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5. Fold in vegan sour cream with a rubber spatula, making sure to incorporate well. Be careful not to overmix.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, and gently turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7. In a small bowl, mix vegan confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice with a spoon until smooth. Drizzle icing over cake, and let dry before serving.

VEGAN VOCAB

Vegan sour cream is a unique blend of tofu, lemon juice, oil, vinegar, and salt that, when blended together, makes a product very similar to regular dairy yogurt. It can be substituted in most recipes that call for sour cream with good results.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Dark cocoa, brown sugar, and soy milk combined with hot water produces a gooey pudding that makes this chocolaty dessert simply irresistible!

Yield:

1 (8×8-inch) cake

Prep time:

15 to 20 minutes

Bake time:

45 to 50 minutes

Serving size:

1 piece

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¾cup unbleached cane sugar

2 TB. plus ¼ cup natural cocoa powder

½ cup soy milk

2 TB. canola oil

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

(optional)

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly

packed

1¾ cups hot water

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 1 (8×8-inch) baking pan or casserole dish with cooking oil spray.

2. In a medium bowl, and with a wooden spoon, mix together unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, unbleached cane sugar, and 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder. Add soy milk, canola oil, and walnuts (if using), and mix well. Spread cake batter in the baking dish. Batter will be very thick, and you might need a spatula to spread it.

3. In the same bowl, mix light brown sugar and remaining ¼ cup natural cocoa powder, and sprinkle it evenly over cake batter.

4. Pour hot water over batter very slowly, being careful not to disturb batter. Do not stir in water. Let water sit on top in a puddle.

5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Do not overbake. Pudding will be jiggly but will set up as it cools.

6. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool with vegan whipped topping or vanilla rice ice cream.

BATTER UP!

This cake magically makes its own pudding as it bakes. The preparation is a little strange, in that the hot water sits on top of the batter in a messy, gooey puddle. Do not be tempted to stir it in. This is not a mistake. As the pudding bakes, the water mixes with the batter and forms its own rich, chocolate pudding, just like magic!

Chapter 19

Cheesecakes and Shortcakes

In This Chapter

• Perfect vegan cheesecakes

• Sweet and satisfying shortcakes

• Unbelievable upside-down cakes

Ahhh, cheesecake! One of the basic food groups for sure. But what do vegans eat when the craving for cheesecake hits? How do they get their cheesecake fix without straying from their diet?

Well, cheesecakes can be made vegan, but generally speaking, most vegan cheesecakes are gummy and tasteless. No more! Whether you’re a vegan or not, this chapter will change your mind and make a vegan cheesecake-lover out of you!

Making the Perfect Vegan Cheesecake

Have you ever made cheesecake before? If you have, you’ve more than likely lamented, “Why did my cheesecake crack?!” Followed by, “Now how do I fix it?” You’re not alone. This is one of the most common cheesecake complaints—and a reason some bakers can’t be bothered to make cheesecakes. But if you follow the tips and tricks I share with you in the following pages, you’ll soon be making the best vegan cheesecakes ever.

The vegan cheesecake recipes in this chapter rely on alternative products to mimic the taste and texture of full-fat dairy cream cheese and sour cream. With the addition of soy-based cream cheese, real-tasting cheesecake is now possible. Thank goodness for tofu!

But what