Vegan Cakes Made Simple
By Lois Dieterly
Most people think of baked goods without "all that good stuff" — meaning butter, eggs, and milk — as being tasteless, dull, and otherwise not worth eating. But, with the right ingredients, they can be just as scrumptious as their non-vegan cousins.
It is a cinch to omit dairy products from puddings, pies, cookies, brownies, and "cheesecakes" because texture is not a problem. Also, they are required to rise very little, if at all. Cakes are perhaps the most difficult dessert items to "veganize." Probably the hardest hurdle for me to surmount when I started to experiment with vegan cakes was the texture. The cakes that I created were either too heavy in consistency or too dry. Even now, as I travel around the United States and Canada — sampling all the vegan goodies, of course! — I find that many of them are either very dense or too dry. I have found that the addition of flax flour or ground flax seeds helps with the consistency. Adding puréed fruit is also a good egg or oil substitute; however, this is how many cakes become too moist and heavy. I use applesauce in some of my recipes but in moderation.
The milk in a recipe is easy to replace. There are many choices of commercially prepared non-dairy milk substitutes. I usually use soymilk. If the recipe is light in flavor, such as a vanilla cake, I sometimes use the vanilla-flavored soymilk instead of plain. Rice milk is another choice. It is more watery than the soymilk and will produce a thinner batter. Soymilk makes a richer batter. Almond milk and other nut milks are also fine when making a vegan cake. Experiment and use what you like best.
Soy margarines are a good substitute for the butter that is found in most cake recipes. Some brands of soy margarines, such as Spectrum, are made with non-hydrogenated oils and are therefore healthier than many other soy margarines. I like to use Spectrum in my vegan recipes when I feel there must be a butter-like substance. It comes in a tub and has a soft consistency so that softening it before using is not necessary.
Vegan icings can actually be easier to make than traditional icings. I was never very good at the butter, powdered sugar, and milk icings. They always got too thin and tasted too sweet. Vegan icings can be simple when whipped tofu is used as a base. Whipped tofu looks like icing even before anything else is added. A food processor is a must when whipping tofu. If you do not own one, perhaps you can borrow one for an evening. It's worth the effort. Then, just add a little maple syrup or sweetener of your choice and a splash of vanilla, and you have a delicious icing.
The Creamy Tofu Frosting recipe that is included in this article can be used as a base for many flavors of icings. You may want to make a raspberry icing to top a chocolate cake — just add fresh raspberries if in season or some raspberry jam. Voila!!! Raspberry icing! Cherry is just as easy. Use your imagination! Have fun as you experiment with vegan baking. You will be pleased with the delicious results!
Mango Cake
(Serves 12)
- Non-stick vegetarian cooking spray
- 3/4 cup vegan soy margarine
- 1-1/4 cups maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-1/2 cups mango juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a bowl, allow margarine to soften to room temperature or soften in microwave. (If you cannot find soy margarine, any vegan margarine will work.) Do not melt. Slowly add maple syrup and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix.
In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine. Alternately add flour mixture and mango juice to maple/margarine mixture. Mix well.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting suggestion: Creamy Tofu Frosting with coconut sprinkled on top
Note: Mango juice is available at most health foods stores and some grocery stores. If you cannot find it in your area, any fruit juice may be substituted, depending on your taste. Be sure that whatever you choose is 100 percent juice to make a more natural, healthy cake.
| Total calories per unfrosted slice: 403 | Fat: 12 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 68 grams | Protein: 6 grams |
| Sodium: 514 milligrams | Fiber: <1 gram |
Vanilla Cake
(Serves 12)
- Non-stick vegetarian cooking spray
- 3/4 cup vegan soy margarine
- 1-1/4 cups maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 4-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-1/2 cups non-dairy milk of choice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Allow margarine to soften to room temperature, or soften in microwave. (If you cannot find soy margarine, any vegan margarine will work.) Do not melt. Slowly add maple syrup and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix.
In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to maple/margarine mixture. Mix well.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting suggestions: Chocolate Frosting or Peanut Butter Frosting
| Total calories per unfrosted slice: 393 | Fat: 13 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 63 grams | Protein: 7 grams |
| Sodium: 513 milligrams | Fiber: 0 grams |
Gingerbread Cake
(Serves 12)
- Non-stick vegetarian cooking spray
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 4-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-1/2 cups non-dairy milk of choice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine maple syrup and molasses, and add to oil. Add vanilla and mix. In another bowl, combine spices, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine. Alternately add flour mixture and soymilk to maple/molasses mixture. Mix well.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting suggestions: Creamy Tofu Frosting or Soy Cream Cheese Glaze
| Total calories per unfrosted slice: 414 | Fat: 13 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 67 grams | Protein: 7 grams |
| Sodium: 390 milligrams | Fiber: <1 gram |
Wheat-free Carrot Cake
(Serves 12)
- 3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
- 1-1/4 cups rice flour
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum*
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup water
- 4 teaspoons flax flour or ground flax seeds
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-1/4 cups maple syrup
- 2 cups grated carrots (preferably organic)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together bean flour, rice flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Make a slurry** with the water and flax flour. To the water/flax mixture, add applesauce, oil, vanilla, and maple syrup. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. Add carrots and pour into a 9" springform pan*** or a greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. Cool completely before icing.
