When working with a recipe, it’s important to note that the kind of sugar used plays a role in the success of the end product. To swap out a solid sweetener, like cane sugar, for a liquid sweetener, like agave nectar, can run the risk of throwing off the whole chemistry of the baked good, in addition to its finished texture. These recipes were formulated using organic granulated sugar. If you are ever curious to check out the processing practices of your local brand of sugar, give them a call or drop them a line. Most companies now are familiar with veganism and will promptly respond to questions you have about their processes and additives.
THE LAND OF CHOCOLATE
One of the most common questions I get is, “Chocolate isn’t vegan, is it?” Such silliness . . . We truly can have our cake and vegan, too. And that includes chocolate.
There are some brands that make exclusively vegan chocolate, like Tropical Source. Whole Foods offers store-brand chocolate chips that are labeled vegan, as well. There are more brands out there because most good-quality semisweet chocolate has no dairy in it. The darker the chocolate, the farther away from milk byproducts you get, but always be sure to read the labels.
If you have questions about the origins of the sugar in your chocolate, contact the producer’s customer service department for information.
FLOUR POWER
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR Also known as white flour, this is called for in the majority of recipes in this book. To minimize what we’re putting into our bodies, I always recommend buying unbleached flour. The color difference between unbleached and bleached is negligible, and who wants to eat bleach? Yucky.
There are two other types of flour sometimes used in cake baking that you may be familiar with that are not used this book. Here’s why:
CAKE FLOUR This is white flour that has been processed to have a lower gluten content to make a more delicate crumb. The reason why you won’t see it called for in this book is twofold. First, vegan baking doesn’t have eggs in it, and eggs typically provide protein (which is what gluten is) and structure (which is what gluten provides). By using all-purpose flour, we increase our gluten content a bit, which helps out our end results. Second, cake flour has less gluten than all-purpose because it’s chlorinated. Again, with the chemical baked goods, just say no.
SELF-RISING FLOUR Some cookbooks call for this white flour that has baking powder and salt added. It’s hard to find unbleached self-rising flour, and in addition, there’s no way of knowing how fresh the flour is and therefore how fresh the baking powder is. We don’t want our cakes depending on questionable baking powder. Also, the baking powder used in most self-rising flour is double-acting, which means that it reacts initially when the liquid and dry ingredients make contact and again when exposed to the heat of the oven. It does this with the addition of aluminum, whereas regular baking powder made without aluminum is single-acting. Why do they want to put all of these chemicals in our cakes?!
Long story short, unbleached all-purpose flour is your friend. If you try your hand at some of the gluten-free recipes, you’ll have a whole group of new buddies, too.
GLUTEN-FREE BAKING
So, protein in flour (gluten) and protein from eggs traditionally provide baked goods with structure. And we’re taking away the gluten and the eggs? Are we crazy? Absolutely not. Vegan, gluten-free baking may seem impossible, but rest assured that thanks to the boundless sea of grains in the world, a tasty gluten-free vegan cake is easy to make and even better to eat.
Gluten-free baking relies on flour blends, as using one flour alone is not entirely possible. The bulk section of your grocery store can often supply these grains, but they are also readily available online. Look for the Bob’s Red Mill brand, which not only bakes well but also has very high standards for the quality of production for their gluten-free flours.
BROWN RICE FLOUR This is a very common flour for gluten-free baking. It’s light in texture and mild in flavor, exactly what we want in replacing all-purpose flour. It is also easily digestible.
SORGHUM FLOUR Milled from an ancient grain that lends a pleasant mouth feel to gluten-free baked goods, this flour has a very mild flavor.
OAT FLOUR AND OATS These grains can be used in gluten-free baking, but not all oats are created equal, so be sure the oat products you are buying are labeled gluten-free.
TAPIOCA STARCH OR TAPIOCA FLOUR These are actually one and the same. Adding starch to our flour makes it lighter and more cake appropriate.
POTATO STARCH Potato flour is dehydrated potato, essentially instant potatoes, but we want the starch. This is nice and mild and helps make things fluffy.
GUAR GUM AND XANTHAN GUM These are common ingredients you may have noticed when reading labels. They’re used as thickeners to help certain products (like nut milks) have a nicer consistency and mouth feel. In baking, they’re used in tiny amounts to help replace the binding we would otherwise get from gluten. Guar gum is significantly less expensive than xanthan gum, but some people prefer one over the other. The amounts used are so tiny, that even a spendy bag of gum goes a long way.
OTHER GLUTINOUS SUBSTANCES Some other items to verify gluten-free are your baking powder and vanilla.
CAKE BAKING TIPS FOR TURNING OUT A PERFECT CAKE
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS Seems like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to assume you know the next step in a recipe, and nothing is worse than realizing, too late, that you guessed wrong. Be sure to read through the whole recipe before starting out.
MIND THE TIME The first time through a recipe, check your cake 5 minutes before you think it’s supposed to be done. Variations in altitude and oven temperature, as well as the kind of pan, can affect the speed at which your cake bakes. This will help you learn the nuances of your unique kitchen set up.
