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margarine, melted

½ tsp. grated lemon zest

¼ cup unbleached cane sugar

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×9-inch baking dish, or a similar-size casserole pan, with cooking oil spray.

2. In a food processor fitted with a cutting blade, grind Basic White Bread until you have fine breadcrumbs. Spread out on a baking sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

3. In a large bowl, combine apples, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup breadcrumbs, and apple juice concentrate. Pour into the prepared pan.

4. In the same bowl, combine melted vegan margarine, grated lemon zest, remaining ¾ cup breadcrumbs, remaining ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, remaining ¼ cup light brown sugar, unbleached cane sugar, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix until streusel is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of Brown Betty.

5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until filling begins to bubble up around the edges. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

BATTER UP!

Homemade breadcrumbs always taste better, but store-bought bread or breadcrumbs also work in this recipe. Always toast them first to not only crisp them, but also give them a toasty taste.

Part 6

Cakes and Cupcakes

You can’t leave yet! You’ve come to the sweetest chapters in the book. Pull up a chair and have a slice of the most decadent vegan “cheesecakes” you’ll ever taste. The Pumpkin Cheesecake, Chocolate Cheesecake, and New York—style Strawberry Cheesecake recipes are to die for. One bite, and you’ll think you’re in cheesecake heaven.

Or how about a piece of moist Carrot Cake with “cream cheese” frosting? You know you want to. Strawberry Shortcake, upside-down cakes, and Black Bottom Cupcakes—oh my goodness! And believe it or not, these desserts are all made without butter, eggs, cream cheese, or honey.

And to top it all off, you’ll be whipping up a lot of finger-licking-good frostings and icings for all the cakes and cupcakes you’re going to be topping. In Part 6, you also learn how to make and decorate simple cupcakes and double-layer cakes.

There’s no need to deprive yourself any longer. Have your way with these vegan dessert recipes, and enjoy! After all, life is uncertain, eat vegan dessert first!

Chapter 18

Have Your Vegan Cake and Eat It, Too

In This Chapter

• Tips for freezing cakes

• Doing double duty, from cakes to cupcakes

• Quick-and-easy single-layer sheet cakes

• Multi-layer cakes

Just because you’re vegan, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy baking and eating delicious cake. On the contrary, you can turn just about any cake recipe into a thing of beauty, but it has to taste good, too. There’s nothing worse than drooling over a gorgeous three-tier chocolate cake with buttercream frosting, only to bite into a heavy piece of bland cardboard with gritty brown icing.

Substituting vegan ingredients for the butter and egg in recipes can be a snap, but you need to be mindful of the necessary chemical reactions that have to take place to produce a cake with the right texture and taste. The recipes in this chapter have that covered. Plus, they’re healthier than store-bought baked goods, or recipes that come out of traditional cookbooks using animal-based products for leavening and flavor.

Freezing Layer Cakes

Most cakes freeze and thaw successfully. However, a few cakes should not be frozen. Cream-, custard-, and pudding-filled cakes are not freezer-friendly. Basic cakes frosted with buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or chocolate icing generally freeze well, provided you take the appropriate steps beforehand.

The best way to freeze cake layers is to leave them unfrosted, plain, and undecorated. After baking, let the cake layers cool completely. Double-wrap the layers with plastic wrap, and place in large zipper-lock bags. You can then store the layers in the freezer for up to 3 to 6 months and decorate them straight out of the freezer.

When wrapping a beautifully decorated