Vegan Bakes

Our second in person event was Vegan Bakes, so the brief was to bake anything so long as it's vegan, and all the bakes were so impressive and tasty. Katie won Star Baker with her Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies, and below are some of the recipes and pictures.

Katie's Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

Spice mix:

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

Pinch of allspice

Cookies:

115g vegan butter

200g light brown sugar

1 tbsp arrowroot/cornstarch

1 tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla essence

190g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

150g good quality 70% dark chocolate

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.

Mix the arrowroot/cornstarch and water in a cup and then add to the bowl along with the vanilla essence and stir.

Sift the spice mix, baking powder and flour into the bowl, and fold. You may find it easier to use your hands to mix.

If you are using chocolate bars, cut into chocolate chip sized chunks and add. Stir so they are evenly distributed.

Using your hands, divide the mixture in four. Then divide each part into 4 golf sized balls. You should make 16 in total.

Place them onto the lined baking sheets (8 on each) making sure to leave enough room for each to spread. Gently push them down.

Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. They may still look soft and gooey in the middle but don’t be tempted to leave them in longer. They will set when cooling and give that perfect gooey texture inside.

Sprinkle each cookie with some sea salt.

For best results eat on the same day but they will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Maebh’s Vegan Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3-4 ripe bananas, mashed using a fork (about 325g)

100g light brown sugar

300g self-raising flour

1 tsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp baking powder

150ml sunflower oil

100g sultanas (optional)

50g chopped pecan nuts (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.

Put the mashed bananas in a large bowl and add the sugar, flour, mixed spice, baking powder, sultanas and pecan nuts (if using).

Mix lightly with a wooden spoon until roughly combined, then add the oil and beat together well.

Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 55-60 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out a little moist, but clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool for around an hour before serving.

Sam’s Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup soy or rice milk

1 tsp vinegar

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/160C fan/gas mark 4 and prepare a dozen muffin cups – either line a muffin pan or set out 20 paper liners nested inside foil liners on a baking sheet, or else use silicone muffin cups.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the soy/rice milk, vinegar, sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. In another bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, pausing two or three times to stir, and keep stirring until all the large lumps are gone.

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners until they are about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 20 mins. Cool on a wire rack.

If you like, make icing and decorate.

Jodie’s Carrot and Banana Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup (75g) sugar

½ cup (113ml) unsweetened almond milk

¼ cup (56ml) vegetable oil or warmed coconut oil

3 medium bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cup/338g)

3 carrots, grated (about 1 ¼ cup/125g)

¾ cup (86g) chopped walnuts

Icing sugar

Almond milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C/160C fan/ gas mark 4. Grease and line a loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix well.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, milk, and oil, and mix well to help the sugar dissolve.

Add the wet mixture and mashed bananas to the dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared loaf tin and, if you like, sprinkle some sugar and more chopped walnuts on top before baking.

Bake for 50 – 55 mins on the middle rack, rotate pan halfway through.

Let cool for 10 mins, remove from pan and let cool completely.

Make an icing with some icing sugar and almond milk and drizzle/pour over the top and let set.

Agieszka’s Tomato Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Tin of chopped tomatoes

Banana

Brown sugar

Vegetable oil

Flour

Cocoa powder

Cinnamon

Baking soda

Salt

Method:

Blend a tin of chopped tomatoes with a banana, 1/2 tin of brown sugar, 1/2 tin of oil. Then mix in 2 tins of flour, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, teaspoon of cinnamon, teaspoon of soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Pour into a tin and bake for around 45 minutes in 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.