Gluten-Free Vegan Tarte aux Fruits

I was invited to a BBQ dinner on Mother's Day, so I brought along a fruit tart as a small gift.  A few weekends ago, I was watching Hubert Keller make a Tarte aux Fruits in his show on PBS.  I thought, "Hey!  I could both Veganize and Gluten-free that recipe."  So I quickly got to work figuring it out.

There are 4 layers to the recipe.  First is the cake layer.  Keller's was a butter cake, but I've been wanting to try my hand at baking with almond meal, so I came up with an almond cake recipe.  Second, is a layer of pastry cream.  I already had a Vegan version, so I substituted the flour with rice flour.  Third is the toasted sliced almonds.  And lastly, the fruit and glaze to top the cake.  Hubert Keller's version had apples, bananas, grapes and other assorted fruit.  Berries were in season, so I thought I'd stick with them.

This tart was so yummy.  The cake was moist and slightly dense, which complimented the light and sweet berries.  I was especially happy with the gluten-free pastry cream.  A cousin has already requested this cake for her upcoming birthday.  Will post more photos in a few weeks.

Mother's Day 2012: Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

Vegan strawberry cake is so delicious that I wanted to create a gluten-free version.  Mother's Day was the next big holiday coming up, so I thought I'd give my Mom, Grandma, and Aunts a sweet surprise.

The gluten-free version was very good, but not quite as moist as the normal Vegan strawberry cake I had made for my cousin's birthday a couple weeks prior.  Nonetheless, I'm happy everyone was able to enjoy one of my creations (including myself), and my aunts told me my recipes keep getting better.

Cheers!: Gluten-Free Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake

Where it all "Vegan"

I can't believe it has been a year since my first successful Vegan cake!  I've learned so much through this journey and have received such wonderful support.  Regretfully, I must announce that this will be the last recipe I will post on this blog.  I will continue the fantastic hobby of baking and cake decorating, and plan to post future blog entries of cakes I've made and the wonderful people in my life, but they will be sans recipes.  I started this blog because I had a difficult time successfully baking the Vegan cake recipes I've found online and hope my recipes have been helpful to other Vegan bakers.  I also plan to revisit some of the recipes I wasn't content with and will update them for you.  As for the final recipe, we're going out with a big BANG!

Last weekend, my friends and I had our annual excursion to wine country.  Kelly and Serena had recently celebrated their 10 year wedding anniversary, and he wanted to surprise Serena with a heartfelt renewal of their vows.  It was incredible to see everyone work efficiently and harmoniously together to prepare the ceremony in such a short time.  The amount of talent within the group was remarkable.  From the flower arranging to the bridal makeup to the staging, seating and photography, every aspect was covered effortlessly.

As for the cake, I wanted to center it around the bride.  Serena, alongside many of my friends, enjoys very spicy foods.  We do all of our own cooking at the house in wine country, and there is rarely a meal served without a bowl of super spicy homemade salsa or a bottle of habanero sauce.

A few years ago, I had an interesting scoop of chocolate jalapeno gelato at a dessert shop in San Francisco.  Sounds bizarre, but it was exquisite, especially for a spice lover.  The flavor of jalapeno wasn't noticeable in the chocolate, but the kick of heat at the end surely was.  I wanted to somehow replicate this in a cake.  So I did some research into Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake recipes, and found they utilized cayenne pepper.  The amount used in the recipes ranged from a 1/4 teaspoon to 2 full teaspoons!  I went for the middle-of-the-road, feeling that 1/4 teaspoon just wouldn't make an impression on the crowd I was baking it for and 2 teaspoons might be too much for a dessert.  One teaspoon of cayenne pepper was definitely enough to give us a jolt of heat, but feel free to put less or more to your liking.

Kelly and Serena's ceremony was beautiful, and I am delighted to have contributed to their special occasion.  Watching the elated couple cut into the cake, and the compliments the cake received couldn't have made this amateur baker any happier.  

For those reading or following my blog, I wish you all well on your baking endeavors, and hope that you will try out these recipes and let me know how they turned out in your kitchen.  Cheers!

Gluten-Free Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake

Dry Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup (240g) Superfine Rice Flour 1/2 cup (60g) Potato Starch 1/4 cup (30g) Tapioca Starch 1/2 tsp Guar Gum 3/4 cup (60g) Cocoa Powder 2 tbs (15g) Corn Starch 1 tsp Baking Powder 2 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Sea Salt 1 tbs Cinnamon 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Wet Ingredients: 1/4 cup Soy Milk + 1 tbs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar 3 tsp Energ Egg + 4 tbs Water 2/3 cup Canola Oil 1 cup (8oz) Sugar 1/2 cup (4oz) Brown Sugar 1 3/4 cup Water 1/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to 1/4 cup soy milk and reserve.  Stir egg replacer and 4 tbs water, reserve.  Sift together dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Pour oil and sugars into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until well incorporated.  Whisk in egg replacer mixture, water, applesauce, and vanilla to combine.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Lastly, fold in soy milk and vinegar mixture.  Pour into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool.

