This vegan old-fashioned Weetabix loaf cake is adapted from a classic Irish recipe that I discovered in one of my mums old recipe books.
Only 5 simple store-cupboard ingredients are required to produce a delicious cake bread that can be sliced and spread with vegan butter or a generous helping of fruit jam/jelly. Although a slice on its own is pretty darn tasty.
Perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, after school or any-time-of-the day snack. A slice is just 229 calories.
Vegan Weetabix Loaf Cake
This Weetabix loaf cake is much like a cross between a malty bread and a cake. It is sweet but with a delicious mild Weetabix aftertaste.
The crust is pleasantly crispy at parts and chewy like a nice loaf of homemade bread whereas the inside texture is spongy and soft with just the right amount of moistness. The texture is different from a regular fruit tea bread or fruit cake but ever so moreish.
There is a Weetabix cake that is popular with Slimming World and Weight Watchers fans but this vegan Weetabix cake was adapted from an old-fashioned Irish or Ulster recipe that I discovered in one of my mums old recipe books.
The Slimming World Weetabix cake uses eggs and a sweetener to replace the sugar, and all the ingredients are mixed together just before baking.
Whereas this vegan recipe does not require eggs but still rises beautifully. And the sugar, dried fruit, three Weetabix and plant milk are mixed together and left overnight to steep before the self-raising flour is stirred through.
The self-raising flour can be replaced with the same quantity of plain or all-purpose flour that has 2 teaspoons of baking powder sieved through the flour.
As for the dried fruit this can be all sultanas (golden raisins), raisins, currants or a mix of these dried fruits. Alternatively a ready-prepared dried fruit mix can be used, including those mixes that contain dried fruit peel.
The Weetabix loaf is baked until risen and golden. The aromas that emit from the oven are amazing. Although it is best to allow the cake to cool before enjoying a piece as this will ensure the crumb gets a chance to settle and cut nicely!
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How To Prepare Vegan Old-Fashioned Weetabix Loaf Cake
Recipe Notes And FAQS
Store Weetabix cake wrapped in parchment paper or kitchen foil, or a layer of both, and place in airtight container, bread or cake tin for up to 4-5 days.
Store in a cool, dry area.
To refresh staler slices toast or grill and add some vegan butter or your preferred spread. Or bake for a few minutes until heated through.
Yes although do wrap up well with parchment paper and an extra layer of kitchen foil. To defrost remove the coverings and place on a chopping board or wire rack until the cake is at room temperature.
Freeze individual slices or the entire loaf cake. A piece of parchment paper between each slice will aid removal of a slice or two at a time from the freezer.
No of course not although the final texture and flavour will be different.
I do recommend soaking the mix but it is not essential. It is quick and easy to just mix the dried fruit, sugar, Weetabix and plant milk the night before or at least several hours before you need it, and just leave it to sit until required the next day.
The next day, it only takes a few minutes to stir through the flour and scoop the mix into the loaf pan to bake.
Weetabix is a type of boxed breakfast cereal. The original Weetabix has been around since 1932 and is one of the most popular breakfast cereals in the UK. Weetabix is vegan-friendly and is made with100% wholegrain wheat with just a few extra ingredients added and is low in added sugar.
Weetabix is also available for sale in the US and Canada.
In Australia there is the popular Weet-Bix cereal.
For this recipe any kind of Weetabix can be used including the supermarkets own copycat versions of Weetabix.
More Traditional Vegan Bakes To Brighten Up The Long Winter Months!
Vegan Scottish Smiddy Dumpling (Baked Sultana Cake)
Quick And Easy Christmas Cake (recipe can be used as an Easter or Simnel cake, Mothers Day treat or as part of a Scottish Robert Burns day supper)
Old School Dinners Jam and Coconut Sponge Traybake
Vegan Empire biscuits (Belgium biscuits)
Traditional Scottish Shortbread (crunchy cookies perfect at the end of a Robert Burns or other Scottish themed meal along with tea and coffee)
**click the US customary button within the recipe card for ounce measurements**
Vegan Old Fashioned Weetabix Loaf Cake
Equipment
- 2 Ib (900g) loaf pan greaseproof/parchment paper to line the loaf pan if required
- wire rack optional, can simply place the cake on a chopping board to cool
Ingredients
- 225 grams sultanas (golden raisins) or replace with raisins, currants or a dried fruit mix
- 3 Weetabix (breakfast cereal) about 60-65grams Weetabix, Weet-bix or a supermarket copy-cat version
- 225 grams sugar use caster/super-fine sugar if available or replace with granulated
- 430 ml plant milk such as oat or soya.
- 225 grams self-raising flour sieved, or replace with plain/all-purpose flour including 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Instructions
The night before or at least a few hours before baking:
- Add the sultanas (golden raisins), sugar, Weetabix and plant milk to a bowl, stir well and mash the Weetabix a little so that it goes under the milk.Place a cover over.
Preheat the oven to 150 Fan/ 170 C/ 338 Fahrenheit/ Gas 3.
- Prepare the loaf pan by adding a little vegetable oil or margarine to the insides and line with a layer of greaseproof paper or a loaf pan paper case insert.
- Stir through the flour into the Weetabix mix until all is well combined.
- Scoop the cake mix into the loaf pan and level down the top with a spatula or back of a spoon.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until risen, golden and a skewer popped in comes our clean. This can take anywhere between 1- 1 ½ hours. My Weetabix loaf was ready after 1 hour and 10 minutes in a fan oven.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes in the loaf pan before carefully tipping out of the pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.Remove the parchment paper or paper insert before cooling to avoid the paper sticking to the cake as it cools.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Once the cake is baked do remember to remove the parchment or baking paper, if used, before cooling as it can stick firm to the cake as it cools.
- Store Weetabix cake wrapped in parchment paper or kitchen foil, or a layer of both, and place in airtight container, bread or cake tin for up to 4-5 days.
- Store in a cool, dry area.
- To refresh staler slices toast or grill and add some vegan butter or your preferred spread. Or bake for a few minutes until heated through.
- Yes although do wrap up well with parchment paper and an extra layer of kitchen foil. To defrost remove the coverings and place on a chopping board or wire rack until the cake is at room temperature.
- Freeze individual slices or the entire loaf cake. A piece of parchment paper between each slice will aid removal of a slice or two at a time from the freezer.
- Instead of sultanas (golden raisins) replace with raisins, currants or a dried fruit mix.
- Caster sugar (super-fine) can be replaced with granulated sugar.
- Replace the self-raising flour with plain or all-purpose flour but include 2 teaspoons of baking powder sieved along with the flour.
- Any version of Weetabix (boxed breakfast cereal) can be used including supermarkets own copy-cat ones.
