An incredibly sticky, utterly satisfying vegan ginger cake. Full of spice and flavour, this delicious cake is the perfect teatime treat.
I adore ginger cake. There's a recipe in Nigel Slater's book, The Kitchen Diaries, for double ginger cake that I made many times in my pre-vegan days.
It's sticky, sweet and so full of flavour.
There was something deeply comforting about it - perhaps why it appeared in his January chapter.
And I might even go so far as to say it was my favourite cake.
I've long wanted to make a vegan version of this cake.
After several mis-starts I finally have a vegan ginger cake recipe that I love as much as the Nigel Slate one.
Easy to make
For full recipe including ingredients list, quantities and method please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
There are a just few simple steps to follow to make your vegan ginger cake:
- Add apple cider vinegar to your plant-based milk
If you don’t have apple cider vinegar you can use lemon juice or white wine vinegar instead. This will react with the bicarbonate of soda during baking and help your cake to rise. - Mix together the dry ingredients
First add your raising agents, then your ground ginger to your flour. Mix it all together. - Melt your spread with your sugars
Add the dairy free spread to a small saucepan and melt it gently with golden syrup and treacle. Once melted add brown sugar, sultanas and stem ginger. - Mix everything together
First add the sugar mixture to the flour, then the milk mixture. Stir together and bake in a preheated oven.
Serving suggestions
This sticky ginger cake is very sweet and delicious on its own. It really doesn’t need anything served with it.
However, if you wanted to serve it as a dessert it is delicious with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream or some oat cream or custard.
Ingredients
For full recipe including ingredients list, quantities and method please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Plant-based milk - I usually use oat milk to make my ginger cake but you could use almond milk or soya instead.
- Apple cider vinegar - reacts with the bicarbonate of soda and helps your cake to rise. This is very useful in vegan baking as there are no eggs to help the cake to rise. Lemon juice or white wine vinegar do the same job and can be used instead if you prefer.
- Plain flour - I usually use plain white flour to make my vegan ginger cake.
- Ground ginger - this cake has two types of ginger in it - the first being ground ginger.
- Baking powder - to help the cake rise.
- Bicarbonate of soda - also there to help the cake rise - see note above under apple cider vinegar
- Dairy free spread - for best results use a vegan block butter or baking block rather than spread in a tub
- Golden syrup - sticky and gooey, golden syrup adds a lovely flavour to this vegan ginger cake.
- Black treacle/molasses - usually known as black treacle in the UK and molasses in the US, this is what gives this ginger cake its incredible depth of flavour and stickiness.
- Syrup from the ginger jar - for extra ginger flavour
- Sultanas - deliciously sweet these add a lovely bit of texture to the cake.
- Stem ginger - ginger cooked in a sugar syrup and then preserved. It lasts a long time, makes a great gift and is an excellent way to use up fresh ginger if you have a lot. You can buy stem ginger in most supermarkets or make your own.
- Brown sugar - you can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar to make this cake. Which one you choose will affect the colour of your cake - the cake in the photographs was made with light brown sugar.
Equipment
To make this cake you will need:
- small saucepan
- jug
- mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- measuring spoons
- weighing scales (I prefer digital)
- 20cm (8 inch) square cake tin (if you have a loose-bottomed one use that).
- Non-stick baking paper.
Storage
This ginger cake lasts really well.
Once it has cooled completely wrap it up in baking paper, then cover with a layer of foil and store in an airtight container.
Un-iced it’ll keep for well over a week.
With the icing on it won’t keep quite so well and is best eaten within three days.
Freezing
This ginger cake can be frozen.
Once the cake has cooled completely wrap up in baking paper, then a layer of foil and pop in a freezer box or bag for up to three months. Label your container with the recipe name and date.
Don’t ice the cake before freezing.
Once you’re ready to eat your vegan ginger cake remove from the freezer and allow to defrost. You can then ice it if you wish or eat it plain.
More vegan bakes
If you like this recipe here are some more of my vegan bakes that you might like
- Gooey flapjacks
- Chocolate chip banana muffins
- Oreo cake
- Spiced apple cake
- Apple tart tatin
- Healthy gingerbread muffins with cashew frosting.
- Vegan mince pies
- Mini egg brownies
- Vegan simnel cake (for Easter)
- Apple muffins
You might also like my homemade vegan mincemeat.
How to make vegan ginger cake
If you have made this recipe and loved it please consider leaving a comment and rating below.
Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Vegan ginger cake
Ingredients
- 250 ml plant milk I used oat milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- 250 g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 125 g dairy free spread
- 150 g golden syrup
- 50 g black treacle/molasses
- 2 tablespoons syrup from ginger jar
- 50 g sultanas
- 60 g stem ginger around 3 lumps, finely chopped
- 125 g brown sugar
Instructions
- Grease a 20cm square cake tin and line with baking paper. If you have a loose-bottomed tin use that.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6.
- Measure 250ml oat milk and add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
- Mix 250g self raising flour, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda together in a mixing bowl.
- Place 125g dairy free spread, 150g golden syrup, 50g molasses and 2 tablespoons ginger syrup into a saucepan and heat gently until melted.
- Add the chopped stem ginger, 50g sultanas and 125g dark brown sugar. Heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the milk and vinegar mixture and mix again.
- Transfer to your prepared cake tin and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely in the tin* then turn out onto a serving plate. Either serve as it is or drizzle over some icing. Wrap in baking paper and foil and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks (uniced).
Notes
- Allowing the cake to cool in the tin helps it to hold together.
- Nutritional information is approximate and is intended as a guide only.
Nutrition
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