Ingredients
Cinnamon Crumb
- 60 g (¼ cup) light brown sugar (light muscovado)
- 60 g (¼ cup) dark brown sugar (dark muscovado)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (reduce to 1 tbsp if preferred)
- 100 g (¾ cup + 2 tsp) all-purpose flour
- 80 g (2.82 oz) vegan butter (block-style), cold
Batter
- 118 ml (½ cup) soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 115 g (4 oz) vegan butter (block-style), room temperature
- 160 g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) vegan Greek-style yogurt or vegan sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Glaze
- 90 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons soy milk
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C (320°F) or conventional 180°C (356°F). Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan with oil or vegan butter. Line the pan with two strips of parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy cake removal later.
- Make vegan buttermilk: In a jug, combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar, stir well, and let it sit for 10 minutes to create a vegan buttermilk substitute.
- Make cinnamon crumb topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together light and dark brown sugars, flour, and cinnamon. Grate cold vegan butter into the bowl or cut into small cubes, then rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly. Set aside; refrigerate if your kitchen is warm.
- Cream wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat room-temperature vegan butter and granulated sugar together for 2-3 minutes using an electric mixer until creamy. Add vegan yogurt and vanilla extract, mixing well. Keep the vegan buttermilk jug separate for now.
- Mix dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Combine batter: Alternately add the vegan buttermilk and dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two increments each. Fold gently with a spatula after each addition, stopping as soon as no flour pockets remain. The batter will be thick; avoid overmixing.
- Assemble cake: Spoon about one-third of the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth it out evenly. Sprinkle half the cinnamon crumb topping evenly over the batter. Then add the remaining batter on top, smoothing to the edges. Finish by sprinkling the rest of the cinnamon crumb on top.
- Bake the cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the cake’s surface is golden brown. Insert a toothpick or knife into the center; it should come out clean when the cake is done.
- Cool the cake: Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Using the parchment overhang, carefully lift the cake out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: While the cake cools, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and soy milk in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle this glaze evenly over the cooled cake.
- Storage: Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Remove from the fridge 1-2 hours before serving for best texture. The cake can also be frozen in an airtight container and defrosted a few hours before serving.
Notes
- Using muscovado sugars adds rich molasses flavor to the crumb topping; if unavailable, substitute with regular brown sugars.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter too much to maintain a tender crumb.
- The vegan Greek-style yogurt can be swapped with vegan sour cream depending on preference or availability.
- Ensure the vegan butter for the crumb is cold for best crumbly texture.
- The parchment paper sling makes removing the cake easier and cleaner.
- For a less intense cinnamon flavor, reduce cinnamon to 1 tablespoon.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
