Chocolate Cake with Berry Filling - Vegan

An incredibly simple and delicious chocolate cake. Moist, light and soy-free if you say so.



Basic Chocolate Cake
makes one 8-inch round layer cake or 2 dozen standard cupcakes

2.25 C AP flour
.75 C cocoa powder (a blend of dutch and regular rocks)
1 T baking powder
.25 t ground cinnamon

.5 C canola oil
1 2/3 C sugar

.5 t apple cider vinegar
2 C non-dairy milk*, measured over the vinegar
1 T vanilla extract

*coconut milk works quite well, but a blend of soy and almond milks is fantastic

Preheat the oven to 350 and oil two 8-inch round pans or line pans for 2 dozen cupcakes.


Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, powder, cinnamon and pepper and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the oil and sugar until lighter in color and texture, scraping the bowl once or twice. With the mixer running on low speed, incorporate the flour mixture; process until well combined, scraping the bowl once. Add the milk mixture and vanilla and mix on low, scraping the bowl once, until well integrated.

Portion into pans and bake 30-40 minutes for rounds, 22-26 minutes for cupcakes. The cakes are ready when they spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pans 15 minutes, cupcake pans 5 minutes, before unmolding. Cool completely before frosting.



Chocolate Coating


5 oz semisweet chocolate, chips or finely chopped
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chips or finely chopped
6 fl oz non-dairy milk

1 t vanilla extract

Combine chocolates in a heatproof bowl.

Heat the milk to boiling in the microwave and pour over chocolate. Stir just to distribute the milk through the chocolate pieces and let stand, without stirring further, for 5 minutes. Starting in the center, stir the chocolate into the milk until the mixture begins to become cohesive. Increase stirring radius to homogenize the mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Let cool til slightly thickened but not set before using.

Assembling the cake

1 recipe basic chocolate cake, baked in 8-inch rounds, sliced to level as needed
(if you prepared as 2 rounds, split to make 4, prepared as 3 rounds, let them be)
.5-.75C raspberry-blackberry preserves (depending on number of layers)
1 recipe chocolate coating, cooled slightly

Place one layer of cake, cut side up, on serving platter. Spread .25C of preserves evenly over cake, stopping about .25-inch short of the edge all around. Place second layer on top of coated first. Repeat the application of preserves on this round once or twice more, depending on layer number, taking care to position the final layer cut side down. The final layer should not have preserves on top.

Pour the chocolate coating onto the center of the top layer, letting the chocolate distribute itself over the cake. Egg on as needed, but do not overwork the coating. Wipe excess coating from servign platter as desired.

If desired, let the leftover coating set further until it is pipable and use a paper cone to decorate the cake top.

Kliene Apfelkuchen - Vegan, Wheat Free

A slightly sweet cake with a spiced sugar and apple topping. Both the conventional and wheat free varieties are easy as all get out to prepare. Consider subbing in pears for the apple, or chopping either fruit to a small dice and folding the pieces directly into the batter, as I've done for the GF cupcakes.



Kliene Apfelkuchen
makes one 10" cake or a dozen cupcakes

for the cake
1 C AP flour
.5C white whole wheat flour
or
1.25 C oat flour
.25 C brown rice flour
1 T potato starch

2 t baking powder
.5 C non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
.5 C sugar
1/8t apple cider vinegar
.5 C non-dairy milk, measured over the vinegar
.5 C unsweetened applesauce

for the topping
2 medium baking apples (rome, cortland, empire, etc)
1 T lemon juice
.25 C light or dark brown sugar
.25 t coriander
.25 t cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350ºF for the wheat version, 325ºF for the wheat free. Oil pan(s) or line with paper cups.

Slice the apples to about 1/8" thickness and place in a microwave-safe bowl with lemon juice and water, turning to coat the pieces. Nuke on high 45-60 seconds. Remove from microwave and set aside. If making cupcakes, it is desireable at this point to chop the apple more finely to better fit the smaller cake.

Combine remaining topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream together the margarine and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Incorporate the milk and applesauce at low speed. Scrape the bowl down before sifting in the flours and baking powder. Mix at low speed just until combined.

Portion the batter into prepared pan or baking cups. Arrange apple slices on top of cake in concentric circles and spread topping evenly over the fruit. For the cupcakes, divide the apple pieces between cupcakes and top each with a tablespoon of topping. Alternatively, fold the diced small pieces into the batter, portion as above and top with brown sugar only.

