The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [96]
Yield:
1 (9×13-inch) cake, 2 (9×2-inch)
round cakes, or 24 to 30 cup-
cakes
Prep time:
40 minutes
Bake time:
20 to 60 minutes
Serving size:
1 slice cake, or 1 cupcake
2⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose
flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
½ cup Vegan Buttermilk (recipe in
Chapter 2)
1 cup Florida Crystals or
unbleached cane sugar
Egg substitute for 3 large eggs
(Ener-G or Bob’s Red Mill works
best)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2⅓ cups (about 5 medium to large)
grated carrots
½ cup raisins (optional)
¼ cup unsweetened shredded
coconut (optional)
1 cup walnuts or toasted pecans,
finely chopped (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 1 (9×13-inch) baking pan or 2 (9×2-inch) round cake pans with nonhydrogenated shortening, tapping out excess flour. Or line 24 to 30 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together unbleached all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, or blend with a wire whisk.
3. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed, beat canola oil, Vegan Buttermilk, Florida Crystals, egg substitute, and vanilla extract for 1 or 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula.
4. Add grated carrots, and mix for 1 or 2 minutes or until well blended. Reduce speed to low, add ½ of dry ingredients, and mix well, scraping the bowl as needed. Add remaining dry ingredients, and mix for 1 or 2 more minutes until batter is nice and smooth with no lumps. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in raisins (if using) and shredded coconut (if using).
5. Pour batter into the prepared pans, or divide evenly among the cupcake tins, filling each cup ¾ full. Bake 9×13-inch cake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Bake round cake layers for 35 to 45 minutes. Bake cupcakes for 20 to 30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.
6. 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.
7. Frost with your choice of frosting (try Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting or Penuche Frosting, recipes in Chapter 21), and decorate the sides of round cake or top of 9×13-inch cake with chopped walnuts (if using). Or double-wrap in plastic and freeze.
VEGAN VOCAB
To fold is to combine a dense mixture with a light mixture using a circular action from the middle of the bowl. Don’t overmix; the idea is to keep some of the air in the batter so the cake isn’t heavy and tough.
Basic Yellow Cake
This soft, moist, and “buttery” yellow cake might be called “basic,” but you can consider it a blank canvas for extra-special desserts like Boston Cream Pie, or a refreshing Strawberry Cream Cake. Let the culinary artist in you emerge and create something delicious!
Yield:
1 (9×13-inch) cake, 2 (9×2-inch)
round cakes, or 24 to 30 cup-
cakes
Prep time:
40 minutes
Bake time:
20 to 45 minutes
Serving size:
1 slice cake, or 1 cupcake
3 cups cake flour
2 TB. cornstarch
1½ tsp. aluminum-free baking
powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine, softened
1½ cups unbleached cane sugar
Egg substitute for 3 large eggs
(Ener-G Egg Replacer or Bob’s
Red Mill works best)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1½ cup Vegan Buttermilk (recipe in
Chapter 2)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 1 (9×13-inch) baking pan or 2 (9×2-inch) round cake pans with nonhydrogenated shortening, tapping out excess flour. Or line 24 to 30 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
2. Into a large bowl, sift together cake flour, cornstarch, aluminum-free