Chocolate Mousse Filling

6 oz (1/2 box) Firm Silken Tofu
5 oz Vegan Chocolate Chips, melted in double boiler
1 tbs Agave Nectar

1/4 cup Soy Milk

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour into a medium sized bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Chill in the refrigerator until set (1-2 hours).  After chilling, beat with an electric mixer to loosen and to fluff until paler in color (4-5 minutes).

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening

3 cups Powdered Sugar

3 tbs Soy Milk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Lastly, mix in soymilk and vanilla. 

Fab 40: Vegan Strawberry Cake w/ Chocolate Frosting

After seeing my Auntie Lyn's and Grandmother's joint birthday cake, my cousin Avigail contacted me and asked if I would make her a birthday cake as well.  Of course I was delighted to.  She requested her favorite flavor: strawberry cake with chocolate frosting.  Seems as though strawberry cake has become quite popular this year with lots of bakeries selling cupcake versions.  Fortunately, I already had this recipe in my arsenal.

I wasn't able to attend her celebration since I was out of town for the weekend.  It would've been nice to decorate the cake with some chocolate covered strawberries, but I had to deliver the cake more than a day in advance and was afraid they would go rancid.  Nonetheless, Avi told me that she loved the cake and her kids thought it was delicious.  Happy Fab 4-0 Avi!

Vegan Strawberry Cake w/ Chocolate Frosting
(recipe from previous post)

Mabuhay: Gluten-Free Vegan Vanilla Cake w/ Lemon Curd Filling

Lea, my cousin from the Philippines, was finally able to vacay and spend some time with our family in San Francisco.  She has been so sweet with her comments of my cakes on Facebook, and I was looking forward to making a cake for her visit.  Lea liked Percy's lemon birthday cake, so I thought I'd make her a gluten-free version.  This allowed me the opportunity to try my hand at a vanilla flavored gluten-free cake.

I've been wary to bake a gluten-free vanilla cake due to its simplicity in flavor.  Chocolate is safe with its ability to overpower any flavors from the gluten-free flours.  I wasn't sure if my vanilla cake would end up tasting like rice flour.  Luckily, it didn't, and the cake was just as moist and delicious as the wheat version.

The cake baked successfully on the first try.  But as always, I ran into trouble when Whole Foods didn't have my regular shortening in stock and I had to use another brand.  Frosting and decorating the cake was no easy task with a humid kitchen and a product I wasn't used to working with.  But in the end, what really matters is the taste.  The Vegan gluten-free vanilla cake with lemon curd and vanilla frosting was a hit.  I hope you give it a try.
 

Gluten-Free Vegan Vanilla Cake

 

Dry Ingredients:  1 1/2 cup (240g) Superfine Rice Flour 1/2 cup (60g) Potato Starch 1/4 cup (30g) Tapioca Flour 1/2 tsp Guar Gum 1/4 cup (30g) Corn Starch 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients:  1 3/4 cup Soy Milk + 2 tsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar 2/3 cup Canola Oil 1 1/2 (12 oz) cup Sugar 1/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce 4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to soy milk and reserve.  Sift together dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Pour oil and sugar into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until well incorporated.  Whisk in soy milk, applesauce and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Pour into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool.

Lemon Curd Filling 

1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Sugar
2 tbs Corn Starch
Zest of 1 Lemon
Pinch Sea Salt
2 tbs Powdered Soy Milk
1 tbs Margarine

Whisk all ingredients except powdered soy milk and margarine in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  When it comes to a boil, stop whisking and allow to boil for 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and stir in powdered soy milk and margarine.  Place in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap to avoid skin being formed.  Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening

3 cups Powdered Sugar

3 tbs Soy Milk

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Lastly, mix in soymilk and vanilla.

Two for Cake: Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake

Last Wednesday, my mom and grandmother returned from a month long stay in the Philippines.  My Auntie Lyn arrived at my mom's house early in the morning to start cooking, giving the travelers a nourishing meal after a long trip.  Originally, I planned on baking a batch of brownies, but since both my grandmother and my aunt celebrated their birthdays in March, I thought I'd surprise them with a cake instead.

Decorating needed to be somewhat simple since it was the middle of a hectic work week.  Plus, the sweet factor had to be low because my grandmother doesn't like overly sweet baked goods.  Gluten-free chocolate cake to the rescue.

