Wholewheat cherry poppy-seed cake proves that vegans can have their cake and eat it too! A fresh, light treat, it’s full of flavour and deliciously creamy. There’s no need for special diets to miss out on desserts – this cake is worth a celebration.
Wholewheat cherry poppy-seed cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 500g self-raising flour
- 300g castor sugar
- 5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
- 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
- 60g digestive bran
- 440ml almond/rice/soya milk
- 240ml vegetable/sunflower oil
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 10ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 60ml (¼ cup) poppy seeds
- 10ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 250g fresh cherries, pitted, quartered and dusted with flour
Icing
- 250g dairy-free margarine (Cardin or Olé brands)
- 125g icing sugar, sifted
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- flowers of your choice, to decorate
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line four 20cm-round cake tins.
Sift the flour, castor sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together. Add the digestive bran, milk, oil, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, poppy seeds and vanilla extract and mix well to combine. Fold through the dusted cherries.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, 30 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin before unmoulding.
For the icing, cream the margarine, icing sugar, vanilla essence and lemon zest and juice until light and fluffy.
Spread one quarter of the icing onto the first cake layer. Alternate the icing and cake layers, ending in a layer of icing. Smooth the sides using a palette knife to give it a rustic appearance. Decorate with flowers to serve.
ALSO SEE: Passionfruit and lime icebox cake
Passionfruit and lime icebox cake
