Very simple chocolate yeast cake (vegan)

It's baking shortcut time!

Who loves chocolate yeast cakes (think: Chocolate Babka and the like)?!

Well, we're big fans of them around here, but sometimes I have no time or patience for kneading and rising. 

That's where this super simple, cheater version of a chocolate yeast cake comes in!

It's so easy and I even avoid making dirty bowls -  I just mix it AND bake it in a baking pan!

Recipe:

1 3/4 cups flour (I used white spelt)

1 Tablespoon dry yeast

4 Tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

2.5 Tablespoons oil (I used sunflower oil)

3/4 cup warm water

Your favorite chocolate spread (small jar - I use anywhere from 1/2 - a full jar, depending what I have in my pantry)

1/3 -1/2 bag chocolate chips/chocolate chunks

oil for the pan

What you do:

Oil a 9 inch round baking pan or something that holds a similar amount (there are medium size - long but narrowish, not as narrow as "English cake" disposable foil pans - that work) - I used sunflower oil spray.

Place flour, yeast, sugar, and salt into the pan and mix. Make a well in the middle and add water and oil. Mix everything together with a spoon until well combined - it will be a very sticky dough. Spread it out in the pan. Scoop chocolate spread on top of the dough and then use a spatula or spoon to swirl it into the dough. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips.

Put the cake into a cold oven and then turn the oven to 175 C. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting it!

Enjoy with coffee and please let me know if you try it out. I love to hear from you!

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Versatile Vegan Cake Recipe

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I love having simple cake recipes I can throw together in just a few minutes! Because let's face it - we're all really busy people who just want to bring yummy food to the table for our families, with minimal fuss and minimal stress, right?

This recipe is so simple, it can be mixed in the pan you're baking it in - just be sure to whisk it well! If you've been using disposable baking pans, I highly recommend this awesome set of 6 stainless steel baking pans (2 of each of 3 sizes)! They even ship (free to Israel (and other locations) with a $49 USD order. (I just bought them for Pesach for myself - for year round I had found a different deal, but this deal is so much better I just had to share!!) I'm trying really hard to use real pans instead of disposables, and lately, I have bought a LOT fewer disposable pans! Less waste and lower expense over the lifetime of a pan! Win-win, as long as I can handle washing a few more dishes. And yes, yes I CAN do that!

(Pictures here are from cakes I made before I bought new cake pans. Sorry)

Here's the cake recipe I've been making almost every week, and it is easy to adapt to different flavors (see notes at the end of the recipe).

My family is always happy to see this cake, as are my guests, and no one knows it only took a few minutes to make!

Vegan Vanilla Cake

1.5 cups flour (I use white spelt or whole spelt flour, but wheat flour should be fine)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vinegar

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup water

1/4 cup oil

If you want, you can mix this in a bowl and transfer it to a greased or lined pan, OR mix right in the baking pan according to these instructions: 

Use an 8" round cake pan/can also be square or rectangular - it works perfectly in the smallest of the pans in the set mentioned above. Mix together dry ingredients (with a fork) right in your baking pan. Push the dry ingredients toward the outer edges of the pan, pour the wet ingredients into the middle and mix gently but thoroughly (gently so you don't make a mess) - best to use a whisk but you can use a fork. Once it's all combined, smooth it out, add in whatever add-ins you want (use a spatula to gently fold them in) and you're ready to bake the cake!

Bake at 190 C for about 50-60 min.

Variations:

- Leave out vanilla and use 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp cloves for a Spice Cake

- Add 2 mashed bananas and 1 cup of chocolate chips for Banana-Chocolate Chip Cake

- Make a cinnamon streusel topping (I combine half a cup of flour with half a cup of sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 2 Tablespoons of sunflower oil) and swirl it into the batter for a Cinnamon Coffee Cake

- Swirl cherry jam into the batter for a Cherry Cake

- Add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder to the batter to make chocolate cake. Top with chocolate frosting if you're so inclined! I sometimes just break apart a bar of chocolate and leave it to melt on the still-warm cake, then spread it around with a silicone spatula. It makes a great chocolate "icing"/

I love making this cake because it checks all my boxes: 

EASY

INEXPENSIVE

ALLERGY FRIENDLY (no dairy, eggs, or nuts!)

IT DOUBLES EASILY to make a larger cake for a crowd (use a lasagna size pan, or the largest pan of the set I mentioned above!)

