Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Introduction
CAKE MAKING TOOLS
VEGAN BAKING: THE 411
CAKE COSMETIC SURGERY: GOING AU NATUREL
CHAPTER 1 - Basic Cakes
BASIC VANILLA CAKE
BASIC CHOCOLATE CAKE
GLUTEN-FREE BASIC VANILLA CAKE
GLUTEN-FREE BASIC CHOCOLATE CAKE
CHAPTER 2 - Breakfast and Snack Cakes
CHERRY OAT SNACK CAKE
NUTTY ’NANA SNACK CAKE
MY-OH-MEYER LEMON BUNDT CAKE
THE GREAT PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE
SNAZZY, RAZZY ALMOND COFFEE CAKE
CHOCOLATE CRUMB CAKE
TIE AN APPLE RIBBON ’ROUND MY COFFEE CAKE
INTENSELY CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
SPICED CRUMB CAKE
PRESSED PLUM COFFEE CAKE
CHAPTER 3 - Simple Layer Cakes
BANANA FUDGE STRIPED CAKE
ZUCCHINI CAKE WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
AMY’S HUH WHAT PEACH CAKE
PAPPY’S PISTACHIO TEA CAKE
TORTA LIMONE
CARDAMOM CASHEW CAKE
GLUTEN-FREE MEXICAN CHOCOLATE TORTE
BANANAS FOSTER CAKE
ANISE ORANGE CAKE
POTLUCK PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
SUNNY PUDDIN’ POKE CAKE
CHAPTER 4 - Multilayer Cakes
BIG DEBBIE’S CREAM CAKE
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE DREAM CAKE
ALMOND MOCHA CAKE
CHOCOCONUTTY CREAM CAKE
DAD IS GREAT CHOCOLATE CAKE
SPUMONI CAKE
BUBBIE’S CHUBBY TUXEDO CAKE
GLUTEN-FREE MONKEY MAPLE CAKE
SNICKERDOODLE CAKE
MATCHA MADE IN HEAVEN CAKE
GERMAN GIRL SCOUT CAKE
CHAPTER 5 - Think Outside the Round Cakes
POUND OF MAPLE SUGAR CAKE
ORANGE YOU GLAD IT’S PUDDIN’ CAKE?
GLUTEN-FREE LEMON POPPY CHEESECAKE
PLUMPY PUMPKIN ROLL
GLUTEN-FREE BERRY SHORTCAKE
LOVELY LEMON POUND CAKE
GLUTEN-FREE PERFECT PB BROWNIE CHEESECAKE
TASTES GREAT FRUITCAKE
CHAPTER 6 - No-Bake Cakes
SPICED-RICE CRANBERRY CAKE
BLACK FOREST CROCK CAKE
NECKING WITH BLUEBERRIES SLUMP
MOCHA MELT CAKE, TWO WAYS
SLOW AS APPLE PIE CAKE
GLUTEN-FREE SLUMP INTO FALL
CHAPTER 7 - Cake Accoutrements
CINNAMON GLAZE
BASIC GLAZE
MAPLE GLAZE
CASHEW ICING
CHOCOLATE SAUCE
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
CHOCOLATE CRÈME
RASPBERRY CRÈME
COCONUT CREAM TOPPING
BERRY COMPOTE
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
MATCHA BUTTERCREAM
MAPLE BUTTERCREAM
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Copyright Page
To Trisha Mikelonis, for teaching me the joy of serving good food to my loved ones. And for Marlene Gaige, for teaching me to make my own opportunities.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A big thank you and mad props to all of my loyal testers: Lynda Bascelli, Courtney Blair, Katie Bolt, Smyth Campbell, Jamie Coble, Erica DeCouteau, Aimee Kluiber, Amie Kolesar, Ana Lucas, Clea Mahoney, Karen Mallonee, Karie Miller, Maggie Muggins, Meghan-Rose O’Neill, Josiane Richer, Marcia Torpey, Molly Walter, and Soozie Zawistowski. Your hard work and troubleshooting efforts were greatly appreciated. A special shout out to super-tester Lee Ann Light, who not only tested almost every single recipe but also suggested two of the more unique recipes to make the cut.
