We are kicking off my first ever blog post (eeek) with this spicy little number. I mean doesn't she look beautiful? This vegan bake shows the beauty in the simplicity of a loaf cake with drizzle icing, bringing the nostalgia of childhood baking with my grandparents and reminder that there was nothing that a cup of tea and a slice of cake couldn't fix.
As Litha draws ever closer I always like to prepare for the Summer Solstice by incorporating it into my kitchen recipes. Litha takes place 20th-23rd June this year in the Northern Hemisphere.
This is a celebration of the beginning of summer, inner power and brightness. A time to acknowledge the past months successes and failings - moving forward with intention and light.
Ingredients I like to incorporate in my Litha recipes are:
Citrus fruits
Seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, garlic, spinach, watercress, peas, peppers & asparagus)
Seasonal fruits (strawberries, blackberries, apricots, peaches & cherries)
Seasonal herbs (thyme, basil, fennel, mint, rosemary & lavender)
Ginger (represents the fiery sun)
Cinnamon (brings forth inner power)
Vegan honey
Anything cooked over a flame
This year I decided to make a fiery ginger & cinnamon loaf cake to represent the sun's energy and to raise inner power. I topped this with a lime icing drizzle for protection & purification.
Ingredients
Cake
280g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
150g dark brown sugar
105g vegan butter
90g golden syrup
100g agave vegan honey/maple syrup
200ml plant milk (I used alpro)
Lime Icing
50g/100g icing sugar
juice of 1/2 lime
lime zest, to decorate
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/325°F if using a fan oven). Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
In a large bowl, sieve the flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon & mix together.
To a small saucepan, add the brown sugar, butter, golden syrup, vegan honey/maple syrup and soy milk. Put it over a low heat and stir gently every so often. Be careful not to boil the mixture!
Once the butter has completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and leave it to cool for a few minutes.
Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with your dry ingredients and mix well until you have a smooth cake batter. I like using a rubber spatula to ensure there's no flour stuck at the bottom of the bowl.
Transfer the batter into the lined tin and bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick through the centre comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the tin to cool then turn out onto a wire rack for the bottom to completely cool. Gently peel off the baking paper.
For the frosting:
In a bowl, mix together icing sugar and lime juice, a little bit at a time until JUST combined. Add water for a looser mix if desired.
Drizzle on top of the cooled loaf and sprinkle on your lime zest.
Blessed be,