Recipe: A Pistachio Cake for Claire.

Recipe: A Pistachio Cake for Claire. A couple of weeks back one half of S+S got married and we were all asked to bring a cake to the party…  I decided to try a cake that had caught my eye in a new vegan recipe book but give it a little bit of a twist. This is my version of their totally delicious pistachio cake!

The book itself is a must have for any veggie or vegan food enthusiast and is jam packed full of great info about how to make vegan alternatives to things like eggs as well as fantastic recipes!

You will need:

160ml vegetable oil

250g caster sugar

180ml soya yoghurt

1tsp vanilla extract

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

100g shelled pistachio nuts finely chopped or blended

200g self raising flour

30g cornflour

1tsp baking powder

2tsp ground cardamon

1/4 tsp sea salt

120ml soya milk

fig preserve for in between the layers (our cake was 3 layers!)

Method: heat oven at 160 oC and line a cake tine with grease proof paper. Beat together oil and sugar until well combined (I did all the mixing in my food processor) Add the yoghurt,vanilla, and orange zest next.

In a separate bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. Now slowly add them to the wet mixtures mixing well as you go and alternating adding a little soya milk at the same time. spoon into your cake tin and bake for 45-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

For the icing. I made a coconut cream icing by whisking together 2 tins of coconut (the solid bit from the top of a tin of Thai coconut milk) and 400g icing sugar. I then added a few drops of bright turquoise food colouring gel and left it to chill in the fridge for an hour or 2.

Lastly I layered the sponges up with fig conserve to stick them together and spread a thick layer of icing all over the tower of sponges. It was great fun to make!

Recipe - Vegan Fig And Almond Tart

There are lots of juicy figs around at the moment so why not grab a couple and make this simple delicious vegan frangipan style tart. Its not too sweet but fruity and creamy! This one didn't last very long... eaten whilst still warm is best.

For the pastry:
100g Pure sunflower spread (or other similar dairy free spread)
250g plain white flour
2 tbsp cold water

Filling:
50g Pure
50g golden caster suger
125g ground almonds
a few drops vanilla extract

2/3 ripe figs

pre heat your oven at 175oC

Rub the spread into the flour until crumb like, add water and mix well. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Next roll the pastry out thinly and line a tray with parchment, cut your pastry to fit and place it int the tray. Blind bake for 5-10 minutes

Cut your figs into rough slices and set aside... try not to eat them!mmm

To make the almond filling mix ground almond with butter and then stir in sugar and vanilla. Once the tart case is bling bakes use the back of your spoon to spread it roughly onto your lovely slightly golden pastry. Layer the fig slices on top and pop into your oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top with juicy figs!

Sunday Bake - Cocoa Beetroot Cup Cakes with Coconut Icing

This recipe combines two of my best things, cake + veg. Its vegan, gluten free and topped with the best  coconut creme frosting.

For the cake:

175g Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour
1tsp xanthem gum
1tsp Agron no egg
2tsp cocoa or cacao powder
1 medium sized fresh betroot peeled and grated (approx 50g)
100g golden caster sugar
100g dairy free butter spread, eg Pure
100ml almond milk

Icing:
1 tin coconut milk (full fat)
3tblsp icing sugar

electric balloon whisk

Pre heat your oven at 175oC. Place sugar and spread in a mixing bowl and whizz till fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa,  gum and no egg and sift in to the bowl together little at a time adding a splash of almond milk as the mixture thickens. Stir in the beetroot and watch your batter go a lovely pink colour!

Spoon mixture into a greases and lined muffin tin and bake for 20 mins. Whilst the cakes are baking whisk together your coconut milk and icing sugar, cover and place in the fridge until your cakes are baked and cooled. Spoon a generous amount of coconut cream onto each cake before devouring!

Inspiration - Pomp De Franc Cake Society

This weekend's Sunday Bake isnt strictly vegan or made by me but a very talented designer/maker/baker who I studied alongside at Brighton University a few years back! Katie Franklin owns the amazing bakery Pomp De Franc Cake Society in East London UK where she makes cupcakes inspired by catwalk collections and giant teared cakes which combine whit, whimsy and design savvy not to mention a celebrity clientele. Each cake big or small is a masterpiece! I'm sure if you asked nicely she'd create a vegan recipe.

 All images from http://www.pompdefranc.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/pompdefranccakesociety

Sunday Bake - Very Chocolaty Cocoa and Brazil Nut Cakes (vegan)

Don't be put off by the petite portion size of these baked treats a small bite packs a seriously chocolaty punch!

You will need:

250g self raising flour

200g golden caster sugar

6 fl oz rapeseed oil
1oz cocoa powder
2tsp white vinegar
a handful of roughly chopped brazil nuts
100g 70% or 80% or other vegan dark chocolate

Melt your choc in a bowel over a pan of boiling water and set to one side. In a large mixing bowl beat together sugar and oil with a balloon whisk. Stir in vinegar. Next sift together cocoa and flour slowly folding in a little at a time. Once combined add melted chocolate and beat in for a minute. If the mixture is too thick pour in approx 100ml of warm water until you get a slightly thinner consistency. Lastly add chopped nuts.

Pre heat oven at 175oC. Now grease and line a deep muffin tray and spoon in the mixture until just below the top of the tine line. Bake for 20/25 mins and then leave to cool on the side for 5 mins. Using a sharp knife slice around the edges to free each cake from its mould and place on a plate to cool totally. Dust with a little icing sugar and eat. slowly as they are super rich!

Sunday Bake - Fresh Beetroot and Cocoa Cake (Vegan)

For the first of hopefully many vegan recipe posts i'd like to share with you this juicy cake I baked after picking up a hug carrier bag of fresh beets (for £1!) at the veg stall Sunday just gone.

I have always been a fan of free-styling a baking recipe. Actually the same could be said for cooking in general. It usually starts with me finding a lovely recipe online but not having all the right ingredients...

Having become vegan about 6 months ago now I am also still getting to grips with replacing eggs or dairy in my baking and have struggled up until I found a blog that recommended using ripe bananas instead- genius! Unless you hate bananas.

You will need:

1 medium fresh beetroot peeled & grated
100g brown caster sugar
2/3 ripe bananas
150g vegan margarine style spread
250g self raising flour
3tsp (heaped) cocoa or cacao powder

For the 'cream cheese icing'

1 tub Tofutti original
5/6 tblsp icing sugar

Preheat your oven at 170oC. Put marg' bananas and sugar into a big bowl and mix together with a stick blender until fully combined. The mixture may look a little curdley but that just seems to be the way it goes so don't worry. Next sieve together the flour and cocoa a little at a time mixing in well at intervals. Lastly fold in grated beetroot! spoon out half and half into two medium round sandwich tins and bake for 20/30 mins or until no traces are left on a knife when stabbing the sponge.

Whilst these are cooking make the filling/icing...

Place the whole tub of Tofutti into a small ish bowl with the icing sugar and mix well! Cover and keep at room temperature until the cake is cooled and ready to be finished.

Once your cakes are cooled spread the filling mixture generously onto one half of the cake and place the other on top.

A perfect afternoon cake! Or if you are like me also good for a late breakfast...