• Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy

Curly's Cooking

Where great tasting food is always the answer

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
  • All Recipes
    • Main Course
    • Slow Cooker
    • Cakes
    • Soups, Salads & Light Meals
    • Cupcakes & Muffins
    • Bread
    • Biscuits, Cookies & Traybakes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Snacks & Sides
    • Desserts
  • Recipes By Diet
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
    • Gluten Free
  • Baking
    • Cakes
    • Cupcakes & Muffins
    • Biscuits, Cookies & Traybakes
    • Bread
    • Desserts
  • Cooking
    • Main Course
    • Air Fryer
    • Slow Cooker
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Snacks & Sides
    • Sauces & Seasonings
    • Soups, Salads & Light Meals
  • Easy Dinners

Cakes

Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake

Jump to Recipe

Super light, fluffy and deliciously moist, no one will believe you that this Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake is actually vegan!

Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake

What are vegan cakes?

In case you aren’t aware, vegan cakes are made without eggs, dairy butter or dairy milk.

The butter and milk can easily be replaced by dairy free alternatives. However there are lots of options to replace the eggs.

Veganism has become a lot more widespread in the last few years and you can easily buy vegan cakes in supermarkets. But as with most cakes, they taste far better if you bake your own.

Vegan cakes are delicious!

If you are vegan you don’t need me to tell you this, you already know! Before I’d given vegan baking a try, I was very sceptical.

I didn’t know what the taste would be like and whether the texture would be different to the baking I was used to. 

This Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake was my first attempt at vegan baking. Obviously I needed some help and that came in the form of Kate from Veggie Desserts.

If anyone refers to a cake as The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake, you know it has to be great.

So I took this as my base recipe and gave it a few tweaks to make it into my version which is Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake.

Vegan food is increasing in popularity 

Over the last few years, veganism has become a lot more popular. Whether you are vegan, dairy free or just trying to eat less dairy; vegan cakes are great to have in your repertoire.

It is always nice to have a collection of recipes you can go to so that everyone’s dietary requirements are catered for.

It makes people feel more loved and included if you can cater for them which is always lovely.

Another variation that you might like are Gluten Free & Vegan Chocolate Orange Cupcakes. 

Which dairy free alternatives are best to use?

There are quite a few different dairy free margarines available to buy. They are usually very clearly marked as vegan so you don’t have to worry about checking the ingredients.

I tend to use Vitalite, but there are lots of other brands that will work just as well.

For the milk, you could use soy, almond or oat milk. I would avoid using anything like coconut or hazelnut milk that has a distinct flavour as this may mask or not work with the orange.

You can use sweetened or unsweetened dairy free milk for these recipes, whichever you prefer.

Do vegan cakes taste different?

Not at all. If you weren’t told this cake was vegan, I strongly believe you wouldn’t be able to tell.

Numerous people have tasted this cake and other vegan cakes I have baked and they wouldn’t have guessed. When they find out they are surprised at how light and fluffy they are. 

The beauty of a loaf cake

I love loaf cakes because of how simple and delicious they are.

All you need to do it mix the ingredients together and pour them into the tin and then you’re done! You don’t need to divide the batter between tins, no additional decorating is required. Just simple.

If you do want to make it a bit more fancy you can do though.

Can you add buttercream to this cake?

Yes you definitely could. I think dairy-free margarine makes absolutely delicious buttercream.

If you wanted to add buttercream, I would use half the amount that is in my Gluten Free & Vegan Chocolate Orange Cupcakes recipe.

You could then decorate it with orange peel or anything else you’d like.

If you didn’t want to use buttercream but wanted to decorate it, you could drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top.

Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake baking tips 

One of my least favourite baking tasks is sifting ingredients. Because of this, I do try to avoid sieving as much as possible but please do make sure you sieve the flour and cocoa powder for this cake.

If you don’t you do run the risk of little lumps of flour finding their way into your finished cake. While this isn’t a disaster, it doesn’t look the best in the finished cake. So bite the bullet and get your sieve out! 

Don’t get alarmed by adding coffee to the cake! Coffee is a great way of enhancing the chocolate flavour in baking. You won’t taste it in the finished cake but it will have worked its magic. 

How long will this cake keep for?

This cake will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

You could wrap this cake thoroughly and freeze it for up to three months.