Thanks to all of my blog readers and the readers and users of my previous books. Your encouragement and feedback are always appreciated and I truly value you. Getting to know you and share the gift of delicious vegan food has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
Of course, special thanks to my friends and family, my lovely and crazymaking kittehs, and especially my husband, Jim. I owe you a lifetime of gratitude for all of the buttercream-bowl-washing, scraping-frosting-offthe-ceiling, late-night-running-for-ingredients, sweeping-up-flour, andwhatever-else goodness you provided. Your love and support, along with your endless stomach and capacity for taste testing, are priceless.
INTRODUCTION
What is a cake?
Yes, I’m going to wax poetic about cake. What can I say—it’s been on my mind quite a bit lately.
Some say that unless it’s got two layers and is smothered in frosting, it’s nokt a cake. Others eschew tradition and say that the line-crossing cheesecake is fully cemented in cakehood. Still others couldn’t care less, so long as they get a slice.
In working on this collection of recipes, I thought a lot about cake. It would have been easy to whip up a basic cake recipe and replay it fifty times, with a slight variance of flavors and add-ins, but that’s not my style. Within these pages, expect to have your own definition of cake challenged and expanded. Single-layer cakes. Double-layer cakes. Coffee and crumb cakes. Snack cakes. Upside-down cakes. Cakes without topping or icing. Cakes that don’t even require an oven! And if you’ve ever doubted the ability to make a tasty cake without eggs, butter, or milk, think again. These pages contain the keys to the vegan cake kingdom, unlocking moist, fluffy cakes with a tender crumb and more toppings than you can shake a stick at, plus plenty of options for our gluten-free friends.
The unifying factors to all of these recipes is that they are cruelty-free and delicious and provide options for every cake-consuming opportunity in life: fancy cake events (birthdays, showers, weddings), more casual events (dinner parties and afternoon visits), and everyday eating (morning, noon, and night). One major thing to love about cakes is their versatility. Cake is the shape-shifter of baked goods—it can morph from one form to the next within the blink of an eye (or just a different kind of pan!).
If you’re new to the land of cakes, never fear. The sheer beauty of a cake is almost to its detriment. They seem overwhelming and labor intensive, which is quite the opposite of the truth. In fact, cakes are so simple that once you make a couple you’ll shake your head and wonder, “Why did I think this would be so hard?” And then you’ll sit down and eat some more cake!
Whether you split a slice with family or bring half a coffee cake to cheer up a friend, the act of sharing cake is such an ancient way of connecting, it’s akin to breaking bread. A slice of moist, delectable cake is a sure way to put some pep in your step and spread that joy to those around you.
I hope you and yours enjoy these recipes.
Happy Baking,
Kris
CAKE MAKING TOOLS
Here are some tools for your arsenal that are essential for cake-baking perfection.
Pans As basic as it gets, your pan is your first line of defense against bad cakes. Metal pans are best for baking as metal distributes heat most evenly. Purchase pans without nonstick, when possible. Nonstick coating browns the outer part of a cake too quickly and with darker cakes can actually burn them. Glass pans are a good second choice, if you don’t have metal pans available. I do not use or recommend silicone bakeware. It’s very easy to tear your cake, they bake less evenly, and frankly they haven’t been around long enough for me to believe that they are safe. Look at what we’re learning about nonstick coating thirty years later. I understan
d their fat-free appeal, but seriously? We’re baking cakes, and a light pan greasing isn’t going to make or break it.
Here are the basic pans you should have to seamlessly navigate the land of cakes:
8-INCH ROUND PAN Having two of these is optimal, as it makes baking layer cakes easier. Not only does baking each layer in a separate pan make filling and stacking them a breeze, they bake up better than one round full of batter. You can use 9-inch rounds instead, but you will need to be mindful of your baking time and decrease it by a few minutes because the layers will be thinner.
8-INCH SQUARE PAN This size pan is perfect for coffee cakes. It is problematic to find in metal, but you can use a glass pan instead. An 9-inch square pan can also be used, but the baking time may decrease by a few minutes because the layer will be thinner.
9 X 13-INCH PAN This is the standard size you see for many “sheet cakes,” when in fact it is actually a quarter of the size of a sheet cake from a professional bakery, so keep that in mind if you ever order one! This size pan is great if you want to make a square double-layer cake, too, as you can just cut it in half and stack.