Auntie Lyn and Grandma were delighted with their gift, and my aunt complimented my cake decorating skills.  Score!

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake
(recipe from previous post)

O so Good: Gluten-Free Vegan Cookies n' Cream Cake

Last Wednesday was my cousin Francis's birthday.  At 23, he's the baby of our family.  Francis requested this flavor from me last December when I made it for his brother, but he asked that I make a chocolate cake instead of vanilla.

I gave up wheat for Lent, so in addition to making the cake Vegan I also made it gluten-free.  Not only did I want my family to try the new recipe, but I wanted to enjoy a slice as well.  Selfish, I know.  The only difficult part was finding chocolate sandwich cookies that fit the bill.  After coming up short in all the health food stores, I entertained the idea of baking the cookies myself.  Luckily, in my search for a recipe, I found Jo-Sefs Cookies which is both Vegan and gluten-free.  I ordered a box and when the shipment arrived, I was ready to go.

This chocolate cake recipe has become my favorite.  It's so moist and delicious that I now prefer it to the wheat version.

Gluten-Free Vegan Cookies n' Cream Cake

Dry Ingredients: 1 1/2 (240g) cup Superfine White Rice Flour 1/2 cup (60g) Potato Starch 1/4 cup (30g) Tapioca Flour 1/2 tsp Guar Gum 3/4 cup (60g) Cocoa Powder 2 tbs (15g) Corn Starch 1 tsp Baking Powder 2 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients: 1/4 cup Soy Milk + 1 tbs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar 3 tbs Ener-G Egg Replacer + 4 tbs Water 2/3 cup Canola Oil 1 1/2 cup (12oz) Sugar 1 3/4 cup Water 1/4 cup Applesauce 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to 1/4 cup soy milk and reserve.  Stir egg replacer and 4 tbs water, reserve.  Sift together dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Pour oil and sugar into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until well incorporated.  Whisk in egg replacer mixture, water, applesauce, and vanilla to combine.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Lastly, fold in soy milk and vinegar mixture.  Pour into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool. 

Tips:
- Superfine Rice Flour can be found at local Asian or Indian grocery stores, as well as online.
- Feel free to substitute some or all of the white rice flour with brown rice flour for a more nutritious cake.

Gluten-Free Cookies n' Cream Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening

3 cups Powdered Sugar

1/2 cup (around 5) Jo-sefs Simply Delicious Chocolate O's, pulverized in food processor

1/4 cup Soymilk

2 tsp Vanilla

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Mix in soymilk and vanilla.  Lastly, fold in pulverized cookies.

Fudgy-Wudgy: Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies

I have so many gluten-free flours in my pantry from experimenting with a gluten-free cake, that I thought I'd take a stab at "GF"-ing Vegan Goddess Isa's amazing brownie recipe.  With all the misfires in the kitchen the past few weeks, it's a nice feeling to have a recipe succeed on the first try.  They turned out just as chewy and delicious as the original.  If you can withstand temptation, bake them the night before.  They're even better the second day.

Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies

(Adapted from Isa Moskowitz's brownie recipe)
1/4 cup (40g) Superfine Rice Flour
2/3 cup Water
1 12 oz. pkg Firm Silken Tofu, vacuum packed (I use Mori-Nu brand)

1 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips (I use Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips from Trader Joe's)
1 3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 cup Canola Oil
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup (120g) Superfine Rice Flour
1/2 cup (60g) Potato Starch
2 tbs (15g) Tapioca Flour
3/4 cup (60g) Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp Guar Gum
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips

Preheat Oven to 350ºF.  In a blender, puree 1/4 cup rice flour, water and tofu until smooth.  Pour into a medium size saucepan over low heat, and whisk constantly until thickened (5-6 minutes).  Turn flame down if mixture comes to a boil.  Do not allow to come to a boil.  Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips, sugar and salt to melt and combine.  Allow mixture to cool enough (20-30 minutes) to mix in oil and vanilla.

While mixture cools, sift together remaining rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, guar gum and baking powder.  Fold dry ingredients into cooled tofu mixture until well combined.  Stir in remaining chocolate chips and spread into a greased 9x13 Baking Pan.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cake, Vegan Cake: Vegan Champagne Cake

Christian celebrated his birthday last Friday in proper style.  I developed the theme and recipe for his cake months ago, and held onto it as a surprise.  Christian is a total James Bond fanatic.  In his youth, Christian was devouring the Ian Fleming novels while most of us were trying to get through Encyclopedia Brown.  He can name every Bond girl in order of appearance by character name and the actress.  And although he may be self-professed tone deaf, Christian can sing every Bond tune pitch perfect.  No one can beat him in the James Bond edition of Scene It, and many don't even try.