AFTER CARE Just because it’s out of the oven doesn’t mean it’s done baking. Some cakes need to cool in the pan, and some cakes need to be inverted soon after exiting the oven so they don’t dry out. Again, make sure to read through the directions.
LEAVENING Baking powder and baking soda are our friends, but they can be fickle. If you don’t remember when you purchased your current containers of baking powder and baking soda, it’s time for new ones. My general rule of thumb is every 6 months.
Baking soda: More than just a freshener for your fridge, baking soda is a natural chemical that acts as a leavener when an acid is added to activate it. Once activated, it creates little air bubbles, which make our cakes nice and fluffy. Some examples of acids are vinegar, lemon juice, or cocoa powder.
Baking powder: Baking powder actually contains baking soda and cream of tartar, which acts as a built-in acid. It also has anticaking agents, like cornstarch, to keep it from clumping. Baking powder creates a more mild reaction than a strong acid, like vinegar, does, and so sometimes an additional acid is used to help boost the leavening power of the cake batter. If you’re out of baking powder, you can always use 1 part baking soda to 2 parts cream of tartar to replace. Also, be sure to look for aluminum-free baking powder. Avoid anything labeled double-acting, as it contains aluminum, and we just don’t need that silliness.
THE TROUBLE WITH CAKES . . .
While it may be rare, sometimes, despite all your best intentions,
a cake doesn’t turn out. Here’s how to troubleshoot:
THE PROBLEM THE POSSIBLE CULPRIT
• Too much liquid
• Oven temperature too low
Sunken center • Leavening expired
• Underbaking
• Opening oven while baking (temperature fluctuations)
• Batter not mixed well enough
Too dense • Too much liquid
• Not enough leavening
• Too much leavening
Cracked top or domed center • Too much flour
• Oven too hot
• Overmixing
Chewy texture • Not enough sugar
• Pan not properly greased and/or floured
Sticking to pan • Not baked
long enough
Sugar “blooming” on cake (looks like little white specks on top of the cake after it cools) • Sugar not well-blended enough with the margarine or oil before adding dry ingredients
CAKE COSMETIC SURGERY: GOING AU NATUREL
You can’t turn on your television without falling upon another cake decorating show. From fancy bakeries to meltdown-triggering competitions, cake decorating is an art form and sport unto itself. Yet, while the cakes are stunning, one thing that never comes up on these shows is the most important factor in the world of cakes: taste.
Think about the things people say about their favorite cake. “This cake is so moist!” or, “This frosting is so creamy!” No one says, “I love how chalky this rolled fondant tastes!” The competitive cake-baking craze has created an unrealistic idea that every cake, in order to be pretty, must be covered in smooth fondant. And while it does make a beautiful cake, no one craves eating it.
Below I have some tips to help you achieve smooth buttercream for cakes you want to appear more refined, as well as some helpful hints for simple, but pretty, cake decoration. I come from the school of thought that says if it’s not tasty, it doesn’t belong.
CAKE DECORATING
It doesn’t require much to build a nice, small arsenal of cake decorating supplies. With just a couple of choice items, you’ll have everything you need to make your cake look as great as it tastes.
OFFSET SPATULA This spatula, which looks more like a butter knife on steroids than a spatula, is how bakers get uniform, smooth frosting on the top and sides of a cake. It takes only a little practice before you’ll be smoothing with the best of them. Use it in long, slow strokes with even pressure. Also, be sure to read about the crumb coat (page 14) if you have problems with crumbs in your frosting.
FROSTING BAG AND TIPS You might see fancy frosting bag sets with a million tips, and while they’re fun, you can get by just fine with a couple of choice tips. Make a throw-away batch of buttercream frosting to play with and pipe away on a sheet of cardboard. It takes only a couple of rounds of practice to perfect some select shapes and designs that will make your cakes all the more lovely.
CAKE LEVELER This device, which looks like a bow for the kitchen, has a metal base with a thin, metal string with an adjustable height. This is a choice tool if you need to trim a little cake off the top to flatten it for stacking layers or to split a thick cake into layers. While a knife works just fine (and if you want to feel like a major badass, look up splitting cakes with dental floss online), a cake leveler ensures that you will get your cakes nice and level and split them evenly.
TEMPERATURE This is the biggest tip for expert cake decorating. It’s hard to resist when you know a slice of deliciousness awaits, but icing a warm cake leads to disaster (icing puddle), and trying to cream margarine or shortening that is too hard makes for serious lumps. Slow and steady wins the cake race.
HOW TO FROST A CAKE IN THREE SIMPLE STEPS
1. Let the cake cool completely. This is imperative, or your frosting will melt!
2. Do a crumb coat. This means to apply a superthin layer of frosting to trap in all of the crumbs so they don’t lift off and litter your frosting on the surface of the cake. This can be done with your offset spatula, by applying an ultrathin coating (you can usually still see the cake through it). After applying it, place the cake in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes to let it firm up. Skipping this step defeats the purpose of the crumb coat.
