Vegan orange and almond cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 210 g self-raising flour
• 50 g ground almonds
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• 65 g golden caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 3 oranges
• Approximately 220–250 g courgette, enough to give 170 g after squeezing
• 70 g thick, unsweetened soya yoghurt
• 60 ml light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Orange drizzle

• 40 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
• 15 g caster sugar

Method

1. Prepare the oven and tin

Heat the oven to 170°C fan.

Lightly grease a 20 cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

2. Prepare the courgette

Coarsely grate approximately 220–250 g courgette.

Put it into a clean tea towel and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove the excess water.

Weigh the squeezed courgette.

You need exactly 170 g.

Set it aside.

3. Mix the dry ingredients

Put the following into a large mixing bowl:

• 210 g self-raising flour
• 50 g ground almonds
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Stir together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.

4. Prepare the orange mixture

Put the 65 g sugar into another large bowl.

Finely grate the zest of all 3 oranges directly into the sugar, avoiding the white pith.

Rub the zest and sugar together with your fingertips for about 30 seconds, until the sugar smells strongly of orange.

Add:

• 70 g soya yoghurt
• 60 ml light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Whisk until evenly combined.

5. Make the batter

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Fold gently until most of the flour has disappeared.

Add the 170 g squeezed courgette.

Fold again just until everything is evenly mixed and there are no patches of dry flour.

Do not beat the mixture or continue mixing once it is combined.

The batter should be thick and spoonable rather than runny.

6. Bake

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top.

Bake on the middle shelf for 45 minutes without opening the oven.

After 45 minutes, put a thin skewer into the exact centre.

The cake is ready if the skewer comes out clean or with a few separate soft crumbs.

If there is wet or sticky batter on the skewer, bake for another 5 minutes and check again.

If necessary, continue baking in 3-minute intervals.

The cake will normally take about 45–52 minutes.

If the top becomes too dark, loosely place a sheet of foil over it.

7. Make the orange drizzle

While the cake is baking, put:

• 40 ml orange juice
• 15 g caster sugar

into a small saucepan.

Warm gently, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves.

Remove from the heat.

8. Drizzle the cake

Leave the cooked cake in its tin.

Prick the surface several times with a thin skewer.

Spoon one-third of the orange drizzle over the cake.

Wait 1 minute, add another third, wait another minute, then add the remainder.

9. Cool

Leave the cake in the tin for 25 minutes.

Transfer it carefully to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before cutting.

10. Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

If refrigerated, bring the cake back to room temperature before eating.