Vegan gingerbread

Gingerbread may just be my favourite cake of all time. Not to get this sticky, sumptuous delight confused with equally delicious gingerbread figures, this is a cake that is so richly spiced with 3 types of ginger and other gorgeous flavours that it really packs a seasonal festive punch. Absolutely love it. The nicest part of this recipe is that it is also happily vegan friendly, switching oil for butter and using vinegar and bicarb to help it rise beautifully. Amazing.

There are so many parts of this gingerbread I love so much. Let’s count them.

1 – any cake that you gently stir together in a saucepan without even thinking of getting out fancier mixers, is always a winner for me. Really helps create a stress-free vibe, which is perfect for baking in the Autumn and winter.

2 – the cake just gets better and better as it sits. Most cakes are amazing, but you do have to eat them up pretty quick, but the beauty of this is, that it’s actually better if you make the cake in advance, then leave it for a day or two and then even after that you can happily take pieces for a week and it’ll still be beautifully soft – thank you to all the sugary goodness there!

Lastly, the taste is incredible. The taste of Christmas and cosy nights in. Rich with the smoky taste of the treacle, matched with the golden syrup and topped with aromatic spices that all compliment the ginger hit – fresh, dried and preserved. This is one serious hit of seasonal indulgence and I absolutely love it. I love the dates here too, it’s got a definite sticky toffee pudding vibe going here and the orange zest really lifts everything. Lovely.

Give it a go and let me know what you think. 

Vegan gingerbread 

Recipe 

150ml vegetable oil

250g golden syrup

150g black treacle 

125g light brown sugar

8 pitted dates (approx 95g)

65g stem ginger

25g fresh ginger (about a thumb sized piece)

Zest and juice of 1 orange

Spices

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp salt 

230 ml vegan friendly milk ( I used oat milk here)

300g plain flour

2 tbsp warm water

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

4 tsp apple cider vinegar 

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C. 

Line a 23 cm square tin with baking paper and leave to one side while you get the batter ready. 

Chop the dates and the stem ginger into small chunks.

Measure the oil and pour into a large, heavy bottom sauce pan. Now measure out the golden syrup and treacle using the same jug. The syrup will come away from the jug much easier if you pour the oil first. 

Then tip the light brown sugar into the pan, followed by the dates, stem ginger and the orange zest. Use a fine grater to add the fresh ginger to the mix. Add the spices and salt. 

Let’s get mixing

Now, on a low heat, stir the sugars and spice mixtures until they melt together and warm up a little. This won’t take long. You don’t want the mixture to be hot, just warm. 

Juice the orange into a jug and then top up with oat milk so that you get a total of 250 ml. Stir to combine and add to the sugary mixture.

Add the flour gradually, I usually do 4-5 batches so that you can whisk out all the lumps. 

When all the flour is added, in a separate bowl or mug, add the warm water and the bicarbonate of soda. Once this has combined, add the vinegar 1 tbsp at a time and let it fizz. I’m not a science expert, but it’s this reaction between the bicarb and vinegar that will make the gingerbread rise, so once you’ve added it all, speedily add this to the main cake mixture and stir to combine. 

Quickly add the cake batter to the prepared tin and bake in the pre heated oven for about 45 minutes. 

This is a very sticky cake, but you can tell when it’s cooked as it will have risen in the middle and be coming away from the sides. 

Leave to cool completely in the tin. Once cooled I would leave the cake wrapped in baking paper and foil for a day or so to let it get even more sticky and rich, then cut into 9-12 generous chunks and enjoy with a nice cuppa on the sofa. 

Looking for other vegan friendly bakes? Try our Vegan chocolate peanut butter scones or our Get up and go granola – homemade breakfast ideas