3. Slather on the bulk of your frosting. Use an offset spatula to get it smooth. If your frosting is having problems spreading, it may need a splash of whatever milk you are using. If you have leftover frosting, scoop it into an icing bag and fancy up your cake with some piping!
HOW TO FROST MULTILAYER CAKES
Don’t let layers intimidate you! It’s really easy, I promise.
Begin by placing the bottom layer on a serving platter or cake plate. Then tear small pieces of waxed paper and arrange them around the bottom of the cake, effectively make a cake bib to catch any excess frosting or filling so the plate doesn’t get messy.
From there, assess whether the bottom layer is flat on top. If it has a bump, you need to level it, which can be easily done with a knife or a cake leveler (inexpensive ones cost around $5). You can also level it Mafia-style with a piece of dental floss, looping it around the cake bump and pulling it toward you to slice the bump off. The best part of this process is that it makes cake scraps, so you don’t have to wait until after dinner to get a taste. If it doesn’t look pretty, that’s okay because it will be covered up.
Add a large smear of filling or icing on top of the bottom layer up to 1/4 inch from the edge. You’ll want the filling to be a little thicker in the center so when the weight of the top layer presses down on it you’ll have a nice, solid layer of filling. Now, carefully center the top layer on the cake.
To frost the exterior, begin with the sides and use your offset spatula to smooth the frosting on. From there, coat the top of the cake and decorate as desired. Carefully remove the waxed paper from around the edges, and you’re ready to rock!
FROSTING, ICING, AND GLAZE:THE DEBATE THAT COULD END IN A CAKE DOOMSDAY
Most people tend to call the creamy, sugary stuff on top of a cake either frosting or icing. And, like the soda vs. pop debate, this can lead to bar brawls and fighting. But we’re making cake here; there shall be no feuds! While you may not distinguish between them, for the sake of this book, I do. To give you a better idea of what to expect, here are my definitions:
FROSTING This is the fluffy, creamy stuff that you spread in copious amounts and induces sugary, fatty comas of delight.
ICING This is thinner than frosting, but still has structure. It’s high in sugar and low in fat and is usually spread or piped.
GLAZE Sugar-based and thin, glaze is usually drizzled, poured, or dipped. Think of a glazed donut—it’s like a sugar shell. Mmm . . . sugar shell.
WORK IT, CAKE!
Sometimes when I’m decorating a cake, I like to speak in a really exaggerated French accent and pretend I’m a fashion designer. Food is the new high art, right? It doesn’t take much effort to make your cake look amazing, and unlike fashion models, we get to have our cake and eat it too! Here are some easy tips to take your cake from looking so-so to catwalk ready in no time: SPRINKLES Not just for kids and cupcakes, sprinkles can add that extra somethin’ somethin’ to a simple cake. Try a contrasting color and experiment with a light sampling of sprinkles or more concentrated and focused applications, like stripes or shapes. You can get the same effect from using coarse, chunky sugar.
POWDERED SUGAR A light dusting of powdered sugar never hurt any cake, can add a pretty contrast, and is especially nice on cakes with no topping. Be sure to use a fine-mesh sieve to lightly dust the cake. You can play with allover dusting or make a stencil using some waxed paper to sift on a sugar heart or polka dots.
DRIZZLE Even when you frost a cake, sometimes it needs something else. An accessory, if you will. One of my favorite simple decorations is a small batch of Chocolate Ganache (page 133). Let it drip down the sides of the cake, pipe it on in zigzag stripes, write “Happy Birthday,” or add a solid application of a thin, chocolate topping for some extra tastiness. Basic Glaze (page 130) can also add a nice touch. No fancy equipment is needed: Just spoon the glaze into a sandwich bag and snip off the tiniest bit of the corner. Voilà, you’re good to go!
GARNISHMENTS Never underestimate the power of garnish. Putting blueberries in your cake? Reserve some to put on top once it’s frosted. A sprinkle of chopped nuts or chocolate-covered espresso beans can add a decorative flair and foreshadow the deliciousness that awaits. Add some fruit sauce or compote when serving. A drizzle of chocolate syrup on the bottom of a plate is a nice touch or some chocolate shavings on top of a cake can quickly take it up a notch. It doesn’t need to be flashy or over-the-top. It’s just those little finishing touches that make a cake go from nice to wow!
&nbs
p; CHAPTER 1
Basic Cakes
The basics are a good starting ground. Everyone needs reliable recipes they can turn to for vanilla cake and chocolate cake. Here, you have a traditional option and also a gluten-free version. These cakes can be dressed up with classic vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream frosting (pages 139 and 140) or any other number of toppings. The only limit is your imagination!
BASIC VANILLA CAKE
This is a basic yellow cake recipe, perfect to have under your belt for birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, Fridays . . .
INGREDIENTS
3 cups
all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons
baking powder
1/4 teaspoon
salt
½ cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
2 cups
organic granulated sugar
2 tablespoons
unsweetened applesauce
11/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon
nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon
mild vinegar
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round pans or 1 (9 x 13-inch) pan. Line with parchment paper, if using.
Have Your Cake and Vegan Too Page 2
