The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [95]
Individually decorated cake slices take between 20 to 30 minutes to thaw and need no special treatment while thawing. Simply leave slices on a plate to thaw on the counter.
Whole or partially decorated cakes, however, need extra care, especially if the cake is frosted with cream cheese frosting. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. Depending on the size of the cake, it could take several hours to completely thaw.
BAKER’S BONUS
For instant satisfaction later, slice the cake and freeze it in individual servings. This way, you can remove a piece from the freezer, defrost it, and enjoy it whenever the urge for birthday cake hits!
Yummy Vegan Cupcakes
Cupcakes are the best thing that ever happened to cake batter! Most of the following vegan cake recipes can be made into cupcakes without much fuss. The only additional equipment you need is cupcake pans and paper cupcake liners to bake them in. Cupcakes take less time in the oven, so be sure to read the directions carefully.
Mix and match the frostings, and decorate them any way you wish. Or eat them plain! They’re that good!
Spice Cake
Deliciously moist, this classy, quick-and-easy cake gets its spiciness from allspice, cinnamon, and cloves.
Yield:
1 (9×13-inch) cake, 2 (9×2-inch)
round cakes, or 24 to 30 cup-
cakes
Prep time:
30 to 40
minutes
Bake time:
20 to 50 minutes
Serving size:
1 slice cake, or 1 cupcake
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose
flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly
packed
⅔ cup canola or vegetable oil
2 TB. white or apple cider vinegar
2 cups lukewarm water
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking oil spray, or line 24 to 30 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners. If using 9×2-inch round cake pans, oil 2 pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together unbleached all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt, or blend with a wire whisk. Add light brown sugar, and blend with a wooden spoon or a whisk, breaking up lumps as needed.
3. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed, mix canola oil, white vinegar, and lukewarm water. Reduce speed to low, add ½ of dry ingredients, and mix well, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add remaining dry ingredients, and mix for 1 or 2 more minutes, scraping the bowl as needed, or until batter is nice and smooth with no lumps.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pans, or divide evenly among the cupcake tins, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake 9×13-inch cake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Bake round cake layers for 25 to 35 minutes. Bake cupcakes for 20 to 30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.
5. Cool 9×13-inch cake and cupcakes completely on wire racks before frosting or freezing. Cool round layers and cupcakes 10 minutes before loosening from the pans. Gently remove round layers and cupcakes from the pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Cool 9×13-inch cake in its pan.
6. Frost with your choice of frosting (try Penuche Frosting or Buttercream Frosting, recipes in Chapter 21), or double-wrap in plastic and freeze.
VEGAN VOCAB
Most commonly used as a thickener in gravies, soups, and puddings, cornstarch is sometimes blended with flour in cookies, cakes, and pastries to produce more tender—and some bakers swear—moister baked goods. Cornstarch, also called cornflour, is tasteless, imparting no flavor in anything you use it in.
Carrot Cake
This classic carrot cake is nice and spicy with cinnamon