1/3 cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
11/2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon
mild vinegar
1 recipe
Chocolate Crème (page 134)
3 tablespoons
crushed chocolate cookies or
shaved chocolate for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and dust with cocoa powder.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes to activate the vinegar. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto another cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
To assemble the cake, carefully cut the cake horizontally into thirds using a cake leveler or knife. Spread one-third of the chocolate crème on top of the bottom layer and place the middle layer on top. Spread one-half of the remaining cream on that layer, then place the top layer on. Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake. Garnish with crumbled cookies or chocolate shavings. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 8 to 10
SPUMONI CAKE
This cake flavor was suggested by one of my recipe testers, Lee Ann. Once the idea was in my head, it wouldn’t leave. Seriously, spumoni cake? It’s brilliant! Chocolate, pistachios, and cherries come together in this cake, only to be topped off with the nectar of the presentation—it’s a square layered cake, made by cutting a 9 x 13-inch cake in half. It gives the appearance of a block of ice cream. Fluffy, cakey ice cream . . .
INGREDIENTS
3 cups
all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
salt
2 cups
organic granulated sugar
2 teaspoons
unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup
canola or other
mild vegetable oil
11/2 cups
nondairy milk
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE ADD-IN
3 tablespoons
nondairy milk
1/4 cup
baking cocoa, sifted
CHERRY ADD-IN
1/3 cup
pureed cherries
(fresh or frozen and thawed)
4 to 5 drops
red food coloring (optional)
PISTACHIO ADD-IN
1/3 cup
finely ground pistachios
2 tablespoons
nondairy milk
4 to 5 drops
green food coloring
(optional)
1 recipe
Cream Cheese Frosting
(page 137)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch pan and line with parchment paper, if using. If not using, be sure to grease and flour the bottom well.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the sugar, applesauce, and oil and mix until the sugar is thoroughly wet. Add the milk and vanilla and combine well. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Divide the batter among three bowls (it doesn’t need to be exact, eyeballing it is fine). Combine the chocolate ingredients (milk and cocoa) and gently incorporate into the batter in one of the bowls. Add the cherry puree and red food coloring, if using, to one of the other bowls. Combine the pistachio ingredients (pistachios, milk, and food coloring, if using) and gently incorporate into the final bowl. Drop alternating blobs of batter (about 2/3 cup at a time) into the prepared pan, until all the batter has been added. Using a butter knife, cut through the batter a couple of times to incorporate, but don’t overblend.
Bake for 38 to 43 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cherry sections will remain slightly more moist, so be sure to check a chocolate or pistachio part. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
To assemble the cake, cut the cooled cake in half, into 2 pieces 9 x 6.5 inches. You may also like to cut off the edges of the cake, to make the colors visible. Place one of the cake halves on your platter. Level as needed using a cake level or knife. Spread a generous smear of frosting on it and top with the other half of the cake. Spread the remaining frosting on top. Store the leftover cake covered in the refrigerator.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 12
BUBBIE’S CHUBBY TUXEDO CAKE
Named after my favorite black-and-white kitteh, this cake will please chocolate and vanilla lovers alike, and for those sandwich cookie folks—over the moon! It’s made from a vanilla cake sandwiched between two layers of chocolate cake, all held together with a delicious buttercream frosting, speckled with cookie bits. Soy milk works especially well in this cake, but you may choose another nondairy milk if you wish.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups
all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1/2 cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
2 cups
organic granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups plus 3 tablespoons
nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon
mild vinegar
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
1/4 cup
baking cocoa, sifted
11/2 recipes
Vanilla Buttercream (page 139)
1 cup
crushed sandwich cookies
plus extra for decoration
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round pans and line with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, preferably using an electric mixer, cream together the oil and sugar until combined. Add the 1 2/3 cups milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Let sit for a few minutes to activate the vinegar. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and the remaining 3 tablespoons milk. Transfer half the batter to another bowl, gently add the cocoa mixture, and mix until just combined. Pour the plain batter into one of the prepared pans and the chocolate batter into the other and spread evenly.
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans on cooling racks for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a butter knife and invert onto other cooling racks.
Make the buttercream as directed and then add the crushed cookies at the end. To assemble the cake, carefully split the chocolate cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom layer on your platter. Add a thick layer of frosting and top with the vanilla cake. If needed, level the top of the cake using a cake level or a knife. Smear another layer of frosting and top with the top chocolate cake layer. Level it if you’d like. Frost the top and sides with the remaining buttercream and decorate with the extra sandwich cookies as desired. Store leftover cake in a sealed container at room temperature.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 12
GLUTEN-FREE MONKEY MAPLE CAKE
Shhh . . . This delectable cake has a moist, flavorful crumb and lovely flavor combination, and no one will ever know it’s gluten-free. The combination of maple and banana
is heavenly, and it’s simple to throw together yet fancy enough to accept lots of praise for making. Don’t need gluten-free? Omit the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, and guar gum and replace with 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup
brown rice flour
1/2 cup
sorghum flour
1/2 cup
tapioca flour
1 teaspoon
guar gum
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1/3 cup
melted margarine
11/4 cups
organic granulated sugar
2 medium
ripe bananas, mashed, plus 1 or 2
bananas for garnish
¾ cups
nondairy milk
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 recipe
Maple Buttercream (page 142)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round pans and line with parchment paper, if using.
