crack down the middle. As soon as your have poured the cake batter in the tin, grab yourself a block of vegan butter, cut a slither and place in the middle of the cake. Don’t press it down, you just want it to sit on top.
Alternatively, place some vegan margarine in a piping bag, snip off the tip and pipe a line down the middle of the cake. As the cake bakes in the oven and the butter melts, it encourage the batter to split precisely down the middle, creating an impressive and classic loaf ‘crack’.
Orange loaf cake tips & tricks
Baking times
- Note, the baking time may slightly vary depending on the type of oven you have. Always keep an eye on the cake to determine when it’s baked!
How to tell if the cake has baked
- To check the cake has fully baked, insert the skewer/ toothpick down the middle of the loaf as it can be done around the edges while still raw in the middle. If it comes out with batter on, it needs more time to bake. If it’s clean, it’s ready to remove from the oven.
How to store a orange loaf cake
- Store the cake in a sealed container in the fridge. Best enjoyed within 4 days of making. Alternatively, the cake can be stored at room temperature in a air tight / sealed container for 2-3 days.
Extra decorations
- If you wanted to gift this orange loaf to your friends, family / loved ones, go the extra step and garnish the top with some orange slices. Alternatively, use candied oranges!
Use organic oranges
- As this cake contains fresh orange zest, make sure to use organic oranges. also make sure to wash the oranges before use!
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Orange Loaf Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy Vegan Orange Loaf Cake is fluffy, moist, and loaded with orange flavour! Drizzled with citrus orange icing, it’s perfect!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the loaf
- Zest of 2 large oranges
- 150g of caster sugar
- 250g of plain / all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 80ml of sunflower oil
- 220ml of dairy-free milk
- 2 teaspoons of orange extract
- Dairy-free block butter (see step 6 for details)
Ingredients for the orange icing
- 100g of icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons of orange juice (from the large oranges)
- Orange zest (optional)
Instructions
Method (orange loaf)
- Preheat oven to 175°C fan, and line a 2lb loaf tin with grease proof paper or a loaf liner. Set aside.
- Zest the oranges and add the orange zest into a bowl along with the sugar, rub with your fingers to combine.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix to combine.
- Add in the oil, milk and orange extract. Mix to combine.
- Pour the batter into the lined tin and level off with the back of a spoon.
- Cut some butter into a strip and lay in the middle of the batter, don’t press it down (see photo for reference).
- Place the loaf into the middle of the pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes. After 40 minutes, check on the loaf to make sure it’s not burning. To check to see if the loaf is fully baked, insert a skewer down the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the loaf is ready to take out the oven. If the skewer has some batter on it, the loaf isn’t cooked and needs a little bit more time.
- Remove the baked loaf from the oven, place the tin on a wire rack and allow the loaf to cool in the tin. This will take a few hours.
Method (icing)
- In a small bowl, add in the icing sugar and orange juice. Mix to combine and until smooth. You want the consistency to be thick, but runny and easy to drizzle. You may need to add more orange juice
- Stir in some orange zest (optional).
- Drizzle the icing over the top of the loaf and allow it to drip over the sides of the cake. Allow to stand at room temperature to crust over (the icing will be dry to the touch when set).
- Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the loaf into slices, tuck in and enjoy!
Notes
To store: To keep the cake fresh, store in a sealed / air tight container in the fridge. Best enjoyed with in a few days of making. It can also be kept at room temperature in a air tight container for 2-3 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Going to get the ingredients now and making this today. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!
just baked this. pretty sweet, but great texture and lovely flavour
Author
Aw thank you! Glad you enjoyed!! x
My youngest daughter loved this cake so much that she wants me to make it for her 21st birthday. My eldest daughter also couldn’t get enough of it. 5 out of 5, a resounding success!
Hello Holley,
I have a question about the recipe for orange loaf. Can I use coconut milk?
Thank you,
zimone
Really delicious. The batter was a little runnier than I expected so I was slightly concerned that it wouldn’t bake right, but it turned out perfect!
Author
YAY! Aw im over the moon you enjoyed, thank you lovely xx
Hi,could I change a little amount of vegetal milk for orange juice? Per exemple, instead 220ml of milk add 100ml and 120 milk?
Thank you 😊