brown rice flour, tapioca flour, and guar gum and replace with 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.
INGREDIENTS
BROWNIE CRUST
1/3 cup
chickpea flour
1/4 cup
organic granulated sugar
2 tablespoons
brown rice flour
2 tablespoons
tapioca starch
2 tablespoons
baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon
baking powder
1/8 teaspoon
guar gum
a pinch
salt
3 tablespoons
margarine, at room
temperature
1/3 cup
unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup
nondairy milk
FILLING
1 (12-ounce) package
aseptic firm tofu
1 (8-ounce) container
soy cream cheese
¾ cup
organic granulated sugar
¾ cup
natural peanut butter
1 teaspoon
lemon juice
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1/4 cup
melted dark chocolate
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour an 8- or 9-inch springform pan.
To make the crust, in a small bowl, combine the chickpea flour, sugar, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, cocoa, baking powder, guar gum, and salt. In a large bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, cream together the margarine and applesauce until smooth. Add the milk and mix in. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending just until mixed, then repeat with the other half. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
To make the filling, in the bowl of a food processor or blender, add the tofu, cream cheese, and sugar. Process until mostly blended. Add the peanut butter, lemon juice, and vanilla, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Transfer one-half of the mixture to another bowl and reserve, then add the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Alternate the plain peanut butter mixture with the chocolate peanut butter mixture side by side on top of the crust and swirl with a knife.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The top should look set and almost like it has a “skin” on it, but the cake should still jiggle a little if tapped. Let cool to room temperature in the pan on a cooling rack. Remove the springform rim before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 12
TASTES GREAT FRUITCAKE
Ah, fruitcake. The butt of many a holiday joke. But no one will give you a hard time about this light cake, studded with dried fruit and nuts. They’ll be too busy stuffing their faces with it. This version is a bit less, um, brilliant than the traditional neon candied cherries version, but you can feel free to substitute the dried fruit with those familiar favorites if you’d like. The added bonus is that these cakes don’t need to cure, so you don’t have to start working on them in October to enjoy their Yuletide cheer! You can customize this cake to match your holiday traditions. Add candied orange or orange zest or dark liquor and some molasses in place of the vanilla if you are used to heavier, darker cakes.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup
all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons
organic granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
1/8 teaspoon
salt
1/3 cup
agave nectar
1/2 cup
orange juice, or 1/4 cup orange juice
and 1/4 cup rum or bandy if you’re
going for the boozy taste
2 tablespoons
applesauce
2 tablespoons
canola or other mild vegetable oil
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1/2 cup
chopped nuts, such as walnuts
or pecans
1/2 cup
chopped sweet dried fruit,
such as dates, figs, raisins
1/2 cup
chopped tart dried fruit,
such as apricots, candied orange
peel, tart cherries
1/3 cup
apple cider or alcohol (same as
used in batter) for soaking
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease and flour 1 (9 × 5-inch) loaf pan or 4 (21/2 × 4-inch) mini loaf pans.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the agave, orange juice, applesauce, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending just until mixed, then repeat with the other half. Add the nuts and dried fruit and mix until just combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread evenly.
Bake mini cakes for 24 to 28 minutes, a full loaf for 45 to 50 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set the pans on cooling racks. While warm, poke the cake randomly with a toothpick to create pinholes. Slowly and evenly pour the apple cider or remaining alcohol over the cakes, allowing it time to be absorbed. Let cool in the pan on the cooling rack for 20 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a butter knife and invert onto another cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature. Store wrapped or in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
DIFFICULTY:
YIELD: 1 large loaf or 4 mini loaves
CHAPTER 6
No-Bake Cakes
Cake . . . but not from an oven. Impossible, you say? Think again! Using your trusty rice cooker, slow cooker, or even a stovetop pot, you can make delicious cakes in as little as 30 minutes, or you can let the aroma fill your house over the course of a day if you slow cook a cake for dessert. Anything goes with these unbaked beauties!
SPICED-RICE CRANBERRY CAKE
While it doesn’t contain any rice, this is a simple treat that goes straight from the rice cooker to your table in under 1 hour. The cake holds up beautifully, and the spices really continue to develop, so leftovers are perfect.
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups
all-purpose flour
¾ cup
organic granulated sugar
1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon
ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1/3 cup
unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
½ cup
nondairy milk
½ teaspoon
vanilla extract
2/3 cup
chopped cranberries,
preferably fresh or frozen,
or 1/3 cup dried
1 recipe
Basic Glaze (page 130)
DIRECTIONS
Lightly grease the inside of your rice cooker pot.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the applesauce and oil. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Gently stir in the cranberries. Spread the batter evenly into the rice cooker pot.
If your rice cooker is very basic, just select start. If you have more options, cook on the setting you would use to make white rice. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the toothpick doesn’t come out clean, let it cook for 5 minutes longer and check again. Remove the pot from the rice cooker and let the cake cool in the pot on a cooling rack. Once the
cake is completely cool, run a butter knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a platter. Pour the glaze over the cake and let it sit for 10 minutes to set. Store leftover cake loosely covered at room temperature.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 8 to 10
BLACK FOREST CROCK CAKE
This is another recipe to rescue you when your schedule is packed . . . or you’ve just become addicted to a TV saga and streaming episodes of said show has consumed your life. Not that that happens to me. I’m just saying. One-bowl cake recipes never hurt a LOST marathon.