In a small bowl, combine the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, guar gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, preferably using an electric mixer, cream together the margarine and sugar until well incorporated and smooth. Add the mashed bananas and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread evenly.
Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans on cooling racks for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a butter knife and invert onto other cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting.
To assemble the cake, place one of the layers on a platter. If needed, level the top of the cake using a cake level or a knife. Spread with a healthy smear of buttercream and top with slices of the remaining bananas. Place the other layer on the bottom layer and level it if you’d like. Frost the top of the cake with the remaining buttercream. You might have enough left to do some decorating to dress it up. (See page 14 for more tips on frosting cakes.) Store leftover cake in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 8 to 10
SNICKERDOODLE CAKE
Essentially, this is a ’nilla cake recipe. Dressed up with some cinnamon and a crunchy sugar topping, you have yourself a serious winner.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups
all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
2 teaspoons plus 11/2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1/2 cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
2 cups
organic granulated sugar
3 tablespoons
unsweetened applesauce
11/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon
nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon
mild vinegar
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
1 recipe
Vanilla Buttercream (page 139)
3 tablespoons
coarse sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round pans and line with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, the 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and the salt. In a large bowl, preferably using an electric mixer, cream together the oil and sugar until combined. Add the applesauce, milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread evenly.
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans on cooling racks for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a butter knife and invert onto another cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
To assemble the cake, place one of the layers on a platter. If needed, level the top of the cake using a cake level or a knife. Spread with a healthy smear of buttercream. Place the other layer on top and level it if you’d like. Frost the sides and top with the remaining buttercream. You might have enough left to do some decorating, so gussy it up! Combine the coarse sugar with the remaining 11/2 teaspoons cinnamon and top the cake with the crunchy mixture. (See page 14 for more tips on frosting cakes.) Store leftover cake covered at room temperature.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 10 to 12
MATCHA MADE IN HEAVEN CAKE
Matcha powder is incredible but expensive! Save yourself the heart attack and see if you can get it in bulk so you can minimize the pain to the pocketbook while maximizing the pleasure in your belly. This recipe makes a two-layer cake, but you can make one thick layer, baking it for 38 to 42 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
11/2 cups
all-purpose flour
1 cup
organic granulated sugar
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1 teaspoon
baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1/3 cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
1/4 cup
unsweetened applesauce
1 cup
nondairy milk
1 teaspoon
matcha powder
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 cup
blueberries plus extra for garnish
1 recipe
Matcha Buttercream (page 141)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round pans.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, preferably using an electric mixer, combine the oil and applesauce. Add the milk, matcha, and vanilla and mix until combined. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Carefully fold in the blueberries with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread evenly.
Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pans on cooling racks.
To assemble the cake, loosen the edge of one of the layers with a butter knife and place on a platter. If needed, level the top of the cake using a cake level or a knife. Spread the top with a generous helping of buttercream. Remove the other layer from its pan, place on the bottom layer, and level it if you’d like. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. (See page 14 for more tips on frosting cakes.) Garnish with blueberries. Store covered at room temperature.
DIFFICULTY:
SERVINGS: 8 to 10
GERMAN GIRL SCOUT CAKE
Inspired by the classic German Chocolate Cake and the Girl Scouts’ Samoa cookies, this cake is a chocolate and coconut lover’s dream come true! Lowfat coconut milk is a nice option for the coconut spread.
INGREDIENTS
CAKE
11/2 cups
all-purpose flour
1/4 cup
baking cocoa (preferably
Dutch processed), sifted
1 cup
organic granulated sugar
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1 cup
nondairy milk,
at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon
mild vinegar
1/4 cup
chocolate chips, melted
&n
bsp; 1/4 cup
canola or other
mild vegetable oil
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
COCONUT SPREAD
2 tablespoons
cornstarch
1/3 cup
organic granulated sugar
¾ cup
nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
3 cups
unsweetened shredded
coconut
1 recipe
Chocolate Ganache
(page 133)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round pans and line with parchment paper.
To make the cake, in a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the milk and vinegar and let sit for a few minutes to activate the vinegar. Add the melted chocolate, oil, and vanilla, whisking well. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread evenly.
Have Your Cake and Vegan Too Page 7