Vegan Bakes
Hey guys! It was lovely seeing and meeting so many of you in person 🌟🌟🌟
The theme of our second (and last.. 😢) in-person challenge meetup of the semester was 'Vegan Bakes'!
It was Archie's delicious Rosemary, Thyme and Garlic Focaccia that won star baker! 🤤
Here are all of the amazing bakes...
Archie's Rosemary, Thyme and Garlic Focaccia
Ingredients
1¼ cup water
1 tsp granulated sugar
¼ oz packet (or 2¼ tsp) active dry yeast
3¼ cup all-purpose flour, more as needed
2 tsp kosher salt
½ cup olive oil
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
Flaky sea salt, to taste
Minced garlic, to taste
Method
Bloom Yeast
Add water to a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until lukewarm, about 40 seconds.
Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle over yeast and stir to combine.
Let sit until frothy, about 15 minutes.
For the dough
Grease a large bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil.
In another large bowl, add flour, salt, and 2 more tbsp olive oil. Pour in yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
Knead against the side of the bowl until dough comes together in a loose ball. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead until elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a greased bowl and toss to coat dough in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until twice the size, about 1 hour.
Baking the Focaccia
Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 400° F.
Grease a 9×13 baking sheet evenly with 2 more tbsp olive oil.
Lightly punch down the dough and transfer to a prepared baking sheet.
Press with your fingers to stretch and guide dough to the edges of the sheet. Make indentations all over as you go.
Drizzle top with 2 more tbsp olive oil and brush to coat. Sprinkle all over with rosemary, flaky salt, and garlic. For an even crunchier golden top, feel free to use more olive oil.
Bake until focaccia is puffy and golden, about 25 minutes.
Sam's Jammie Dodger Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
200ml of dairy-free milk
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
230g of self raising flour
100g of caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
60ml of sunflower oil
1 tablespoon of strawberry jam
6 Jammie Dodger biscuits
For the Raspberry Compote
100g of fresh / frozen raspberries
40g of caster sugar
1 tablespoon of cornflour / cornstarch
1 tablespoon of water
For the Buttercream
130g of dairy-free block butter*
150g of icing sugar
30ml of chickpea brine (aquafaba)*
Method
For the Raspberry Compote
Place the raspberries into a medium-sized saucepan and sprinkle over the sugar, cornflour / cornstarch and water.
Place on top onto the hob over a medium to high heat and bring to the boil. This will take around 5-8 minutes. Keep stirring with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to prevent the mixture from sticking and burning. It will start to turn thick. Once thick, remove from the heat and allow to cool before using. As it cools, it will thicken up even more and turn into a jellified sauce.
Store in a sealed container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. As the compote cools, it’ll turn thick. If this happens, give it a vigorous whisk before using.
For the Cake
Preheat your oven to 180ºC fan and line a 8 x 8 inch square cake tin with grease-proof paper. Allow the paper to hang over the tin, this makes it easier to remove the cake when baked.
In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
Pour the batter into the lined tin. Use a cranked pallet knife to smooth out the batter, making sure to get it into the corners of the tin. Tap the tin on the worktop one or two times to remove any air bubbles.
Add the strawberry jam into a piping bag, snip off the tip and pipe swirls of the jam all over the batter. Use the tip of a knife to swirl the jam around into the batter.
Top the cake with some Jammie Dodger biscuits, pressing the down slightly into the batter.
Pop the cake into the middle of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know it is done when you put a knife or skewer down the middle of the cake and it comes out clean and it’s springy to the touch. If batter comes off on the skewer, it needs more time to bake. To prevent burning, top the cake with some grease proof paper then return back into the oven.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool fully before frosting. You can even place the cake in a sealed container once cool then frost the day after. It’s a very light sponge so be careful with it when removing from the tin.
For the Buttercream
In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
Sift in the icing sugar. Whip on high speed for a couple of minutes to incorporate it
Pour in the aquafaba. Whip for 5 minutes until it turns light and creamy. Don’t over whip it or it can become too soft. If it does, just add in more icing sugar until it’s thick and creamy. The buttercream should be very light and airy. You can add more chunks of butter to get it to the right consistency.