I know that James Bond is known for his martinis, but there was no way I would bake a gin flavored cake.  So I had to think up the most glamorous flavor I could conceive yet still be edible.  I did a search for champagne flavored cake and found, although popular in the 1950s, it has been growing in popularity the past few years.  Perfect.  I had enough information to start veganizing.

The real challenge was going to be the decorating.  I knew I wanted to portray the gun barrel shot from many a 007 opening sequence, but the question was should I pipe it, cut it out of fondant, or order an edible transfer?  I nixed the edible transfer idea because I'm not fond of how they look like iron-on t-shirt transfers.  Fondant would’ve been tedious, plus I wanted to frost with a champagne buttercream.  As for piping, I’m just not good enough an artist to pull it off.  So I decided on a technique I've implemented in the past: a stencil and edible spray paint.

After painting the cake gold and allowing it to dry, I began painting on the stencil.  The color was faint and I realized it was going to take a few layers.  Patiently, I sprayed the necessary layers allowing each pass to dry completely.  When I carefully lifted the stencil, it was a wreck!  The paint had bled through and I had a black and gold mess.  Luckily, it came off quite easily, so I grabbed a paint brush and salvaged what I could.

Not my best work by far, but each cake seems to teach me a new lesson about baking.  Christian was excited to see his 007-themed cake and that’s really all that matters.  It might not have appeared as nicely as intended, but it tasted delicious.

Vegan Champagne Cake

Dry Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups Unbleached Pastry Flour 4 tbs Corn Starch 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients: 3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 4 tbs Water 6 tbs Earth Balance Margarine 1/3 cup Canola Oil 1 1/2 cup Sugar 1 1/2 cup Champagne 1/4 cup Applesauce 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

 

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Stir egg replacer and water, reserve.  Sift together dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine in a large bowl.  Mix in sugar and oil to margarine.  Add egg replacer mixture, champagne, apple sauce, and vanilla to combine until smooth.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Pour into a 9-inch cake pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool. 

Champagne Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening

3 cups Powdered Sugar

3 tbs Champagne

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Champagne Extract (optional)

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Lastly, mix in champagne, vanilla and champagne extract if using.

Where’s the Wheat?: Gluten-free Vegan Chocolate Cake

My pal Cody is on a gluten-free diet, and I promised him months ago I would develop a gluten-free AND vegan cake for his birthday.  I have to admit, this one wasn’t easy.  There are so many different gluten-free flours to choose from with endless combinations that it was a bit daunting.  I searched online for non-vegan gluten-free chocolate cake recipes and found recipes utilizing different types of rice flours, garbanzo bean flour, quinoa flour, and even a cake made with a can of black beans (this one scared me).  After a few trials, I think I’ve come up with a delicious recipe that has a nice crumb, stays moist (no cardboard or bricks here), and retains its delicious dark chocolate flavor.

Many of my friends have been anticipating this recipe, so without further ado… I present to you my first gluten-free cake.

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake

Dry Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup (240g) Superfine White Rice Flour 1/2 cup (60g) Potato Starch 1/4 cup (30g) Tapioca Flour 1/2 tsp Guar Gum 3/4 cup (60g) Cocoa Powder 2 tbs (15g) Corn Starch 1 tsp Baking Powder 2 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients: 1/4 cup Soy Milk + 1 tbs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar 3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 4 tbs Water 2/3 cup Canola Oil 1 1/2 cup (12oz) Sugar 1 3/4 cup Water 1/4 cup Applesauce 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to 1/4 cup soy milk and reserve.  Stir egg replacer and 4 tbs water, reserve.  Sift together dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Pour oil and sugar into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until well incorporated.  Whisk in egg replacer mixture, water, applesauce, and vanilla to combine.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Lastly, fold in soy milk and vinegar mixture.  Pour into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool. 

Tips:
- Superfine Rice Flour can be found at local Asian or Indian grocery stores, as well as online.
- Feel free to substitute some or all of the white rice flour with brown rice flour for a more nutritious cake.

Dark Chocolate Frosting 

1 box Firm Silken Tofu
8 oz. Vegan Chocolate Chips, melted in double boiler
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Chill in the refrigerator until thickened to desired spreading consistency (around 45-60 minutes).