Frosting suggestions: Creamy Tofu Frosting topped with ground walnuts or Soy Cream Cheese Glaze dribbled onto a springform bundt mold.
Notes:
*Xanthan gum is used to hold baked goods together, especially in recipes that have no eggs in them.
**A slurry is a thin mixture of liquid, usually water, and a finely ground substance.
***A springform pan is a round pan with straight sides that expand with the aid of a spring or clamp. The pan's bottom detaches so that cakes may be removed by simply releasing the pan's sides.
| Total calories per unfrosted slice: 368 | Fat: 20 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 45 grams | Protein: 4 grams |
| Sodium: 327 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
(Serves 8)
- Non-stick vegetarian cooking spray
- 3 medium bananas (the riper, the sweeter)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
- 2 Tablespoons whipped tofu
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 teaspoons flax flour or ground flax seeds
- 3/4 cup water
- 2-1/2 cups oatmeal (ground into a fine flour in a blender or food processor)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (available at health foods stores)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8" round cake pan or springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mash bananas in medium bowl with fork. Add maple syrup, applesauce, whipped tofu, and vanilla. In another bowl, make a slurry with flax flour and 3/4 cup water. Add flax/water mixture to banana mixture.
In another bowl, mix oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix just to combine. Add chocolate chips. Stir again to just blend chips. Do not over-stir. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes (or until sides pull away from the edge of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Allow cake to cool completely before frosting or serving.
Frosting suggestions: Whipped Banana Tofu Frosting or Maple Cocoa Frosting
| Total calories per unfrosted slice: 247 | Fat: 5 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 52 grams | Protein: 4 grams |
| Sodium: 285 milligrams | Fiber: 6 grams |
Chocolate Cake
(Serves 12)
- Non-stick vegetarian cooking spray
- 3 cups unbleached white flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 block (6 ounces) silken tofu
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1-1/2 cups maple syrup
- 1-1/2 cups water or apple juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 8" cake pans with parchment paper. Spray sides with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In a food processor, cream tofu until smooth, wiping down sides of processor several times. Add applesauce and maple syrup and process until smooth. Slowly add water or apple juice and vanilla. Add wet ingredients slowly to dry ingredients, blending as you go. Stir until completely blended and pour into prepared pans.
Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pans. Invert pans onto a wire rack, remove paper from the bottoms of cakes, and cool completely before frosting.
Serving suggestions:
1) Slice each cake layer in half, making four layers. Frost with Peanut Butter Frosting. Top with finely ground grain-sweetened chocolate chips. Pipe Peanut Butter Frosting around bottom of cake and outer edge of top of cake.
2) Frost middle and sides of cake with Chocolate Frosting. Top cake with Cherry Topping. Then, make a glaze with 1/4 cup maple syrup. Slowly mix in cocoa until it is the consistency of commercial chocolate syrup. Drizzle cocoa/maple syrup glaze and Cherry Topping on top of cake in a lattice design. Pipe Chocolate Frosting at bottom of cake and around outer edges of top of cake.
| Total calories per unfrosted slice: 251 | Fat: 1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 57 grams | Protein: 5 grams |
| Sodium: 250 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
Cherry topping
(Makes about six 1/2 cup servings)
- 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 3 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 1/2 cup water
Cook cherries in juice until soft. Dissolve arrowroot in water. Add to hot cherries. Heat just until cherries thicken, then remove from heat immediately. (Arrowroot loses thickening ability if boiled.) Refrigerate until completely cooled, then use.
| Total calories per serving: 49 | Fat: <1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 12 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 1 milligram | Fiber: 1 gram |
Frostings
(All frosting recipes serve 12)
Creamy Tofu Frosting
- 1-1/2 boxes silken tofu (18 ounces)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate overnight before using to allow tofu to set.
| Total calories per serving: 60 | Fat: 1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 10 grams | Protein: 2 grams |
| Sodium: 3 milligrams | Fiber: <1 gram |
Chocolate Frosting
- 1-1/2 boxes silken tofu (18 ounces)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups vegan chocolate chips, melted
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate overnight before using to allow tofu to set.
| Total calories per serving: 194 | Fat: 10 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 28 grams | Protein: 3 grams |
| Sodium: 6 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1-1/2 boxes silken tofu (18 ounces)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate overnight before using to allow tofu to set.
| Total calories per serving: 155 | Fat: 9 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 13 grams | Protein: 6 grams |
| Sodium: 78 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
Soy Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 ounces soy cream cheese (such as Tofutti brand)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.
| Total calories per serving: 62 | Fat: 3 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 9 grams | Protein: <1 gram |
| Sodium: 46 milligrams | Fiber: 0 grams |
Whipped Banana Tofu Frosting
- 1-1/2 boxes silken tofu (18 ounces)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1-1/2 ripe bananas
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate overnight before using to allow tofu to set.
| Total calories per serving: 74 | Fat: 1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 14 grams | Protein: 2 grams |
| Sodium: 3 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
Maple Cocoa Frosting
- 2/3 cup silken tofu
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup cocoa
Place tofu in food processor and blend until smooth. Add maple syrup and cocoa, and continue blending until mixture is smooth and creamy.
| Total calories per serving: 59 | Fat: 1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 13 grams | Protein: 2 grams |
| Sodium: 3 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
Lois Dieterly, a 5th grade teacher, lives in Wyomissing, PA.