8- OR 9-INCH SPRINGFORM PAN Springform pans have removable sides, which is perfect for cakes that are more delicate or can’t be flipped, such as cheesecakes, crumb cakes, or anything else with a topping or delicate texture. Having one trusty springform pan will make your life much easier.
LOAF PAN These are typically 9 x 5 inches and are fabulous for pound cakes. Try to find one with vertical sides, rather than tapered, to make fun layered loaf cakes.
BUNDT PAN A standard Bundt pan holds 15 cups and is 10 inches in diameter. While the Bundt is the most recognizable shape, they are interchangeable with other tube pans of similar volume. Bundt pans bake pretty cakes that require minimal decoration and help us think outside the square or traditional round.
JELLY ROLL PAN Meant for baking very flat, thin cakes, these are typically 10 x 15 inches and have a short lip. While not a necessary tool of the trade, they are quite handy.
ELECTRIC HANDHELD OR STAND MIXER Overbeating cake batter is your worst enemy. Using an electric mixer is efficient and helps prevent overbeating. While using a whisk or spatula is technically fine, an electric mixer is recommended for most of these recipes. It is also essential in creating smooth, creamy frosting with no lumps.
PARCHMENT PAPER A cousin to waxed paper, although not interchangeable, parchment paper can withstand the high temperatures of an oven and is used to line pans to make removing cakes easier and less messy. It is essential to ensure success with certain baked goods, like upside-down cakes or cakes with more delicate textures.
SIFTER Both powdered sugar and baking cocoa get very lumpy, so a sifter is essential for getting those lumps out. Sifting your flour (after measuring) also makes for a fluffier cake.
RACKS A basic staple, cooling racks are used for cooling cakes and other baked goods. Placing a hot pan on hot pads or the top of your oven traps the heat on the bottom, causing cakes to cool slowly and unevenly. Having at least two racks is also helpful when you invert a cake out of the pan and then flip it right side up again.
THERMOMETER Does this seem like overkill? You’d be surprised. For example, I have a very trusty, newer oven. Yet, when it says it’s preheated it actually has about 50°F to go. And when I need to bake something at 375°F, I need to set it for 365°F. A thermometer is a cheap investment to ensure your baked goods are in the right environment.
PROCESSOR OR BLENDER Some recipes call for pureeing. A food processor is optimal, but a quality blender can work, too.
CONVERSIONS
MEASURE EQUIVALENT METRIC
1 teaspoon ----- 5 milliliters
1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons 14.8 milliliters
1 cup 16 tablespoons 236.8 milliliters
1 pint 2 cups 473.6 milliliters
1 quart 4 cups 947.2 milliliters
1 liter 4 cups + 3½ tablespoons 1000 milliliters
1 ounce (dry) ----- 28.35 grams
1 pound 16 ounces 453.49 grams
2.21 pounds 35.3 ounces 1 kilogram
VEGAN BAKING: THE 411
Okay, so we’re going to bake a bunch of cakes—from classics to zany new creations—and we’re not using eggs? We’re going to make creamy, fluffy buttercream without butter? We’re going to make cheesecake without cheese . . . what?! Yes, I am here to tell you not only will all your recipes be animal-free, they’ll be delicious as well. Delicate crumbs. Mouthwatering flavors. Creamy toppings. Your finicky friends and family will never know the difference, and your food will be that much more enjoyable, knowing that you’re eating animal-friendly.
REPLACING EGGS
Eggs provide moisture, structure, and texture in baked goods. There are many different ways to get around eggs, ranging from applesauce to soy yogurt to flaxseed. When creating a recipe, my goal is to figure out what eggs would normally do for that sort of cake and then formulate my ingredient list accordingly. Here are the tricks you’ll most commonly see in this book:
UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE Perfect for cakes, applesauce’s fibrous nature provides some structure while retaining moisture. It’s used in such small quantities that you can’t taste it.
VINEGAR By reacting with other elements in a cake (curdling soy milk, activating baking soda, and performing the gastronomical two-step with cocoa powder), vinegar adds lift to cakes and it locks in moisture. Be sure to use a mild vinegar such as white distilled or apple cider to ensure there is no aftertaste.