Other recipes you might enjoy

  • Oreo Cupcakes (Vegan)
  • Vegan Vanilla & Raspberry Jam Cupcakes
  • Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
  • Gluten Free & Vegan Chocolate Orange Cupcakes
  • Vegan Vanilla & Raspberry Jam Cupcakes

Pin for later

4.84 from 18 votes
Print

Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake

Super light, fluffy and deliciously moist, no one will believe you that this Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake is actually vegan!

Course Cake
Cuisine British
Keyword Chocolate Orange, Vegan, Dairy Free
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 14
Calories 207 kcal
Author Adapted from Veggie Desserts

Ingredients

  • 280 ml soy milk or any non-dairy milk such as almond
  • 1 orange zested
  • 4 tbsp orange juice
  • 150 g dairy free margarine
  • 3 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 275 g self raising flour
  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC (fan assisted, 180ºC non fan) and line a 2lb loaf tin

  2. Zest the orange before juicing it. Whisk the orange juice and soy milk together and set aside

  3. In a pan over a medium heat, gently melt the margarine, coffee and golden syrup. Once melted take off the heat and allow to cool slightly
  4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl before adding the milk and margarine mixtures and orange zest. Stir well until the batter is smooth

  5. Pour the cake mix into the loaf tin. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean when poked into the cake

  6. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely

Recipe Notes

Keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. 

Nutritional information is given as a guide only and my vary.

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 207 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 101mg4%
Potassium 101mg3%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 109IU2%
Vitamin C 9mg11%
Calcium 37mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Share this...
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Google
  • Tumblr
  • Stumbleupon


44 Comments

Previous Post: « Leek & Potato Soup (Soup Maker)
Next Post: Unicorn White Chocolate Rocky Road »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dina says

    November 16, 2017 at 8:46 am

    Love the choco & orange combo in desserts!

    Greets from Greece 🙂
    https://dinamighty.com/

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 16, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook says

    November 19, 2017 at 2:20 pm

    This sounds so delicious! I love chocolate and coffee! And vegan -wow!

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 19, 2017 at 3:21 pm

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jenny Paulin says

    November 20, 2017 at 11:26 am

    ooooh your cake looks so delicious Cat, and you can never go wrong with chocolate and orange together. You could never tell the cake is a vegan one – it looks amazing!
    Thank you for linking to #Bakeoftheweek x

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 20, 2017 at 7:40 pm

      Thanks, I was very impressed with it and will definitely make it for people that aren’t vegan too!x

      Reply
  4. CakePants says

    November 21, 2017 at 3:55 am

    This looks fantastic! I don’t keep to a vegan diet, but I do like to make vegan treats every once and a while. Chocolate and orange is such a tantalizing combo, and the crumb looks SO moist!

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 21, 2017 at 12:13 pm

      Thanks 🙂 This was my first vegan bake and it definitely won’t be my last!x

      Reply
  5. Monika says

    November 21, 2017 at 1:42 pm

    I love the combination of chocolate, orange and coffee in this recipe. Your bread looks really delicious!

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 21, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  6. Jacqui Bellefontaine says

    November 21, 2017 at 4:55 pm

    Well, I’m definitely not Vegan but I could eat that cake. The texture looks great and I like the cracked top. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 21, 2017 at 7:42 pm

      I’m glad I’m not the only one that liked the lovely cracked top 🙂 Thanks x

      Reply
  7. Louise says

    November 21, 2017 at 8:46 pm

    Its always good to have a vegan recipe up your sleeve. I don’t like sifting either! #bakeoftheweek

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 21, 2017 at 8:49 pm

      Glad I’m not the only one! And that was my thinking too 🙂 x

      Reply
  8. Rebecca says

    November 21, 2017 at 10:37 pm

    Oh yes please! A cake I can scoff and if I exchange the flour my daughter can have it too…this is going on the to-do-list!

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 22, 2017 at 7:20 am

      Not sure what your daughter can’t eat but I have a gluten free and vegan cupcake version coming soon!x

      Reply
  9. Vicki Montague says

    November 22, 2017 at 9:23 am

    This looks amazing! Great work for the first attempt at vegan baking 😉

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 22, 2017 at 11:25 am

      Thank you 🙂 x

      Reply
  10. Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says

    November 24, 2017 at 5:50 pm

    I’m a huge fan of chocolate-orange Cat – it’s always a winner with us 🙂 You’re vegan cake looks amazing – such a lovely inviting crumb!
    Angela x

