Easiest Chameleon Loaf Cake

The cake recipe to end all cake recipes! The one and only you’ll need. It takes less than 10min to put together, you need one (and a half..!) pot, minimal washing up. It’s the one formula that will bring you delicious spongey, soft and moist cakes.. no matter what you throw at it! Birthday cakes, afternoon tea cake, cake to bring over to a friend (once the Covid craziness is over!)

You can’t really go wrong with this! So here goes, with 3 options we’ve made recently: Banana, Chocolate and Orange.

Last Christmas I made my dad’s chocolate birthday cake this way, and everyone loved it, since then we’ve made it times and times again and experimented with different versions which all work wonderfully! Try it this weekend and let me know what you think!

Banana version with 1 banana cut side ways and placed on top of the batter before placing in the oven for presentation!

Ingredients for Base Recipe :

• 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda

• 2/3 cups of coconut sugar (OR soft brown sugar)

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1/4 cup neutral vegetable oil (rapeseed/coconut/vegetable oil…)

• 1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon juice

• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

For the Banana bread version :

• 2 ripe mashed bananas

• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder

• 1 cup of plant milk or water

• optional: 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips / 1/2 cup of chopped pecan or walnuts

For the Chocolate version :

• 3 tbsp of cocoa powder

• 1 cup of plant milk or water

• optional: 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips

For the Orange version :

• 1 zest of an organic unwaxed orange

• 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (if you only have one orange, you can do half orange juice half water as long as you have 1 cup of liquid)

Chocolate version with fresh raspberries for presentation (oh and kale flowers from the garden!)

Method :

• Preheat the oven at 180C on fan

• Grease a cake tin with a little oil, I like to either use an 8inches round tin or a classic bread tin.

• In one mixing bowl mix together your dry ingredients: flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and salt. (If making the chocolate version add the cocoa powder to the dry ingredients if making the banana version add the cinnamon). Mix and keep aside.

• In a jug or other smaller mixing bowl, mix together your wet ingredients :

  • For the Banana version: mix the milk + oil + apple cider vinegar + vanilla extract + the mashed ripe bananas and set aside.

  • For the Chocolate version: mix the milk + oil + vinegar + vanilla extract and set aside.

  • For the Orange version: mix the orange juice/water + oil + vinegar + vanilla extract and set aside.

• Then slowly pour your wet ingredients in your dry ingredients bowl mixing well so it’s fully combined into a smooth batter

• At this stage:

  • For the Banana version: add the chocolate chips and/or nuts to the batter if you wish

  • For the Chocolate version: add the chocolate chips to the batter if you wish

  • For the Orange version: add the zest to the batter.

• Pour the batter into the greased tin, and place in the centre of your preheated oven for 35 min or until cooked through - do the skewer test to see if it’s cooked all the way!

• Enjoy with yoghurt/ice cream.. or as it with a good cup of tea! The perfect weekend treat..!

Orange version with crushed pistachios and orange zest on top!