YUMMY

I hope you love this cake recipe as much as I do!

Please share this post with your super busy friends who still want to cook from scratch! I know it's counter-culture but there are people out there who like to cook from scratch and take shortcuts! I can't possibly be the only one!

The HUGE recall: Important info

In the last few days, you might have heard that the Strauss-Elite company shut down their chocolate production facility due to a salmonella issue.

They have been forced to recall HUGE amounts of chocolate, as well as other products that contain chocolate. Other companies, that source their chocolate from Strauss-Elite, have also issued recalls.

There's a lot of confusion out there about which products have been recalled. So here's the latest scoop:

The recall includes:

ALL Elite Chocolate Products*

Elite Cakes*

Elite Wafers*

Energy brand snack bars*

Energy brand chocolate covered rice cakes*

Elite Toffees*

Elite Gum*

*ALL expiration dates that are currently available)

Milky puddings with candy-coated chocolate topping exp. dates 26/4/22, 3/5/22, 11/5/22, 12/5/22, 16/5/22

Unilever products:

Magnum Duet exp. dates 1.9.23 - 6.10.23

Magnum White exp. dates 28.8.23 - 13.9.23

Magnum Chocolate exp. dates 29.8.23 - 19.9.23

Magnum Almond exp. dates 7-8.9.23

Magnum White Strawberry exp. dates 31.8.23 - 21.9.23

Magnum White Cone exp. date 7.4.23

Magnum Chocolate Cone exp. date 5-6.4.23

Magnum Mini Almond exp. dates 15.6.23 - 30.6.23

Magnum Mini Chocolate/Vanilla exp. dates 13.4.23 - 14.4.23

Magnum Mini Duet exp. date 15.9.23

Magnum Mini White exp. date 4.9.23

Magnum Mini Dark Chocolate exp. date 18.9.23

Vanilla Mini Ice Cream Treats exp. dates 28.8.23 - 22.9.23

Strawberry Mini Ice Cream Treats exp. dates 3.10.23 - 6.10.23

Bomba Ice Cream Bars exp. date 19.9.23

Mini Pesek Zman Ice Cream Multi-pack exp. dates 15.8.23 - 17.8.23

Shokobo Ice Cream Bars exp. dates 15.8.23 - 27.9.23

Pistachio Goodies exp. dates 3.10.23 - 4.10.23

Cremissimo Vanilla Chip Ice Cream exp. date 22.8.23

Cremissimo White Chocolate and Strawberry Ice Cream exp. date 1.9.23

Cremissimo White Chocolate Pistachio Ice Cream exp. date 8.9.23

Cremissimo Triple Chocolate Ice Cream exp. date 31.8.23

Cremissimo Chocolate Chip Ice Cream exp. dates 29.8.23 - 30.8.23

Solero Coconut Bar exp. dates 14.9.23 - 29.9.23

Mix Round Ice Cream Treat exp. dates 6-7.9.23

To get a refund for the Unilever products, call 1800-780-780 OR WhatsApp 053-7807800 or fill out their customer service form at sherut-unilever.co.il

To request a refund for the recalled products Elite you've purchased but cannot eat, fill out the form here: https://www.strauss-group.co.il/cs_form/elite/#form_all_data_wrap or call *6860 or send a message via WhatsApp to 052-759-9752

If you are reading this from another country, you will likely be able to return your product to the store you purchased it at, or reach out to the importer listed on the label.

Hope that helps make sense of things! And I hope you didn't get sick from tainted chocolate.

Banana Coconut Bread (with a twist of lime) - "Tropical Coffee Cake" (Vegan)

I made a last minute banana bread on Friday, but I didn't have much sifted flour left on hand, and I had a LOT of mushy bananas (note to self: stop buying too many bananas!).

I also had a lot of limes. Our lime tree has been giving us SO many limes!

(But the lemon tree. Don't ask me about the lemon tree! It's got about 3 lemons on it. What a stingy lemon tree - the lime tree is way more generous.)

So, I decided it would be banana with coconut and lime. And I am a fan. The kids seemed to like it, too - they pretty much polished off this cake without leaving any for me.

Here's what I did:

Banana Coconut Bread, with a twist of lime

3-4 overripe bananas, mashed well
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil
1 T. chia seeds
2/3 c. water

juice of 1 lime
1 cup flour
1.5  c. shredded coconut                                                                       
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
 

First combine all the wet ingredients, and then mix in the dry ingredients.