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 26, 2017 at 12:50 pm

      Thanks, it’s such a delicious flavour combination!x

      Reply
  11. Helen at Casa Costello says

    November 30, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    There’s talk of vegan cooking being the next big thing for 2018 so you are right on trend! This bake looks fantastic and so rich. Thanks so much for joining in with #BakeoftheWeek

    Reply
    • Cat says

      November 30, 2017 at 5:03 pm

      Ooh I hadn’t heard that! How exciting. Thanks 🙂 x

      Reply
  12. Choclette says

    December 1, 2017 at 7:25 am

    I remember how surprised I was when I reluctantly made my first vegan cake a few years ago. I’ve never looked back. Chocolate and orange is a much loved combination and your cake looks delicious. Thanks for sharing with #WeShouldCocoa.

    Reply
    • Cat says

      December 1, 2017 at 5:35 pm

      Thank you very much. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one that was reluctant to try vegan cake x

      Reply
  13. Sammie says

    December 1, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    I now have a fantastic vegan cake recipe to bake for friends and family who are vegan. It looks deliciously moist too. Just a quick tip, as I am not a fan of sifting either. Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and stir with a balloon whisk, it works a treat and I use it for icing sugar with cocoa.

    Reply
    • Cat says

      December 3, 2017 at 10:49 am

      Thanks 🙂 What a great tip! I’ll make sure I do that next time x

      Reply
  14. Lois says

    February 20, 2020 at 9:53 am

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. It never fails to please – and so easy! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      February 20, 2020 at 9:54 am

      Thank you so much 🙂 Really pleased you like it!

      Reply
  15. Cowsee says

    August 9, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    5 stars
    Came out perfectly, thank you!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 13, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Fantastic, happy you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  16. Julia says

    November 10, 2020 at 8:54 pm

    5 stars
    This was a fantastic cake. So easy to make and
    probably the nicest vegan cake I’ve ever made. Soft, light and with a lovely chocolate orange flavour. Thanks

    Reply
    • Curly says

      November 13, 2020 at 8:58 pm

      Thank you very much Julia, so happy you liked it.

      Reply
  17. Sarah says

    December 26, 2020 at 7:43 pm

    5 stars
    So delicious. My go to vegan chocolate cake!!!!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      December 28, 2020 at 11:27 am

      Thank you Sarah, so pleased you like it.

      Reply
  18. Aimee & Lucie says

    February 6, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    We love this recipe! It has such a lovely spongy texture and delicious flavour. We’ve made it at least 5 times, as a loaf, cupcakes, full cake and a bundt style cakes!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      February 6, 2021 at 9:04 pm

      So pleased you like it! It is very versatile 🙂

      Reply
  19. Harriet says

    February 18, 2021 at 8:24 pm

    5 stars
    This cake was absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Definitely giving it another go over the weekend. My household very much enjoyed it too

    Reply
    • Curly says

      February 20, 2021 at 12:26 am

      That’s so great to hear Harriet! So pleased everyone liked it 🙂

      Reply
  20. Richard says

    March 1, 2021 at 11:19 am

    5 stars
    This cake was simply stunning! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      March 1, 2021 at 9:35 pm

      So pleased you liked it Richard 🙂

      Reply
  21. Lara says

    March 11, 2021 at 9:31 pm

    5 stars
    This cake tasted lovely. I made it for my 9 year old son’s birthday topped with glace icing made with orange food colouring and orange juice in place of water. I added grated dark chocolate on top to decorate too. I will definitely be making again.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      March 12, 2021 at 9:05 pm

      Ooh Lara that sounds delicious! I’m so pleased he liked the cake 🙂

      Reply
  22. Steph says

    January 19, 2022 at 1:49 pm

    5 stars
    Reeeally yummy cake. So light! I could have eaten the whole lot in one go. Mine wasn’t 100% vegan as I used honey and the margarine contained milk, but easy enough to swap when the sister-in-law comes round. Will definitely make again, thanks Cat.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:56 pm

      So pleased you liked it Steph! Oh yes definitely easy to make vegan or swap when it doesn’t need to be.

      Reply
4.84 from 18 votes (9 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Me!

Hi, I'm Cat aka Curly. I'm a home cook that likes nothing better than a day in the kitchen baking and cooking. Whether its sweet or savoury, in my mind food is always the answer. Meet Curly

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search This Website

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

DON’T MISS OUT!

Subscribe to keep up to date with latest recipes.

Copyright © 2025 · www.curlyscooking.co.uk

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.