Bake 30-40 minutes for the cake, 15-25 for the cupcakes. The kuchen are ready when the internal temperature exceeds 190ºF and/or a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans 10-15 minutes before unmolding. Let cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Cinnamon Buns & Banana-Walnut Cinnamon Buns - Vegan

Not-too sweet rolls with a cinnamon-rich brown sugar filling and a four-ingredient frosting - best breakfast around. Even more delicious is the Banana Walnut Filling, way down there at the bottom of the post.




Cinnamon Buns
makes an 8-inch round of 9 rolls

The recipe may seem complicated on first review, but you’ll find that the process itself is not highly demanding. Making the rolls the day or night before you intend to eat them (see the “overnight rolls” note) makes everything even easier.

the dough
1 C WWW flour
2 T sugar
1 t yeast
.5 C water, 110ºF

1.5 C AP flour
1 t salt
2 T canola oil
3 T water

water and AP flour as needed

the filling
2 T non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
4 T sugar
1 t molasses
.5 t brown rice syrup
pinch salt
2 t ground cinnamon

the topping
2 T non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
1 T non-dairy milk
.5 t vanilla extract
1-2 C confectioner’s sugar


the method
Combine .5 C water and the WWW flour with the yeast and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and let stand, covered, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Fit bowl into mixer and attach dough hook. Add remaining ingredients and mix on medium-low until combined, incorporating more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed to create soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a springy, slightly tacky dough forms, about 10-15 minutes, adding more flour to the dough and surface as needed. Form dough into a round and turn to coat lightly in flour. Place the round on a clean plate or sheet pan and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Meanwhile, oil an 8-inch round cake pan. Also, prepare the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients except for the margarine in a small bowl. Use a fork or spoon to work the mixture into a uniform, slightly pasty, brown sugar. Set aside.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press evenly with knuckles to disrupt and evenly distribute air pockets. Use a rolling pin to form the dough into a rough rectangle of about 8”x16”, with the long side parallel to your body. Brush the melted margarine over the rectangle, leaving a .75” border on the long side farthest from you. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the margarine and pat down lightly. Roll the dough tightly away from you so that the edge without the margarine forms the outer seam of the roll; press this seam to seal. Cut the roll into thirds, and each third into thirds, forming a total of 9 pieces. Fit the buns into the prepared pan and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap.

Let rise 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove plastic wrap and bake rolls 30-50 minutes, until the internal temperature of the rolls reaches 180ºF and the tops of the rolls are golden brown*. Remove from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting. Use a fork to whisk together the margarine, milk and vanilla. Add as much confectioner’s sugar as is needed to form the correct consistency; a thicker frosting will sit higher on the top of the roll, which a thinner icing will seep into all the nooks and crannies.

Turn the round out onto a wire rack and then transfer, right side up, to a plate for serving. Pour or spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve immediately.

Unfrosted rolls will keep a day or two, but frosted rolls will be a bit off after a couple of hours.


*depending on the thickness of the dough and the type of filling used, it may be necessary to cover the rolls with foil while they are baking to ensure they are cooked through without burning them. If the rolls seem to be browning too quickly, cover tightly with a sheet of foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking. Remove the foil in the last minute to avoid sogginess.



Banana-Walnut Rolls
Throw some toasted chopped walnuts on the frosted rolls for style and crunch.

the filling
2 T non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
4 T sugar
1 t maple syrup
.5 t brown rice syrup
pinch salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1 banana, thinly sliced
.5 C walnuts, lightly toasted

Combine the sugar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, salt and cinnamon to form a pasty brown sugar. Spread three quarters of this mixture over the dough after you’ve spread the margarine as directed in the recipe. Evenly distribute the banana slices and walnuts over the covered dough before sprinkling the remaining sugar mixture over top. Proceed with the recipe.

With this filling in particular, it may be necessary to cover the rolls with foil during the final 10-15 mintues of baking to prevent burning. The overall baking time may also increase by up to 10 minutes. Be careful when taking the temperature of the dough not to hit the filling, as the banana may appear to be uncooked dough.


overnight rolls
After fitting the rolls to the pan and covering, place the pan in the refrigerator overnight, up to 24 hours. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 2 hours prior to baking time. Proceed with baking instructions.

Lori's Zucchini Bread - Vegan

This bread has been in the family for quite some time now, and the end of summer seemed a good time for veganisation. That, and I was jonesing for the deliciously moist and sweet top crust.



3 C AP flour
1.25 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon

2 C sugar
2/3 C oil
1 t salt

6 T flaxseed meal
.5 C water
1 T vanilla
.25 C non-dairy milk

2 C finely shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans (preferrably glass) with non-stick cooking spray.

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk together the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream together the oil, sugar and salt until lighter in color and somewhat fluffy. With mixer on low speed, beat in the flaxseed mixture, vanilla and milk. Add the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Add the zucchini and beat 1 minute on medium-low speed.

Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans and bake, 40-60 minutes, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.



The mixing method described above works just fine; however, I've been using another method I brought home from work. Once I determine the legality of sharing it, I shall.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - Macrobiotic

rich and sweet, as cookies should be.



Macro Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
makes about one dozen cookies

.5 C brown rice syrup
.25 C canola oil
.25 C non-dairy milk
1 T flaxseed meal
.5 t salt

.5 C whole wheat or whole wheat white flour
.25 C almond meal
.5 t baking soda
.5 t cinnamon

2/3 C raisins
1.5 C old fashioned/rolled oats

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Combine the first set of ingredients in a large bowl, whisking til well combined. Add the second set of ingredients and stir to incorporate. Stir in the raisins and oats.

Scoop 2 T portions of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten to about .5-inch with the palm of your hand. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and slightly crisp around the edges. Cool 2 minutes on pan before removing (with paper) to wire rack to cool completely.

Cherry-Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies - Vegan

makes 10 large cookies

Hearty, soft and slightly cakey, these cookies have an mellow coconut flavor with a tart cherry counterpoint. With some dark or white chocolate chunks, these cookies could rule the world.




Cherry-Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies
makes 8-10 large cookies

.25 C oil
.5 C sugar
.5 t blackstrap molasses
.25 t salt

6 T unsweetened coconut milk
1 t vanilla extract

.75 C flour
.5 t baking powder
.5 t ground cinnamon

1.5 C old fashioned or rolled oats
.5 C dried cherries, chopped
.5 C shredded unsweetened coconut


Preheat oven to 350ºF

Sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and set aside. Toss the chopped cherries in 1 t of the flor mixture and set aside.

Cream together the oil, sugar, molasses and salt until lightened and fluffy. Scrape down the mixing bowl before incorporating the coconut milk and vanilla on medium-low speed. Scrape the bowl again.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture in two batches, mixing until just combined. Scrape the bowl before adding the oats, cherries and coconut with the mixer running on low just until they're incorporated.

Use a scoop or .25 C measure to portion out onto parchment-lined sheet pans. Press each cookie to flatten them to about .25-inch. Bake 14-18 minutes, rotating halfway through, until light golden brown and springy when lightly pressed. Let cool 2 minutes on pans before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut Cream Pie with Pecan Crust - Vegan

Makes one 9-inch or four 4-inch pies

Light coconut flavor, creamy custard, fluffy whipped cream, crispy nutty crust and just a bit of dark chocolate.

Pecan-Wheat Germ Press-In Pie Crust

1.25 C pecans, ground
.5 C raw wheat germ
2 T sugar
2 T AP flour
1 T lightly toasted unsweetened coconut
.25 t salt
3 T non-hydrogenated margarine

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a food processor, process pecans to a medium grind – some larger and smaller pieces are fine. Be careful not to overprocess to nuts into a paste. Add the remaining ingredients except for chocolate and pulse until just combined.

Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate (four 4-inch mini-pie plates). Bake 20-25 (12-25) minutes or until light golden brown and slightly aromatic. Cool completely.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate and drizzle or brush over the bottom of the tart shell. Let set at least 15 minutes or chill in refrigerator for at least 5 minutes before filling.


Coconut Pastry Creme
modified from the vegan chef

.25 C unbleached AP flour
.25 C garbanzo bean flour
2 C coconut milk
.5 C sugar
pinch fine ground white pepper
pinch turmeric
pinch of salt
2 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla

In a small bowl, make a slurry of the flours and .5 C milk and set aside.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the remaining milk, sugar and salt. Whisk to incorporate the flour mixture into the liquid ingredients.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4-6 minutes. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and continue cook and additional minute. Remove from heat and transfer crème to a clean bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper, pressing the cover to the top of the crème to prevent skin formation. Cool completely before using.


Assembly

soy or rice whipped cream
baked, chocolate brushed pie shell
coconut pastry creme

Stir creme to loosen it up before folding in .5 C of whipped cream. Spread lightened creme into prepared shell. Decorate top of pie with remaining whipped cream (a simple starpoint pattern or wavy lines look lovely). Dust the top with cinnamon, drizzle with melted unsweetened chocolate or sprinkle on some toasted unsweetened shredded coconut. Chill for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cover with plastic wrap if reserving for a longer period, up to a day in the refrigerator.