Pour into a loaf pan and bake at 180 C for about 1 hr.

You can make muffins instead if you like, use a greased muffin tin or paper liners, and bake for about 30 minutes.

This is a pretty dense loaf, though! So - keep that in mind.

It went well with my coffee! I'll call it my "Tropical Coffee Cake"!

Enjoy!

Food Recall

Ariel Bakery and the Ministry of Health have announced a recall of the following product:

Brand: Ma'afiyat Ariel (Ariel Bakery)
Product: Mozart Mousse
Size: 600g
Production Code: 7276
Expiration date: 01.02.18

The product is being recalled because it may be contaminated with listeria, which can be very dangerous to vulnerable populations. (I am guessing this is a decadent chocolate mousse cake - please correct me if I'm wrong!)

If you have purchased this product DO NOT EAT IT.
Please return it to the store where purchased for a refund or replacement.

If you have questions, call Ariel Bakery at 04-840-1459

How to make a bunch of cakes in a hurry!

Mine's purple, really!

This is my secret to making multiple cakes for every Shabbat, with very little effort (I usually bring cakes to kiddush). I really don't have time for complicated baking, and erev Shabbat is super crazy - so here's what I do to bake 2-3 cakes every week - and only spend about 10 min. on it (besides baking time)!

Makes TWO 9 x 13 inch baking pans, or 3 round cake pans

Cake Batter:
4 tablespoons flaxseed mixed with 1/2 cup hot water, (allow to cool)
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour (I used whole spelt, you can make it with whole wheat or white wheat, or a mix too)
pinch of salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 cup water + 1 tsp vinegar 
Toppings (these are my go-to options, you can be as creative with this as you like!): 


1. 
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
2 Tablespoons of oil - best if solid like palm shortening or coconut oil

2. chocolate chips, sprinkled on top

3.
Reserve about 1/4 of the cake batter after filling the pans and add 1/3 cup cocoa powder, mix well. Add to a half filled pan and mix very gently - to make marble cake

4. fruit jam of your choice folded into one of the pans

Instructions:

Mix together flaxseed/water mixture, oil, vanilla,  and sugar. Combine flour with salt and baking soda. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients. Mix well to combine (this is best done with a mixer or a whisk). Add water/vinegar mixture slowly while whisking. Whisk till smooth.
 
Pour HALF the batter into each 9 x 13 inch baking pan, or reserve some if making the marble cake option. Top with your choices of toppings.

Voila! You've got (two or) three very easy cakes ready to go into the oven!
 
Bake for about 1 hour at 175 C (check with toothpick to make sure it's done) 

Allow to cool before cutting. 
Enjoy!

Cinnamon Cake (pareve, vegan option)

This is my new go-to cake. I make it wheat-free (using spelt flour) and nut-free.

Makes one 9 x 13 inch baking pan, or 2-3 loaf pans

2 eggs (or 4 tablespoons flaxseed mixed with 1/2 cup hot water, allowed to cool for 10 min)
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 cups sugar
1 cup water + 1 tsp vinegar (I made it with water and vinegar)
3  cups flour (I used whole spelt, you can make it with whole wheat or white wheat, or a mix too)
pinch of salt
3 tsp baking powder

Topping (option 1): 150g walnuts, crushed coarsley
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
 OR
Topping (option 2): 
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon oil
mix together eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar, and water-vinegar mixture. Combine flour with salt and baking powder. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients. Mix well to combine (this is best done with a mixer or a whisk).
Pour HALF the batter into 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
 
Mix topping together, and sprinkle half over batter. Cover with remaining batter. Cover the top of cake with remaining topping mixture.
Bake for about 1 hour at 175 C (check with toothpick to make sure it's done)
Allow to cool before cutting.
Enjoy!

Another Recall!

Strauss - Elite announced a recall of certain cakes, due to the presence of an undesirable taste from the yeast used in the cake.

The affected products are considered safe to eat, but may not taste right.

The recalled products are:

Chocolate Rolade, 350g, barcode 7290008754613, with a use by date of 3/12/2016

To arrange for your refund/exchange, please call customer service at 1-800-777-777

Vegan Apple Cake!

