This Vegan Orange Bread is moist and fluffy, sweet and citrusy, and covered in a rich orange buttercream frosting. It comes together in one bowl and the recipe is easily customisable. It's gluten-free and refined sugar free too! Perfect for dessert or an indulgent breakfast or brunch.
2heaped teaspoonsbaking powder(ensure gluten-free if necessary)
¼teaspoonbicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
For the frosting:
100g(⅔cup)raw cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
2tablespoonsmaple syrup(or sub any other sweetener)
4tablespoonsorange juice
To decorate (optional):
Pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
For the bread:
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 into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper (I used a one-pound loaf tin).
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Once out the oven, transfer the loaf from the baking tin onto a wired rack to leave it to cool completely before applying the frosting.
For the frosting:
Drain soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients.
Whizz until completely smooth, adding more orange juice or water to thin out if necessary.
To frost and decorate:
Use a knife (or palette knife) to spread frosting over the top of the loaf.
Decorate with chopped pistachios, if desired .
Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
Video
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, 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.This is definitely a sweet recipe – it’s similar to Orange Cake. To make it less sweet, you can halve the amount of maple syrup and omit the frosting.