SILKEN TOFU This usually comes in a little aseptic cardboard box, although occasionally you may find it water-packed. The little boxes are shelf stable, so you might find silken tofu in the Asian foods section of your grocery store, although some markets do refrigerate it.
It’s much creamier than the traditional water-packed tofu, but if it’s hard to find, soft water-packed tofu can work in a pinch but might require a bit more blending to make it smooth.
If you have some nonvegan recipes you’d like to veganize, on page 6 is a handy chart to help rid your baked goods of those pesky eggs. Do keep in mind, though, that very egg-heavy recipes (calling for 3 or more eggs) may need to be slightly reworked in addition to replacing the eggs so they don’t get too moist.
EGG REPLACER AMOUNT TO USE TO REPLACE 1 EGG WHERE IT WORKS BEST
Unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup Quick breads, muffins, cakes, bars, and cookies
Plain or vanilla soy yogurt 1/4 cup Cakes, bars, quick breads, and muffins
Ground flaxseed 1 tablespoon flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water, whipped up and then let to set for a few minutes (it becomes thick like an egg white) Great for baked goods that are chewy, such as brownies and cookies, and also in yeasted breads, especially sweet ones
Silken tofu 1/4 cup, pureed Cakes which are slightly dense in texture, pies, quick breads, and muffins
“Sour” milk 1/4 teaspoon mild vinegar (white or apple cider) plus enough milk to make 1/4 cup Cakes, muffins, and quick breads; works as a hybrid leavening and binder, making things rise and stay moist
Various fruits or vegetables, pureed or shredded, such as canned pumpkin, mashed banana, zucchini, carrots, or pears 1/4 cup Muffins, quick breads, cakes, and brownies
Milk 1 tablespoon If a pureed or shredded fruit or vegetable is already in the recipe, you can typically substitute milk for the eggs
Ener-G egg replacer See directions on box This boxed replacer is not my favorite, but it’s easy to find and is shelf stable. It’s starch based, so I don’t recommend it for things that you want to stay really moist, such as cake.
THE SKINNY ON FAT
Many of the cakes in this book use oil for their fat. Unless otherwise stated, a mild vegetable oil is the best choice (like canola or a vegetable blend).
The butter that you would normally find in cakes that have a denser crumb or in frosting is easily replaced with a quality margarine. Look for brands like Earth Balance or Spectrum in the health food section of your grocery store. If they aren’
t available to you, look for margarines that are truly dairy-free (many have whey and other pesky milk byproducts in them). Most margarine has salt in it, which is why most of the cake recipes call for less salt than you may be used to seeing.
Earth Balance and Spectrum also produce some excellent shortenings. If you can’t find one of these products, Crisco is vegan. Shortening and margarine are sometimes both called for to make buttercream. While the shortening can be replaced with more margarine, be aware of the shortening’s purpose: Margarine doesn’t have the same levels of saturated fat, so it doesn’t stay as firm at room temperature as shortening does. While margarine can replace shortening, your buttercream may be a little soft.
Some recipes call for the margarine to be at a certain temperature. For room-temperature margarine, that’s exactly what you want: room temperature. Letting it sit out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes should do the trick. For softened margarine, I usually microwave a stick in 10 second intervals until it’s soft enough that it’s easily flattened with my finger or a spatula. It should be creamy but not liquefied. Melted margarine should be cooled but liquid, and cold margarine means straight out of the refrigerator.
DON’T GOT MILK
The number of nondairy milks is always on the rise—soy, rice, almond, hemp, hazelnut, oat, coconut (both traditional and suited for drinking)—the list goes on and on. These recipes were tested with a variety of milks and unless one is recommended over another, feel free to use what you prefer. I don’t refer to nondairy milks as “milk” because they are milks in their own rights, and I find the quotation marks patronizing.
POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME
Conventional sugar is processed using bone char, and many companies add bleach. Yum. Thankfully, there are plenty of options out there. From organic granulated sugar to evaporated cane juice and less processed sugar like demerara to liquid sweeteners like maple syrup and agave nectar, there are plenty of ways to please your sweet tooth.
Have Your Cake and Vegan Too Page 1
