Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Cake is:

• moist and fluffy
• fresh and citrusy
• filled with a rich buttercream!

As this Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake has been so popular, I decided it was time to make another simple citrus cake, this time using oranges.

Inspired by my Gluten-Free Vegan Vanilla Cake, this is a simple orange-infused sponge with a simple orange-infused buttercream.

I used my go-to sponge cake recipe, but added orange zest (you can use orange extract instead), and substituted some of the milk with orange juice. This adds natural sweetness and also enhances the orange aroma, and simultaneously tangy and nectar-like flavour.

You can either use freshly squeezed orange juice, or orange juice from a carton. If you prefer a stronger orange flavour, you can add some more orange extract – instructions in recipe notes.

I used my favourite cashew-based buttercream recipe, but used orange juice instead of water or milk.

If you prefer a stronger orange flavour you can add a couple of drops of orange extract to the buttercream – see recipe notes for instructions.

Finally, I decided to top the cake with some clementine segments, which not only serve an aesthetic purpose, but also add extra juicy sweetness. Sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme also make pretty decorations!

I hope you’ll love this Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Cake! For more citrus cakes, check out my:

• White Chocolate Lemon Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Mug Cake
• Jaffa Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
• Chocolate Orange Cake
• Lemon Drizzle Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cake

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Helpful tools to make this Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Cake:

For the cake:

glass mixing bowl

measuring jug

18 cm / 7 inch sandwich baking tin

baking paper

cooling rack

For the frosting:

food processor

blender

hand-held stick blender

palette knife for frosting

Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Cake is moist and fluffy, fresh and citrusy and filled with a rich buttercream! 

4.58 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, British

Keyword: gluten-free orange cake, gluten-free vegan cake, vegan orange cake

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) orange juice (freshly squeezed or from a carton)
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• Zest of 1 unwaxed orange* (or sub 2 teaspoons orange extract)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds** (almond meal)
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking power (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

For the buttercream*:

• 100 g (2/3 cup) raw cashew nuts - soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or sub any other sweetener
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons orange juice

To decorate (optional):

• Clementine segments

Instructions

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
• Once melted, add the orange juice to the same bowl along with the milk, orange zest, vanilla, maple syrup and ground almonds
• Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
• Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
• Transfer mixture between two greased baking tins lined with baking paper (I used two 7inch/18cm baking tins)
• Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean
• Once done, turn the cakes out onto wire racks and leave to cool completely before frosting

For the buttercream:

• Drain soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients (a hand-held blender works too)
• Whizz until completely smooth, adding more orange juice if necessary

To frost and decorate the cake:

• Place one half of the cake onto a plate or cake stand, and spread just less than half of the frosting onto it
• Place the other half of the cake on top of that and use rest of the frosting to spread on top and around the sides of the cake
• Decorate with clementine segments, if desired
• Tastes best when fresh but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Notes

*For a stronger orange flavour, add an extra teaspoon of orange extract as well as the orange zest. Or if using orange extract instead of orange zest, or use 3 teaspoons of orange extract. You can also add a few drops of orange extract to the buttercream.

**You can alternatively use almond flour

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 325

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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