   
Have lots off apples? Apples are finally coming back into season and we found ourselves with a whole lot of them.
 
I made a cake for a community event using some of the granny smiths, and several people asked if the recipe was up on the blog.

Well, it WASN'T, but now it is!

Vegan Apple Cake

Ingredients:
 
2 T. ground flaxseed + 1/4 cup boiling water (or 1 egg if you don't need it to be vegan)
1/4 cup oil
1 c. soy milk or orange juice or water + 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2  c. flour (I used whole spelt flour. wheat flour - white or whole - works fine)
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 granny smith apples, cored and diced (peeling optional)

Directions:

Mix 2 T. ground flasxeed with the boiling water, allow to cool for 10 min.
Add oil, sugar, cinnamon, and your choice of liquid. mix well.
Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well - you'll need a mixer or a whisk.
Fold in apples.
Fill 2 loaf pans and bake at 180 C (about 350 F) for about 50 min. Check with a toothpick to be sure it's done.

Allow to cool before cutting.

It was a big hit in my house! Please be sure to tell me what you think if you try it!

(Sorry no pics - will try to get one up here next time!)

Recall! (Israel)

Strauss is recalling the following product, due to an undesirable aftertaste:

Elite brand Chocolate "Rolada" Cake (Swiss Roll style cake), 350g, barcode 7290008754613

ONLY those packages that are marked with an expiration date of 28/7/2016, and were produced between 00:00 and 10:30, are being recalled.

The company maintains that the product is safe, but is recalling it in any case.

Consumers who have purchased this product should call customer service at 1-800-777-777 to arrange for a refund/replacement.

Another Recall

TUSSO brand has announced a recall of the following products, due to reports of mold:

TUSSO chocolate brownies, made with whole wheat, and no sugar added (production date 04/11/15, expiration date 01/07/16)

TUSSO chocolate brownies, made with whole wheat, with chocolate-orange flavor and no sugar added (production dates 04/11/15 and 05/11/15, expiration dates 01/07/16, and 02/07/16)

TUSSO "muffins" cake, orange flavor, made with whole wheat, and no sugar added (production date 26/10/15, and 17/11/15, expiration dates 22/06/16 and 14/07/16, respectively)

The following products are being recalled as a cautionary measure:

TUSSO cinnamon "muffins" cake, made with whole wheat, and no sugar added (production date 18/11/15, expiration date 15/07/16)

TUSSO marble "muffins" cake, made with whole wheat, and no sugar added (production dates 26/10/15, 26/11/15, expiration dates 22/06/16 and 15/07/16, respectively)

Consumers are asked NOT to eat these products. Please call customer service at 03-902-0333 to arrange a refund/replacement.

Please share this post with your friends and family who may have purchased these products!

Cinnamon & Nut Coffee Cake

Ok, you know who you are.
YOU asked for this recipe.

I thought I'd posted it before but I cannot find it on my blog, so I guess I hadn't.

So here it is!
(This is the cake that FLEW at the kiddush, by the way, and also the one that got people to ask me if they could order cakes for Shabbat from me.)
I have no pictures because it was so crazy here and I forgot to take a picture before Shabbat!

Makes one 9 x 13 inch baking pan, or 2-3 loaf pans

2 eggs (or 4 tablespoons flaxseed mixed with 1/2 cup hot water, allowed to cool for 10 min)
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk OR water + 1 tsp vinegar (I made it with water and vinegar)
3 1/3 cups flour (I mixed white and whole wheat)
pinch of salt
3 tsp baking powder


150g walnuts, crushed coarsley
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

mix together eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar, and milk/water-vinegar mixture. Combine flour with salt and baking powder. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients. Mix well to combine.

Pour half the batter into 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Sprinkle half the nut/cinnamon/sugar mixture over batter. Cover with remaining batter. Cover the top of cake with remaining nut/cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Bake for about 1 hour at 175 C (check with toothpick to make sure it's done)

Allow to cool before cutting.

Enjoy!

Egg-free Honey Cake for a Crowd!

I decided to try out baking a large batch of honey cake, as I was taking one to an event and then another to another event the next day.

It worked out really well, even though some people say making large batches of cake isn't the best idea.

WARNING: this cake is not exactly healthy, and not exactly frugal either. But it certainly is festive and appropriate for the season, so I figured I'd share!


