4th July Celebrations and Basic Vanilla Cake

For this month's In My Kitchen I decided to share with you our 4th of July celebrations.
We aren't American but my husband is a *tad* obsessed with all things American so I thought I'm make it a special night for him!

Here's how it turned out:

I had debating making veggie burgers but my husband isn't usually a fan, so I decided we would try carrot dogs instead! For those who haven't heard of this idea, it's where you use a carrot in place of a meat hot dog. I boiled the carrots first and then marinated them for a few hours before dry-frying them! They were quite tasty :-) 

The addition of liquid smoke meant that they definitely didn't taste like plain boiled carrots! I topped them with water sauteed onion and capsicum, along with sauerkraut and sauce. Served with corn cobs and baked home fries.
I was SO SO excited with the fries because I had purchased a new kitchen gadget to make crinkle cut chips! I was so pleased that it worked out so well for just a few dollars :-) 

All celebrations need a cake!!!
I made a basic vanilla cake (recipe to follow) and spread with jam and decorated with fruit to 'mimic' the US flag (yes I do realise there is not enough stripes or stars!).

 Now for the cake recipe!

BASIC VANILLA CAKE 

1 1/2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or other unrefined sweetner)

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup motherless milk (I used soymilk)

1 Tablespoon vanilla essense

1/2 cup applesauce

Whisk the apple cider vinegar into the milk and set aside to thicken.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre and stir in the vanilla, applesauce & milk mixture. 

Stir until just combined.

Pour into a lined 18cm square baking dish and tap to even the surface.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

 

 So moist and delicious!

Definitely worth celebrating - but then again, 

I don't need a special day to make cake ;-)

Question of the day:
Do you celebrate the 4th of July even if you aren't in America?

Strawberries and Cream Cake

We can't have a bake-off without cake!

Strawberries & Cream Cake

You'll need:

2 cups self raising wholemeal flour

2/3 cup raw sugar

1 cup soy milk (or other plant milk of choice)

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 punnet of strawberries

1 teaspoon strawberry essence

1 Tablespoon water

1 x 400g can coconut cream

strawberries to decorate

Remove the leaves from the strawberries and place them in a blender with the strawberry essence and water. Blend til smooth.

 

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour & sugar. Make a well in the center and pour the strawberry sauce mixture in. In a measuring jug combine the soy milk and the apple cider vinegar. Whisk until foaming. Pour into the cake mixture. 

Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

Pour batter into a lined baking tin. (I used a 20c circle.)

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer poked into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack before decorating.

To decorate:

Place in a can of coconut cream in a fridge *overnight*.

Open the can carefully, remove the top layer of thickened cream.

Place in a bowl with a teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of sugar.

Blend on high for roughly 5 minutes til very thick.

Store in fridge til needed.

Just before serving, spread the coconut cream over the top of the cake and slice a strawberries to put on top.

An alternate way of serving this cake is to cut the cake in half and put the cream & a layer of sliced strawberries in the middle.

Now surely that helps you make it through hump day???

What are you eating this Wednesday?

Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling

In true "bake-off" style, I'm starting with cupcakes!

Well...... kind of cupcakes.

You see, I'm not one to make the very decorative type just for everyday eating. My whole aim in cooking and sharing recipes is that they are practical everyday recipes that we will ACTUALLY cook, not just look at to see how pretty they are!
How pretty is this cupcake that was made for us at a wedding recently! So sweet of the bride and groom to include us in their cupcake tower :D

 

Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling

To make 12 cupcakes you'll need:
1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground flax seeds mixed with 1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup plant milk of choice
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup raspberries
2 Tablespoons agave nectar

Whisk the flax seeds with the water and set aside in the fridge.
 In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar.
In a measuring jug combing the milk and apple cider vinegar. Briskly whisk and the milk will thicken and start to separate.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the applesauce, vanilla and milk mixture.
Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Pour spoonfuls of mixture into a muffin pan - either lightly oil sprayed or lined with cases.
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 25minutes or until cooked through as oven times can vary.

Allow cupcakes to cool and then make the filling.

In a food processor combine the raspberries and agave. Mix until a smooth 'sauce' in made.
Pour the sauce into a piping bag and poke the end of the piping bag into the cupcakes, squeeze the bag to fill the inside of the cake with raspberry sauce.

Serve :-)

Fruit & Veg Cake

  I couldn't decide between making a carrot cake or a banana cake.

So fruit & veg cake was made!

Surprisingly they actually taste really good together.

You'll need:

2 over-ripe bananas

1 carrot

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup oat milk (or other plant milk of choice)

1/2 cup oat bran

1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 Tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 Tablespoons water

Whisk the flax into the water & put into the fridge while preparing other ingredients.