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups
all-purpose flour
1/4 cup
baking cocoa, sifted
¾ cup
organic granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons
baking powder
½ teaspoon
baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons
nondairy milk
1/4 cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1/3 cup
chocolate chips
1 (21-ounce) can
cherry pie filling
DIRECTIONS
Lightly grease the pan inside a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to combine. Create a well in the middle of the mixture and add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Combine the mixture until it is just mixed. Add the chocolate chips and then swirl in the cherry pie filling; you don’t want to incorporate it completely, but to leave it more like a swirl. Spread the batter evenly into the slow cooker.
Cook with the lid on for 5 to 6 hours on low heat, or for 21/2 to 3 hours on high. Warning: Because this cake is dark, if the inside of your slow cooker is also dark, you may get some blackening on the edges if you cook on high heat. Condensation from the lid can cause the center of the cake to look uncooked, even when it’s done, so don’t be deceived.
The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, with no cake crumbs (there might be some juice from the cherries). Remove the container from the slow cooker base and let it cool on a cooling rack. This cake is best served warm, from the slow cooker dish, but it holds up fairly well overnight. Store covered in the refrigerator.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 12
NECKING WITH BLUEBERRIES SLUMP
Blueberries and nectarines, sitting in a pot—racy, no? A slump (otherwise known as a grunt, but that sounds too gross for me) is made on the stovetop by cooking up some fruit and adding the batter. Be sure you have a pot with a tightly fitted lid, as the heat steams the cake on top, making a delicious and fast treat that you can easily justify eating for breakfast. It’s not that much different from pancakes . . . although it does taste better with a scoop of ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons
canola or other mild vegetable oil,
divided
2 cups
blueberries
4 ripe
nectarines, sliced
½ cup
organic granulated sugar, divided
½ cup
all-purpose flour
1/4 cup
cornmeal
½ teaspoon
baking powder
a pinch
salt
1/3 cup
nondairy milk
DIRECTIONS
In a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil on medium heat. Add the blueberries, nectarines, and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cook, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fruit releases its juices and the nectarines soften.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and mix until just combined. Spoon the batter on top of the fruit mixture. The batter might look sparse, and if it doesn’t cover the whole thing, that’s fine, as it will expand while cooking.
Cover the pot with the lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook, without removing the lid, for 15 minutes. When done, remove the lid and remove the pot from the heat. Scoop and serve immediately.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 6
MOCHA MELT CAKE, TWO WAYS
You’re about to sit down to dinner and think, “Mmm . . . I wish we had dessert.” Never fear—in 30 minutes your friendly rice cooker will have such a treat ready and waiting for you with no need to heat the oven or grease any pans. Depending on the size of your rice cooker, you can “undercook” this cake for a giant molten lava cake or you can cook it all the way to fluffy perfection. Try it both ways!
INGREDIENTS
CAKE
1 cup
all-purpose flour
2/3 cup
organic granulated sugar
3 tablespoons
baking cocoa (preferably Dutch
processed), sifted
1½ teaspoons
baking powder
½ teaspoon
baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
salt
½ cup
nondairy milk
3 tablespoons
canola or other mild vegetable oil
½ teaspoon
vanilla extract
1/3 cup
chocolate chips
MOCHA SYRUP
3 tablespoons
baking cocoa (preferably Dutch
processed), sifted
3 tablespoons
organic granulated sugar
2 teaspoons
instant coffee granules
2/3 cup
hot water (almost boiling,
but not quite)
DIRECTIONS
Spray the inside of the rice cooker pot with nonstick spray.
To make the cake, in a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the mixture and add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix until just combined; it will be thick like brownie batter. Spread the batter evenly in the rice cooker and sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips.
To make the syrup, in a small, heat-resistant bowl, combine the cocoa, sugar, and coffee. Add the hot water and whisk until the coffee is dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour the hot liquid over the top of the cake. Do not stir.
If your rice cooker is very basic, just select start. If you have more options, cook on the setting you would use to make white rice. For a fluffy, finished cake, cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For a lava cake, check after 20 minutes; the outer edges and top should be set, but the middle still very moist.
For the fully cooked cake, when the rice cooker alarm sounds that it is done, remove the pot from the rice cooker and let cool for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Gently loosen the cake with the edge of a rubber spatula or other nonmetal utensil, and invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm with ice cream or Coconut Cream Topping (page 136) and you surely will have many friends.
For the molten cake, remove the pot from the rice cooker and let cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. You will need to scoop the cake out of the pot with a large spoon, but no one will complain, I promise. The finished cake is best eaten the day of, but it does keep. Store leftover fully cooked cake in a covered container at room temperature. The molten cake should be eaten the day of making.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 8 to 10
SLOW AS APPLE PIE CAKE
Scenario 1: It’s hot. You don’t want to use your oven, but you want cake. Scenario 2: It’s one of those lazy days. You want to make a cake for after dinner but don’t want to deal with it. This cake is the answer in both cases. You simply dump the batter into your slow cooker, let it go, and there you are, with a fluffy, moist, delicious cake. There’s an apple filling on the bottom that keeps you
from having to worry about any frosting/icing/decorating nonsense. It takes 5 to 6 hours to cook on low, depending on the size of your cooker, so plan ahead. This recipe goes against one of my usual tenets of baking: canned pie filling. But, the objective here is delicious cake with minimal effort, and you know what? It works.
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups
all-purpose flour
¾ cup
organic granulated sugar
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon
salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons
nondairy milk
1/4 cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
½ teaspoon
vanilla extract
2 (21-ounce) cans
apple pie filling
DIRECTIONS
Spray the pan inside a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray.
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until just incorporated. Spread the apple pie filling in the cooker. Spread the cake batter evenly over the apples.
Have Your Cake and Vegan Too Page 9
