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.

 

 

Coming Up Roses: Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Tomorrow is my good friend Aimee's birthday celebration.  In past years, we've gone on wine tasting trips to celebrate the joyous occasion.  This year, we're going to a brunch buffet at the Ritz Carlton.  Très luxurieux.  As if I didn't stuff my face enough on Thanksgiving.

Since there will only be five of us at the restaurant, I didn't want to make a full cake and opted for cupcakes instead.  Also, the flavor had to be simple, so no spiking the cupcakes with booze.  I turned to my dependable chocolate recipe and gave it a twist by frosting it with the delicious salted caramel frosting.  Luckily, I still had some Vegan dulce de leche left over, even though I've been drizzling it on top of waffles and ice cream.  Yum.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
(Yields 12-14 cupcakes)

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

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

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to soy milk and reserve.  Stir egg replacer and 2 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.  Fill cupcake liners with batter 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes on a rack.

Vegan Dulce de Leche

(Based on recipe by Everyday Dish TV)  

1 jar Brown Rice Syrup

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar

2 tbs Earth Balance Vegan Margarine, melted

1/3 cup Soy Milk Powder

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch Salt

Take lid off of brown rice syrup jar and warm in a hot water bath or microwave. Mix melted margarine, vanilla, salt and soy milk powder to create a paste.  When the brown rice syrup is warm, pour into a deep bowl and add brown sugar.  Using a hand immersion blender, beat syrup and sugar until dissolved.  Add soy powder mixture and beat until well incorporated.  Allow to cool.

Salted Caramel Frosting

1/4 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine
3/4 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening
1/2 cup Dulce de Leche
2 tbs Soy Milk
3 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Mix in dulce de leche and soy milk until well incorporated.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Lastly, mix in vanilla and sea salt.

When I’m 64: Vegan Salted “Caramel Apple” Cider Cake

Uncle Mark is celebrating his 64th birthday and I baked him a cake to mark to occasion.  He hails from the beautiful north eastern town of New Canaan, Connecticut.  In New England, autumn is synonymous with the apple harvest.  Since he abhors anything chocolate, I created a cake inspired by his New Englander roots.

The cake has a delicious spice flavor, reminiscent of carrot cake, and paired nicely with the salted caramel frosting.  It turned out a little dryer than I had intended, but I’ve included an easy fix which will also impart more apple flavor.

Vegan Apple Cider Cake

Dry Ingredients: 2 1/2 cup 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 3/4 cup Brown Sugar 3/4 cup Sugar 1 1/2 cup Spiced Apple Cider 1/4 cup Applesauce 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, brown sugar, and sugar into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until well incorporated.  Whisk in apple cider, applesauce 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.

Spiced Cider Simple Syrup

1/2 cup Spiced Apple Cider

1/4 cup Sugar

Place ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat.  Slowly bring to a boil constantly stirring, reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  When cooled, brush syrup over cooled cake layers with a pastry brush until absorbed.

Vegan Dulce de Leche

(Based on recipe by Everyday Dish TV)  

1 jar Brown Rice Syrup

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar

2 tbs Earth Balance Vegan Margarine, melted

1/3 cup Soy Milk Powder

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch Salt

Take lid off of brown rice syrup jar and warm in a hot water bath or microwave. Mix melted margarine, vanilla, salt and soy milk powder to create a paste.  When the brown rice syrup is warm, pour into a deep bowl and add brown sugar.  Using a hand immersion blender, beat syrup and sugar until dissolved.  Add soy powder mixture and beat until well incorporated.  Allow to cool.

Salted Caramel Frosting

1/4 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine
3/4 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening
1/2 cup Dulce de Leche
2 tbs Soy Milk
3 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Mix in dulce de leche and soy milk until well incorporated.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Lastly, mix in vanilla and sea salt.
 

 

 

A votre santé: Vegan Mocha Valencia Cake w/ Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse Filling

My beautiful friend Lisa celebrated her "16th Part Deux" birthday party yesterday.  She and her husband Cody are fantastic cooks and know how to throw a party.  I wanted to make her a cake that looked more feminine to keep with the Sweet 16 theme, but with a more sophisticated flavor.

Chocolate and orange is one of my favorite flavor combinations and I'm surprised I haven't done it in a cake yet.  I get excited as holiday season approaches because I know I'm going to see those chocolate orange balls that you whack and break into delicious segments.  Developing the recipe was quite simple since all that was needed was to add orange flavor into the chocolate cake.  But to give it an air of sophistication complementing the lovely Lisa, I turned to my bottle of Grand Marnier to spike a silky chocolate mousse filling thereby adding another layer of chocolate orange divinity.  A simple coffee buttercream ties all the flavors together into one harmonious symphony of taste.