Mash the bananas well & then grate the carrot over the bananas. Stir together with the vanilla, agave nectar & oat milk.

In another mixing bowl combine the oat bran, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg & allspice. Stir until well combined.

Pour in the wet ingredients along with the flax seed mix. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient until well combined.

Pour the mixture into a loaf pan & put into a preheated 180C oven for approx 50 minutes until lightly browned & a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool before slicing.

 

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday. You can add your recipe at these blogs: carrie on vegan                    veggie nook                    greenthickies  

 

Easiest Chocolate Cake Ever

This cake is deliciously light and fluffy.

Its so easy to make that you can prepare it with limited notice!

This is a great basic cake. I love having it plain but you could serve it with icing/topping, berries or just a light sprinkling of icing sugar.

You'll need:

1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour 
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup apple sauce/puree (1 x 120g tub**)
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Make sure the cocoa powder doesn't have any clumps in it and that the baking soda is stirred in thoroughly.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients.

Stir until well combined.
Pour into a baking dish of choice (I use a 24cm square dish). 

Bake on 180C for 35-40 minutes until a skewer poked into the center comes out clean.

Slice and serve.....      or keep it all for yourself ;-)
It keeps well when stored in an air-tight container. I can't really give an estimate of 'days' because it never lasts more than 2 in our home!!!

**I love to use these "Coles" brand tubs of apple puree. They are so easy to use for cooking, they measure 1/2 cup. I have not had much luck finding unsweetened apple sauce in stores and these are sweetened only with fruit juice concentrate. They use a much higher amount of just apples, which is great :-) 

Gingered Date Banana Loaf

Making this cake somehow reminded me of being pregnant!!!!
Don't laugh - its true :-p
Ginger seemed to settle my churning tummy & I craved bananas soooooo much! I wish I had of thought of making this at the time!

This is so light & fluffy & deliciously tasty. I don't think the rest will last long ;-)

I would like to apologise in advance for the amount of bowls you will need to make this - hopefully you have a dishwasher! But if you don't- trust me when I say its well worth it!!!!

You'll need:
1 cup dried dates
1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 overripe banana
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the dates into a bowl that has a lid. Pour the boiling water over the dates & allow to stand covered for at least 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl combine the wholemeal flour, brown sugar, ground ginger, baking powder & soda together. Stir until well combined.

Peel and mash the banana into a small mixing bowl. Add the apple sauce & the vanilla.
Drain the date water into the mash banana mixture. Mix well.
Mash the dates with a fork - they will be very soft after soaking.

Pour the banana/date water mixture into a well made in the centre of the flour/sugar mixture. 
Spoon in the mashed dates.
Stir until everything is well combined & dates are evenly distributed.
Pour batter into lined loaf tin. Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 40 minutes.

Allow to cool before slicing.

Optional:

Sweet & Sour Spread/Icing
1/2 cup tofutti cream cheese
juice of half small lemon
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar


Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
(This will be easier if the cream cheese has been left out of the fridge for about an hour first.)

Spoon over the cake as icing, or serve on the side to be a spread. For decorative purpose be sure to sprinkle the top with grated lemon rind.

If you're not a fan of banana bread - you can always convert this tasty cake into a gingered date loaf by replacing the mashed banana with 1/2 cup silken tofu instead.

Apple Sponge Cake

Everyone loves apple sponge cake right?!? 

This is a light and fluffy cake with delicious soft apple pieces on top 

- that's fat free! :-)

So enjoy...

You'll need:
1 1/2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup ricemilk (or other plant milk of choice)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup pie apples
2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a measuring jug combine the milk & vinegar. Allow to sit for 5 mins.
Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder & sugar in a large bowl. Mix well.

Make a well in the middle of the flour & add the milk mixture, apple sauce and vanilla. Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 

Put the pie apples into a small mixing bowl. Chop any large pieces into small pieces. Stir in the cinnamon and mix well. 

Line a 20cm round baking tin with baking paper. 
Pour the cake mixture into the base. Top with the apple mixture focusing on the middle of the cake as shown:

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 45 mins or until cooked through when poked with a skewer.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: You can reduce the sugar if using sweetened applesauce.

Kinda Black-forest Trifle

Here's an idea for a dessert using some Christmas leftovers!
 

You need:

Leftover okara fudge - remember my little Santa hats? I had all the cutouts from them (any chocolate cake really - even a fruit pudding would work!)

Custard - I just made some from custard powder

Cherries







Use any type of long large glass that you have.

Chop pieces of the cake & put on down the bottom of the galss. 

Follow with a layer of chopped and pitted cherries, then a dollop of custard. 

Continue layering in that order until you reach the top of the glass. 

Chill before serving. Best left in the fridge for a few hours as the cherries will blend into the custard!