vegan vanilla loaf

Welcome back to my kitchen!

Over the last 48 hours I have baked 5 versions of this cake, little alterations made here and there to get me a cake that I would love to eat and not even think about it being vegan. And I am finally happy with the recipe and wanted to share it as soon as possible. With only 8 ingredients and most being pantry staples, you could whip this up and have it baking in 15 minutes.

So let's get started!

Makes: 1 9-inch loaf -Prep time: 10 min -Cook time: 45 minutes - Serves: 8

Equipment

9x5'' loaf tin

Large bowl

Measuring jug

Whisk

Spatula

Kitchen scales

Ingredients

200g plain flour

160g caster sugar* (see notes)

6g baking soda 

2g salt (I use Himalayan)

230g soy milk* (see notes)

7g imitation vanilla* (see notes)

45g neutral oil, (I use vegetable)

20g apple cider vinegar

Method

Preheat your oven to 210°C fan forced (410°F). Line a 9x5 inch loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together 200g flour, 160g sugar, 6g baking soda, and 2g salt. In a small bowl or jug, mix together 230g soy milk, 7g vanilla, 45g oil, and 20g vinegar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Whisk until a smooth batter forms. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake at 210°C fan forced (410°F). for 28 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C fan forced (355°F). and bake for an additional 17 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out the cake and place it on a cooling rack, or flip the tin over and place the cake on top. Allow it to cool for another 25-30 minutes. Slice the cake into 8 pieces and enjoy!

Notes

Milk: I know that some people have an issue with soy, so I wanted to suggest some other milks that may work, but keep in mind I haven't tried these. Almond, rice or oat milk may also work. The milk I use is shelf stable / long life milk, not fresh. UPDATE: I have used oat milk in place of soy and have had similar results.

Sugar: Make sure that your sugar is vegan, as some are processed with bone char to brighten and whiten the sugar.

Imitation vanilla: Vanilla, extract and imitation, contain a compound called vanillin, among other compounds, The vanillin is the primary compound and is the most recognizable as the flavour of vanilla and whilst both extract and imitation both contain this compound, imitation is more of a large hit of vanillin. And when we bake extract or imitation vanilla at high heat, we drive off a lot of the volatile aromas, that's why your kitchen smells great, but it can leave your baked goods lacking, so in my oven / high heat bakes I opt for imitation, but for pastry creams, whipped cream or icings I use extract, as the taste difference is far more noticable. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and if you give it a try, let me know how it turns out! Your feedback means the world to me. Happy baking!

Much love,