Blueberry coconut muffin mug cake

6Tbs plain flour 

0.5 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

1.5Tbs sugar (I use raw but whatever is fine)

3Tbs dessicated coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

2Tbs oil (I use rice bran or canola)

3 Tbs non dairy milk

3-4Tbs frozen blueberries 

Mix dry ingredients in a mug with a butter knife or silicone spatula. Add in wet ingredients except berries; mix until just combined, then fold in berries. Microwave on high for two minutes. 

black forest cake for my bday

so it was my birthday recently YIPPEE! i love birthdays- mine, and anyone else's. they are the best reason to make a cake that could possibly exist. my most singular cake love is the black forest cake (or schwarzwalder-kirschtorte) and i've now got a tasty way to make it vegan :)

using my chocolate cake recipe here, add 100g of melted dark chocolate to wet ingredients and combine gently before cooking.

you will also need:

200g sour cherries, drained well, reserving at least 2Tbs of the juice

6-8Tbs cherry jam

1-2Tbs brandy or kirsch, or 1tsp rum or brandy essence- this can be increased to taste (but the cake may not be able to hold more than 3Tbs- experiment!)

300ml carton soytatoo soy whip or other cream substitute

2tsp icing sugar

dark chocolate shavings (optional)

once the cake is completely cooled, carefully cut in half horizontally. in a small bowl, warm the jam, juice and kirsch/essence for 20 seconds in the microwave (just to make it spread more easily). carefully open the two cake halves (this may require the use of a large spatula and a plate- whatever works for you), and spread the jam mixture on the bottom half.

in a medium bowl with high sides, whip the cream and icing sugar with electric beaters or manual beaters (if you're a real gun with a whisk, go for it- i wouldn't chance it. the soyatoo seemed like it wanted to work itself into soft peaks for me, so that's a plus). spread the cream over the jam layer as thick as you'd like it, reserving enough for the top of the cake. you may want to cover the whole cake in cream, or just give it a little hat- up to you.

sit a layer of drained sour cherries on the cream; i set them 1cm apart but would have preferred more cherries, so would recommend a complete layer- cherries all touching their fellows.

carefully place the top layer of cake onto the rest, and top with cream, more cherries, a dot of jam, and dark chocolate shavings.

myaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh yum.........

the cake looks a little flat, but with care can be sliced once cooled completely. maybe if you wanted to go totally OTT you could make two, slice them both in half and stack them on top of each other. ohhhhhhhh let's go there...

i used gluten free flour, which has less backbone than gluteny flours, but i managed to slice and assemble to cake without it falling apart too much.

the prune and almond friand

meet my tasty little friend, le friand. it may not be known as such in la france, perhaps bearing more of a resemblance to a cake called un financier. all these italics are making me feel slanty, as in, slanting towards another friand. these are an excellent prune delivery system.

0.5c (75g) plain gluten free flour
0.75c (100g) icing sugar, sifted (i wonder if brown sugar or panela would work?)
1.5c almond meal
4tsp (heaped) no-egg, mixed with 2tbs water in a small bowl
150g melted nuttelex
200g pitted prunes, roughly chopped
3 drops each of almond essence and brandy essence (optional)


preheat oven to 140C

sift the flour and icing sugar into large mixing bowl. stir in almond meal, no-egg and melted nuttelex. fold in prunes and essences (if using). spoon mixture into mini muffin pans (silicone is the best, paper may stick) and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown (when a skewer is inserted into centre, it should come out clean). bake for longer if using regular-sized muffin or friand pans.

all you need is... tiny carrot cake

0.25c plain gluten free flour

1tsp ground cinnamon

0.25tsp baking powder

0.125tsp bicarb soda

0.125tsp salt

1/2 egg substitute (i use 0.5tsp orgran no egg powder + 1Tbs water)

2Tbs sugar

0.3c grated carrot (about 1 medium carrot)

1Tbs raisins

1Tbs milk of choice

1Tbs oil (macadamia or other lightly flavoured oil is best)

1Tbs ground flax seeds

mix dry ingredients in a small bowl; mix in egg/water, then carrot and wet ingredients. lightly grease a microwave safe ramekin or coffee mug, and use a silicone spatula to fill the container. microwave on high for 1.5 minutes and allow to cool before eating. seriously, that’s it! or you could whip up some frosting in a food processor with

50g silken tofu

50g tofutti better than cream cheese

2tsp icing sugar

zest of 1 lemon

dash of vanilla essence

my gratitude to CCK for this one! http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/04/03/five-minute-carrot-cake-for-one/  

the most perfect chocolate cake. ever.

just divine, and so quick to make.

cake

1c soy milk 

1tsp vinegar

0.5c sugar

0.3c oil (sunflower, canola or other light oil)

1tsp vanilla 

1c plain flour

0.3c cocoa 

0.75tsp bicarb soda

0.5tsp baking powder

0.5tsp salt

preheat oven to 180C.

whisk soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. whisk in the sugar, oil and vanilla.

sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. add in two batches to wet ingredients; mix until just combined.

lightly grease an 8 inch springform pan. pour in the batter and bake for 30 minutes, until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean. cool in tin for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack. optional: slice cake in half horizontally and spread with 4Tbs warmed marmalade or raspberry jam.

icing

0.5c copha or coconut oil (at room temperature or warmed very slightly)

0.5c margarine

3c icing sugar, sifted 

0.25c cocoa, sifted

1tsp vanilla
1Tbs strong espresso or 2tsp coffee powder dissolved in 1Tbs hot water (or 2Tbs soy milk)

beat the coconut oil and margarine together until well combined. add the sugar, cocoa, vanilla and coffee; beat for 5-7 minutes til smooth and fluffy.

lemon delicious

this makes me think of my friend viola :) it's been an amazing, completely forgiving recipe for over 10 years. great to throw together for impromptu dinner desserts; and so easy that kids can make it with minimal help :)


0.5 cup sugar
1 cup self-raising flour
1 egg replacer made to packet instructions
0.3 cup dessicated coconut
grated rind 2 lemons
0.5 cup soy/other milk
50g melted nuttelex/margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
0.5 cup frozen raspberries (optional)

0.5 cup sugar
juice of 2 lemons
hot water (to make total 1 and 1/2 cups liquid)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

preheat oven to 180C. 


in a 20cm, pudding bowl or deep baking dish, mix flour, sugar, "egg", coconut and lemon rind. add milk, margarine and vanilla, mix until smooth. if using, gently fold in raspberries.

put 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a measuring jug.  top with enough hot water to make the fluid up to 1 and a half cups (375mls). pour liquid gently over the pudding mixture in the pudding basin. bake for 35 minutes.

tiny chocolatines

tiny chocolate and almond meal cakes

gingerbread: fail

*sigh*


like a lot of other people, i was really excited and quickly disappointed by "babycakes" cookbook. great photos, crazy celebrity endorsement, fantastic-sounding recipes... which just don't work. maybe they work only if you have a $700 kitchenaid? or pamela anderson in the kitchen?


apologies for the snark. the point is that i (and a million others) with considerable baking experience have not been able to make these recipes (fully of expensive specialty ingredients) work.


anyway. the gingerbread was ok; turned out very wet (still liquid after +10 minutes on cooking time +extra 30 minutes), and needed to be baked in a dry frying pan or sandwich press prior to serving. serve with butter and honey.


don't get me started on the frosting. #^&$?%!!!!!!!!!


*end grumps*