Vegan Mandarin Chocolate Loaf
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups/300g all-purpose flour
- 1 cup/200g granulated sugar
- ½ tsp/3g salt
- 2 tsp/8g baking powder
- 3/4 tsp/3g baking soda
- ½ cup/120ml neutral oil
- ¾ cup/180ml oat milk
- 1 tbsp/6g mandarin zest
- ½ cup/120ml mandarin juice
- 1 cup/120g powdered sugar
- ¼ cup/20g cocoa powder
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp/5ml vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp/30ml oat milk
- Candied mandarin slices or orange peel to garnish optional
Method
- Preheat oven to 350° F/175 C. Grease an 8” x 4”/20cm x 10cm loaf pan and line with parchment with over hang in at least one direction for easy removal.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to evenly distribute.
- In a large bowl combine the sugar, oil, oat milk, mandarin zest, and juice. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until smooth but be careful not to over mix as this will lead to a tough cake.
- Scrape into prepared pan and level out.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden brown on the edges, set in the center and skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- When the loaf is mostly cool, make the glaze.
- In a measuring cup or small mixing bowl with a spout, combine the powdered sugar, coco powder, and salt. Stir until any clumps are broken up and the coco powder is evenly distributed.
- Add the vanilla and the oat milk. Stir until smooth and thick. The icing should be just barely pourable but thicker than a standard pour icing.
- Drizzle over the loaf and allow to set for at least 1 hour.
- Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Texture/Taste Notes: This tangy loaf made with mandarin zest and juice is paired with a rich chocolate icing for a beautiful dessert loaf that can be enjoyed anytime. The crumb holds together and doesn’t crumble when sliced, but is still nice and soft. This is a cake that can be dressed up or down and even baked in a round pan for a more celebration type treat.
Oil choice: Any unsaturated oil will work in this recipe. The best choices are very neutral flavoured oils like canola, sunflower, or vegetable. Melted coconut oil can also be used as long as all ingredients are at room temperature. If coconut oil is mixed with cold oat milk or mandarin juice it will resolidify, preventing the oil from being evenly distributed.
Non-dairy milk: This recipe works with any non-dairy milk though rice milk will create the toughest crumb. For an even more delicate crumb (best if cake is done as a shorter round cake), use full fat coconut milk. The additional fat from the coconut milk will create a very short texture and the coconut pairs well with mandarin and chocolate. However, the most mandarin flavour will be present from oat milk or soy milk.
Add ins: For more texture or chocolate flavor you can add extra ingredients to the batter: ¾ cup/90g chopped dark chocolate ½ cup/ chopped candied orange peel ½ cup/30g shredded coconut (great if using coconut milk)
Make it a round cake: Bake in an 8”/20cm round pan for 25-35 minutes. Make a double recipe of the icing. The cake will be thinner and great for a single layer easy celebration cake.
Make candied mandarin slices: Preheat oven to 300°F/150 C. Slice mandarins (and remove any seeds) as thin as possible (1/4”/6mm or less) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1-2 tsp/4-8g granulated sugar on each slice. Bake for 20 minutes, keeping a close eye on them and removing from the oven when the sugar that puddles out starts to turn dark.