13 July 2021

Vegan Jammy Ripple Loaf Cake

Moving house is a drag, isn’t it? Especially when the process is hindered, and the inevitable upheaval is delayed; in our case, due to the sale falling through. Back to the drawing board. As anyone who has sold a property will testify, one of the joys of accepting an offer is not having to allow strangers into your home. The relief of not having masked people traipsing through your rooms, examining your lounge space with narrowed eyes and opening kitchen cupboards willy-nilly. “Where’s the dishwasher?” they ask, almost every time. “There,” I say, waving at the sink.

A summer move to Wales now seems borderline impossible, but we try to stay positive and trust the universe to sort things out for us. In the meantime, what have I been up to? Stress-baking, mostly. I turn to the kitchen in times of sadness and happiness alike; for distraction and pleasure. In recent months I have been tinkering with a myriad of recipes, from sumptuous layer cakes to spicy daals; filling up my treasured notepads with ideas and carefully developed techniques and formulas.

I always contemplate sharing a new recipe here, but as long-term readers will know, I am not the most prolific of bloggers. I am also saving most of my very favourite ideas for my book which I am currently writing, albeit very slowly.

That being said, I couldn’t resist sharing this loaf cake with you. It is so easy to make, deliciously moist and fruity and best of all, adaptable. I’ve tested this several times using a variety of jams and leftover berries from both fridge and freezer. Almost any combo works; but a tart jam and fruit such as blackberry, raspberry or cherry tastes best.

This is a satisfyingly simple cake – a slice and a cuppa feels wholesomely good. The way I look at it, something that brings about such uncomplicated happiness deserves to be shared, sooner rather than later.

I like this as it is, but you can drizzle a simple glaze over the top if you like. One tablespoon of water, lemon juice or milk stirred into 100g icing sugar would make plenty.

Frustratingly, 2lb loaf tins vary in size considerably; a wider tin will naturally result in a cake that is less deep. If you have differently sized 2lb tins, use the narrowest one for best results.

You will need a 2lb loaf tin // Prep time: 20 minutes // Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

115g jam

For The Dry Mix

260g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

135g caster sugar

For The Wet Mix

170g plain soya yogurt

115g neutral oil (I use sunflower)

100ml non-dairy milk (any)

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice (from a bottle is fine)

1/2 tsp natural almond flavouring (optional, but I’m a sucker for it)

Plus A handful of soft fruits to compliment the jam – about 50g (don’t be tempted to use more, they’ll hinder the rise)

Method

1. Fully preheat the oven to 200c / 400f / gas mark 6. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.

2. Weigh the jam in a bowl and set aside for now.

3. Combine the wet ingredients in a large microwave-safe jug and pop it in the microwave for just 30 seconds, to take the chill off. Stir the dry ingredients together in a separate mixing bowl.

4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until you have a relatively smooth batter. Do this by hand and don’t over-mix – just keep going until you can no longer see any dry bits.

5. Working quickly, scoop out 125g of the batter and transfer to the bowl containing the jam. Mix the jam and batter until reasonably well blended and set aside for a moment.

6. Now fill the loaf tin: Pour half of the plain cake batter into the tin, then spoon the jammy mixture on top, roughly down the middle. Scrape the remaining cake mix over the top, then use a teaspoon to dip and twist upwards, exposing the layers to create a ripple effect. I do this by working my way down the length of the tin a few times, dipping and twisting upwards as I go. I’m making it sound more complicated than it actually is – you’ve got this.

7. Scatter your chosen fruit, then quickly get the tin in the oven. Immediately turn the temperature down to 180c /350f / gas mark 4.

8. Bake for 50-55 minutes until well risen and deeply golden or until a cake tester comes out clean.

9. Allow to cool in the tin for a bit before lifting it out and transferring to a wire rack. Wait until it’s completely cold before slicing (and icing, if you like). This cake keeps really well in an airtight tub for a few days.