Vegan Spiced Honey Cake
Perfect autumnal loaf cake that can be enjoyed with your afternoon cup of tea. This vegan loaf is soft, moist and light, very easy and quick to make, it is definitely something you need to try.
This recipe has been in the making for quite some time. Actually not the recipe but the process of baking it, taking photos and writing this recipe.. It all took me 2 weeks, ugh. There is a simple explanation of that - we got a puppy and it was a surprise for me, therefore I couldn’t really plan anything ahead. I was baking it while he was napping, taking photos (very quickly) while he was eating and to write the recipe took me probably the most time. The thing is, I feel quite tired because we have to wake up twice per night to take him out and I need 8 hours of sleep to feel good and not falling asleep in the middle of the day, haha. But now we are trying to go back to our lives so here is finally the recipe.
Why to make this spiced loaf?
This loaf started as an idea of chai loaf. In chai you usually find lots of spices: anise, nutmeg, ginger, cloves,… In the end I decided to go only for cinnamon and cardamom because those are my favourites when it comes to baking sweet stuff. This loaf is vegan (like everything else on this blog), delicious and beginner friendly. You only need few ingredients and majority of those you already have at home. So let’s get baking because this is the best moist honey cake recipe that you can make!
There are so many different honey cakes - when you look it up, you get honey cake that is baked for Rosh Hashanah, Nigella honey cake or Marry Berry honey cake (two British legends) or Russian honey cake - Medovik. In the Czech Republic we bake the same, but we call it medovnik. It is one of my favourite cakes, so nice - I need to make a vegan version!
What ingredients do you need for this easy honey cake?
AGAVE SYRUP - in my opinion it is such a good vegan replacement of honey. It gives this loaf nice and interesting flavour.
SALT - brings up the sweet taste - never skip salt in a baking recipe. Try to add it into your morning porridge as well (not too much though).
CINNAMON and CARDAMOM - my two favourite flavours in baking. I wanted this loaf to taste a bit like chai but not exactly and these two are so good. Don’t forget to use ground cardamom.
SPELT FLOUR - I used white spelt flour but you could use wholemeal spelt flour as well. Or replace it with all purpose flour, you can’t go wrong.
NON DAIRY YOGURT - is here to replace eggs. I recommend using non sweetened soy yogurt otherwise you might end up with loaf that is too sweet.
NON DAIRY MILK - I like to use soy milk but you can use any kind of milk you prefer. I would go for a non sweetened version, like with the yogurt.
How to make this spiced loaf cake?
Sift all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom into a medium bowl, add salt and whisk until all mixed well.
In another large bowl mix wet ingredients - rapeseed oil, agave syrup, non dairy yogurt and milk and mix well.
Add dry ingredients into wet ones and whisk until just combined.
Transfer the batter into a lined 2 lb loaf tin and bake in preheated oven 185 C/165 C for 50-55 minutes.
frequently asked questions about this vegan Loaf
Is it possible to make honey cake without eggs? Of course! I mean, this is blog with only plant based recipes and this loaf is not an exemption. In this recipe I used soy yogurt instead of eggs which works perfectly, no one would be able to tell the difference.
How long will honey cake last? Store this cake in a room temperature inside an air tight box and it should last around 5 days.
Can honey cake be frozen? Most definitely. I usually cut it in slices, place into a sealable plastic bag and freeze it. Eat it within one month though. (If you don’t want to slice it, you don’t have to, I do it because it is convenient for taking out one slice while I feel like it).
For more vegan desserts like this be sure to check out:
Vegan Banana Loaf with Peanut Butter Frosting
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies - for that Christmas feeling
If you make this spiced honey cake, and take photos of it, you can tag me on instagram - @bigbakesmanifesto and use hashtag #bigbakesmanifesto too! I’d love to see you making my recipes. Or follow me on Pinterest, where you can comment and rate my recipes.
You will need 2 lb loaf tin.
Ingredients
300 g spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
150 ml rapeseed oil
250 ml agave syrup
120 g non dairy yogurt (I used soy) - room temperature
175 ml non dairy milk (I used soy) - room temperature
Method
Preheat oven to 185 C/165 C (fan) and line a 2 lb loaf tin with a baking parchment.
Sift spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom into a medium bowl, add salt and whisk until it’s all mixed well.
Into another (large) bowl add oil, agave syrup, non dairy yogurt and non dairy milk and combine well. Mix in dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin and bake for 50-55 minutes - until inserted skewer comes out dry. In case the top of the cake is getting too brown, cover it with tin foil and continue to bake.