Add in 2 heaped tablespoons of compote and whip to combine.
Dollop the buttercream on the sheet cake and use a cranked pallet knife / off set spatula to swirl it around.
Why not decorate the cake with more Jammie Dodgers and serve with some compote drizzled over the top? Slice and enjoy!
Chloe's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients
3 large black bananas
75ml vegetable oil or sunflower oil, plus extra for the tin
100g brown sugar
225g plain flour (or use self-raising flour and reduce the baking powder to 2 heaped tsp)
3 heaped tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon or mixed spice
150g dark chocolate chips
50g dried fruit or nuts (optional)
Method
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mash 3 large black peeled bananas with a fork, then mix well with 75g vegetable or sunflower oil and 100g brown sugar.
Add 225g plain flour, 3 heaped tsp baking powder and 3 tsp cinnamon or mixed spice, and combine well. Add 150g dark chocolate chips, and 50g dried fruit or nuts, if using.
Bake in an oiled, lined 2lb loaf tin for 20 minutes. Check and cover with foil if the cake is browning.
Bake for another 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool a little before slicing. It's delicious freshly baked, but develops a lovely gooey quality the day after.
Jodie's Chocolate and Pecan Brownies
Ingredients
5 tablespoons sunflower oil , plus extra for greasing
200 g dairy-free dark chocolate
170 g self-raising flour
3 heaped teaspoons cocoa powder
180 g golden caster sugar
sea salt
1 vanilla pod
230 ml unsweetened organic soya milk
200 g pecan nuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease a square baking tin (roughly 20cm) with a little oil, then line with greaseproof paper.
Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Break 150g of chocolate into the bowl and allow it to melt, then set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, sieve the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the seeds, then add them to the bowl. Stir in the oil, soya milk and melted chocolate until combined.
Roughly chop and stir in the remaining chocolate and most of the pecans, reserving a few for the top. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining pecans, then place into the hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked on the outside, but still gooey in the middle.
Leave to cool for around 5 minutes, turn out onto a wire cooling rack, then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you’re feeling extra indulgent.
Madeleine's Rosemary and Olive Oil Focaccia
Ingredients
500g strong bread flour , plus extra for dusting
7g dried fast action yeast
2 tsp fine sea salt
5 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for the tin and to serve
1 tsp flaky sea salt
¼ small bunch of rosemary , sprigs picked
Method
Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix the yeast into one side of the flour, and the fine salt into the other side. Then mix everything together, this initial seperation prevents the salt from killing the yeast.
Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tbsp oil and 350-400ml lukewarm water, adding it gradually until you have a slightly sticky dough (you may not need all the water). Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until your dough is soft and less sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
Oil a rectangle, shallow tin (25 x 35cm). Tip the dough onto the work surface, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins.
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples. Mix together 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp water and the flaky salt and drizzle over the bread. Push sprigs of rosemary into the dimples in the dough.
Bake for 20 mins until golden. Whilst the bread is still hot, drizzle over 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with extra olive oil, if you like.
Malik's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup white, oat, or spelt flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar, unrefined if desired (For no sugar, try these Breakfast Cookies)
1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2 tbsp milk of choice, plus more if needed
2 tbsp oil or melted vegan butter
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Method
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir in wet to form a dough – it will be dry at first, so keep stirring until a cookie-dough texture is achieved. If needed, add 1-2 tbsp extra milk of choice.
Form into one big ball, then either refrigerate at least 2 hours or freeze until the dough is cold.
Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 325 F.
Form dough balls, and place on a greased baking tray, leaving enough room between cookies for them to spread.
Bake 11 minutes on the center rack. They’ll look underdone when you take them out.
Let them cool on the baking tray 10 minutes before touching, during which time they will firm up.
If for whatever reason the cookies don't spread enough (climate can play a huge role), just press down with a spoon after baking. You can also choose to make extra cookie dough balls and freeze them to bake at a later date. I can only vouch for the flours listed, but feel free to experiment!