The cake turned out to be quite moist with a nice hint of orange and cognac.  Because of the pungent flavors of the coffee and liqueur, the cake wasn't very sweet and is perfect for the adult crowd.  Lisa thought it was my prettiest cake yet and everyone raved about this recipe.

Vegan Mocha Valencia Cake

Dry Ingredients: 2 1/2 cup 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 1 3/4 cup Water 1/4 cup Orange Juice, freshly squeezed 1/4 cup Apple Sauce 2 tsp Vanilla Extract  Zest of 1 Orange, finely grated

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, orange juice, apple sauce, vanilla, and orange zest 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.  

Chocolate Grand Marnier Mousse Filling

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

1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur

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). 

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening

3 cups Powdered Sugar

3 tbs Water

1 tbs Instant Coffee Granules

1 tsp Vanilla

Stir coffee granules in water to dissolve, reserve.  Using an electric hand mixer, cream margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar in stages.  Lastly, mix in coffee and vanilla.

Chocoholic: Vegan Chocolate Fantasy Cake

Today is my brother's 30th birthday.  He hasn't been a huge fan of Vegan cuisine, saying everything tastes "healthy."  The one recipe that has received his approval is for Vegan fettuccini alfredo, which I make chock full of delicious but healthy fats.  His birthday cake needed to be the richest most decadent recipe I could construct, without using any animal products.

When I think of rich desserts, my mind wanders to Max's Opera Cafe, winner of the most gluttonous desserts I've ever ordered.  One such dessert is the Max's Fantasy Torte, with it's rich chocolate cake, cloud-like chocolate mousse, and luscious cheesecake layers all covered in thick chocolate ganache.   This would be perfect for my brother, so I set out to Veganize this monstrous recipe.

I've been meaning to try out a Vegan cheesecake recipe and this cake gave me the perfect opportunity.  There are two versions of Vegan cheesecake I have found: baked and raw.  I decided on the latter because it meant less time at the oven, and because it is much more natural.  Baked Vegan cheesecake recipes that call for cream cheese and sour cream substitutes are full of transfats and I try my best to stay away from those foods.

Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco is a wonderful Raw Vegan establishment and they serve the most sinfully delicious raw "cheesecakes".  I was able to get my hands on one of their recipes, but it calls for Irish Moss, an ingredient I don't have experience cooking with.  There are a few recipes for raw cheesecake online that utilize coconut oil, so I decided to give one a try.  It was quite easy to make with only a handful of ingredients, but the end product does taste coconut-y.

I wouldn't say the coconut ruined the flavor of the cake.  Rather, it was a nice surprise.  My family said the cake tasted like an Almond Joy bar.  When I find the time, I will have to give the Cafe Gratitude recipe a try, and will update the Vegan Fantasy cake.  BTW, my brother enjoyed his birthday cake, but who wouldn't enjoy eating chocolate 3 different ways plus cheesecake?  For any of you self-confessed chocoholics out there, give this recipe a try.  You won't be disappointed.

Vegan Chocolate Fantasy Cake

Chocolate Cake Layer

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

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

Preheat oven to 320ºF.  Add vinegar to soy milk and reserve.  Stir egg replacer and 2 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 a 9-inch springform pan and bake for 27-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool. 

Chocolate Mousse Layer

(Adapted from Vegan Chocolate Mousse by Steph Davis)

1 box Firm Silken Tofu
10 oz Vegan Chocolate Chips, melted in double boiler
3 tbs Agave Nectar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

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).  Evenly spread half of the mousse over cooled cake and chill in the freezer to set while preparing cheesecake layer.  Store remaining mousse in the refrigerator to use as frosting. 

Cashew Cheesecake Layer

(Adapted from Raw Cashew Cheesecake by Whole Family Fare)

3 cups Raw Cashews (soaked overnight, drained and patted dry)
2/3 cup Agave Nectar
1/3 cup Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
1/3 cup Water
2/3 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Optional: 2 oz Vegan Cookie or Biscuit, processed to fine crumb (I used Trader Joe's Bistro Biscuits)

In a strong blender or food processor, blend cashews, agave, lemon juice, water and vanilla.  Slowly drizzle in coconut oil while blender is running until thoroughly combined and smooth.  Pour and evenly spread over chilled chocolate mousse layer and sprinkle cookie crumbs on top, if using.  Allow to set in freezer for 4 hours or overnight.  Invert onto a cake circle or cake plate, and frost with remaining chocolate mousse.  Store cake in refrigerator while preparing ganache. 

Chocolate Ganache 

6 oz Vegan Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Soy Creamer
1 tbs Earth Balance Vegan Margarine 

Place all ingredients in a double boiler, and melt over low heat constantly stirring until thoroughly combined.  Pour over chilled frosted cake.  Allow to set in refrigerator (10-15 min).