Good Tidings we Bring: Vegan Chocolate Cake w/ Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

As a child, I was one of those kids who would sneak candy canes off of the Christmas tree and scarf them down, until my Mom noticed so many were missing and scolded us for eating all the decorations.  I was such a porker.  For my holiday cakes (one for Christmas Eve and another for Christmas Day), I combined two classic holiday flavors: peppermint and chocolate.  At first I was worried the candies would make the frosting gritty, but they blended beautifully into a smooth, rich and minty buttercream.

Vegan Chocolate Cake w/ Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

Dry Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder 2 tbs Corn Starch 2 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Salt

Wet Ingredients:  1/4 cup Soy Milk + 1 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar 3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 4 tbs Water 4 tbs Earth Balance 1 3/4 cup Sugar 2/3 cup Canola Oil 2 cups Water 1/4 cup Apple Sauce 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to soy milk and reserve.  Stir egg replacer and 4 tbs water, reserve.  Sift together dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine in a large bowl.  Mix in sugar and oil to margarine.  Add egg replacer mixture, water, apple sauce, and vanilla to combine until smooth.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Lastly, fold in soy milk and vinegar mixture.  Pour into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 27-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool.  

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting 

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening

3 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup (around 22 pieces) "Starlight" Peppermint Candies (pulverized in food processor)

1/4 cup Soymilk

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Mix in soymilk and vanilla.  Lastly, fold in pulverized peppermint candies

Soymilk’s Favorite Cookie: Vegan Cookies n’ Cream Cake

A few days after my not-so-successful cola cake, I had an opportunity to redeem myself with my cousin Edward’s birthday cake.  One of our favorite things to do when we had sleepovers as kids was make midnight snacks.  We’d cook up fun things in the microwave like English muffin Hawaiian pizzas and finish it off with Oreos and milk.  A cookies n’ cream cake was the perfect fit for his birthday.

Either a chocolate cake or vanilla cake recipe will work with this.  I opted for vanilla this time around and used a more natural brand of chocolate sandwich cookies (Newman’s Os), although I hear that original Oreos happen to be vegan.  The frosting is delicious and brings back many childhood memories of fun sleepovers with my cousins.

Update: I also made this recipe as cupcakes for an order during the holidays.

Vegan Cookies n' Cream Cake

Vanilla Cake Recipe

(Based on Golden Vanilla Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

 

Dry Ingredients:  2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour 4 tbs Corn Starch 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients:  1/4 cup Soy Milk + 2 tsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar 2/3 cup Canola Oil 1 1/2 cup Sugar 1 3/4 cup Soy Milk 4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to 1/4 cup soy milk and reserve.  Sift together dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Pour oil and sugar into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until well incorporated.  Whisk in 1 3/4 cup soy milk and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Lastly, fold in soy milk and vinegar mixture.  Pour into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 27-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool.

Cookies n' Cream Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening

3 cups Powdered Sugar

1/2 cup (around 5) Vegan Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, pulverized in food processor

1/4 cup Soymilk

2 tsp Vanilla

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Mix in soymilk and vanilla.  Lastly, fold in pulverized cookies.

The Cold, Crisp Taste: Vegan Cola Cake

My cousin Christopher celebrated his birthday last month.  Coming up with a cake flavor for him wasn’t difficult, since Toofy has only one vice—cola drinks.  I searched online for a recipe, but could only find ways of using cola to produce a low-fat cake, or chocolate-cola recipes.  There were no cakes highlighting the flavor of cola itself.  Using my trusty vegan vanilla recipe, I made the necessary substitutions to produce a cola flavored cake.  Or so I thought.  The cake was nice and moist, but the cola flavor didn’t shine through. 

 

I had one more pass at the recipe this week for my cousin Michael’s birthday, another cola junkie.  This time, I figured out a couple techniques to impart more cola flavor.  Honestly, I think it’s a strange flavor for a cake, but it sure made the cola addicts happy.

Vegan Cola Cake

Dry Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups Unbleached Pastry Flour 4 tbs Corn Starch 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients: 1/4 cup Soy Milk + 2 tsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar 2/3 cup Canola Oil 1 1/2 cup Sugar 1 3/4 cup Cola Drink 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

 

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to soy milk and reserve.  Sift together dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl.

Pour oil and sugar into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until well incorporated.  Whisk in cola and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Lastly, fold in soy milk and vinegar mixture.  Pour into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool.   Poke holes into cake at 1 inch intervals with a toothpick.

 

Cola Syrup

 

Pour 1 cup cola into a small saucepan over low heat.  Slowly bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half (around 10 minutes).  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Reserve 3 tbs for frosting.  When cooled, brush syrup over cooled cake layers with a pastry brush until absorbed. 

 

Cola Buttercream Frosting

 

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening

3 cups Powdered Sugar

3 tbs reserved Cola Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Lastly, mix in cola syrup and vanilla.