Maebh's Victoria Sponge Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
150g dairy-free spread, plus extra for the tins
300ml dairy-free milk, we used oat milk
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
300g self-raising flour
200g golden caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the filling
100g dairy-free spread
200g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
4 tbsp jam, we used strawberry
Method
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the bases of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment and grease with a little of the dairy-free spread.
Put the dairy-free milk into a jug and add the vinegar, leave for a few minutes until it looks a little lumpy. Put half of the vanilla seeds and all the other cake ingredients into a large bowl then pour over the milk mixture. Using electric beaters or a wooden spoon, beat everything together until smooth.
Divide the mix between your two tins then bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out cleanly. Leave them in their tins until cool enough to handle then carefully turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
While the cakes are cooling, make the filling. To make the vegan buttercream, whisk or beat together the dairy-free spread, icing sugar and remaining vanilla seeds until pale and fluffy. Dairy-free spreads do vary so if the spread you are using is quite soft try to avoid using electric beaters. Stir the ingredients together instead to avoid overworking it. However, if the mixture is too firm, use electric beaters to help lighten it and add 1-2 tbsp of dairy-free milk when whisking.
Spread the jam onto one of the cooled sponges, top with the buttercream then place the other sponge on top. Dust the assembled cake with a little icing sugar or caster sugar before slicing.
Becky's Gingerbread Biscuits with Lemon Icing
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup coconut oil, at room temperature
⅓ cup molasses
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, allspice, and salt into a bowl.
Cream coconut oil, molasses, and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer; add vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture; mix until a sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
Roll out dough on a floured surface to 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness. Dip cookie cutter in flour, cut out cookies, and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Kavita's Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Lemon Top
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup coconut cream
2 Tbsp cornstarch 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 heaping Tbsp lemon zest
1 pinch sea salt 1/4 cup maple syrup (I ended up using a lot more!)
For the Base
1 cup gluten-free oats
1 cup raw almonds
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp coconut sugar (I just used regular sugar)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
4-5 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
For the Candied Lemon
Lemon Slices
Water
Sugar
Method
Add raw cashews to a mixing bowl and cover with boiling hot water. Let rest for 1 hour (uncovered). Then drain thoroughly.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 165C fan and line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
For the Candied Lemon
Fill a pan/saucepan/wok (or whatever! as long as it’s got a large base) with 2 parts water and 1 part sugar, and bring to a boil.
Reduce to medium heat and let lemon slices simmer for 5 or so minutes.
Leave them to dry for a few hours — I let mine dry overnight — on parchment paper. (Note: they won’t harden up, they’ll stay sticky)
For the Base
Add oats, almonds, sea salt, and coconut sugar to a high speed blender and mix on high until a fine meal is achieved.
Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and add maple syrup and melted coconut oil, starting with lesser end of range (4 Tbsp or 60 g as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and adding more if it’s too dry. Stir with a spoon to combine until a loose dough is formed. You should be able to squeeze the mixture between two fingers and form a dough instead of it crumbling. If too dry, add a bit more melted coconut oil.
Transfer mixture to parchment-lined baking pan and spread evenly. Then place parchment paper on top and use a flat-bottomed object, such as a drinking glass, to press down firmly until it’s evenly distributed and well packed.
Bake for 15 minutes, then increase heat to 175 C and bake for 5-8 minutes more, or until the edges are golden brown and there is some browning on the surface. Remove from oven to cool slightly, then reduce oven heat to 165 C.
For the Lemon Top
Once cashews are soaked and drained, add to a high speed blender with coconut cream, arrowroot starch, lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt, and maple syrup. Mix on high until very creamy and smooth.
Taste and adjust flavour as needed. I ran out of maple syrup, so I added (quite a lot) more honey. It’s supposed to be very zingy!
Pour filling over the pre-baked crust and spread into an even layer. Tap on counter to remove any air bubbles.
Bake for 20-23 minutes or until the edges look very slightly dry and the centre appears “jiggly” but not runny.
Let rest for 10 minutes, and then gently squish the candied lemons into the top of the lemon bars.
Transfer to refrigerator to let cool completely (uncovered) – at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Cut and serve!