Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Chop the dates into small pieces and place in a small bowl and cover with 50ml boiling water, set aside to soften the dates. Next up combine the soy milk and lemon juice, set aside to thicken.

Place the flour, ground ginger, mixed spices and Bicarbonate of Soda in a large bowl and mix together.

Melt together the vegan butter, sugar, treacle and chopped stem ginger together in a saucepan over a low heat. 

Make a well into the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the melted mixture and soy milk mixture and gently fold into the dry ingredients. Once combined drain the dates and fold into your ginger cake mixture.

Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To decorate, beat the vegan butter until smooth, add the icing sugar in a few additions and finally add the Vanilla Extract and ginger. Beat the buttercream until it is a lovely soft spreadable consistency, add a couple of tsps. of soy milk if your buttercream is too firm. 

Once your cake is cooled, spread the buttercream on top of your loaf using a palette knife or back of a spoon and sprinkle over some chopped crystallised ginger. 

Your vegan ginger loaf cake is now ready to serve and enjoy!