 


Honey Cake for a Crowd, Egg-free
makes 2 9"X12" pans

4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1.5 cups hot water
1/2 cup oil (I used this palm oil, but you can use any oil you like - neutral flavors work best)
2 cups honey
2 cups demerara sugar, or other dark sugar
1.5 cups warm (not hot) coffee (can be decaf!)
2 tablespoons orange juice
4 cups whole wheat flour (this recipe works fine with white flour, I just don't keep any in the house and I like to pretend my cakes are healthy)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
dash of ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Note: if you are mixing this by hand, you'll need two bowls. If you are using a mixer, one bowl is fine!

Mix together flaxseed and hot water and oil, and let sit for 10 minutes
Add the other liquid ingredients to the flaxseed mixture.
If using two bowls, combine all the dry ingredients in the second bowl, and make a well in the center.
Slowly add liquids to the dry ingredients, and mix very well to combine.
Pour into two 9"X12" baking pans
Bake at 180C for 1 hr, 15 min.
Allow to cool completely before covering tightly, it is best served the next day. 


Wishing you all a Gmar Chatimah Tovah!

Chocolate Chip Cake (vegan)

Chocolate Chip Cake

4 tablespoons ground flaxseed 
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup oil
1 cup lukewarm decaf coffee OR soy milk or other milk subsitute
2/3 - 1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup shredded coconut or your favorite ground nuts
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 - 6 oz chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 F (about 175 C)

Combine ground flaxseed with boiling water in a large mixing bowl. Stir a couple of times, then allow to cool slightly. Add oil, coffee/soymilk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add coconut/ground nuts, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Fold in half the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into a large cake pan. Spread it evenly. Spread the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the cake.

Bake for 45-50 min. Test with a toothpick to be sure it's fully baked.
Allow to cool before cutting.

Let me know if you try this recipe out!

Lemon Quick Bread Recipe

We have a lemon tree, and it is producing an amazing number of lemons this year. Probably twice as many as last year! Which is odd, as our orange trees are producing about half as many oranges as last year... strangely opposite cycles, it seems.

I looked at my lemons, and just KNEW I needed to come up with something to make with them.

3 of my 4 children enjoyed this quickbread (which was gone before I took a picture, sorry).

Lemon Quick Bread

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed  
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cup sugar
1 package of leben (gil or eshel, whichever. I bought eshel because it was a few agurot less) (if you live in area where leben is hard to find, use 6 oz of plain yogurt instead)
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon rind
juice of 1/2 lemon (or if your lemons are small, juice a whole lemon)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:
Mix flaxseed with water, allow to cool for 10 min.
Add oil, sugar, leben, lemon rind, and lemon juice. Mix well. Add dry ingredients, and mix briefly.
Pour into a baking pan (loaf or cake pan) (I lined mine with parchment paper, I recommend it!). Bake at 350 F / 190 C for 35-45 min.
You could also use this recipe to bake muffins, if you prefer. Muffins bake for a much shorter time (20 minutes or so).

Enjoy the aroma while it bakes, and have a cup of tea with it!

I'd love to hear what you think!

Simple Cake (that's not chocolate)

It started with a jar of cherry preserves. They had been sitting around for a while. My daughter found the jar and asked if she could open it for a sandwich one day, and I told her, "no, I'm planning to use that for a cake I'm going to bake." That was six months ago. Every so often, she has asked, "Eema, when are you going to make that cake with the cherry jelly?" Of course, I kept telling her, "soon," and for some reason, never did.

So, as her birthday approached, my daughter asked if I would make the cherry jelly cake for her birthday. "Of course!" - it was a great idea, since I didn't want to make the same ol' chocolate cake. BUT my husband always claims not to like cakes with fruit in them.

I wanted it to be a cake EVEN my husband would eat, and I succeeded! I know this, because apparently he came downstairs at 3 a.m. and ate a piece of cake...

Here's my recipe:

2 T. ground flaxseed + 1/4 cup boiling water (or 1 egg)
1/4 cup oil
1/2 c. milk or milk substitute (I used soy milk)
1 1/2 c. flour (I used white flour this time. gasp!)
1/4 c. ground flaxseed (optional)
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 jar of cherry preserves or your favorite no-sugar added fruit preserves

Topping:
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts or ground flaxseed (I used flaxseed, because it was handy)
1-2 T. oil

Directions:
Mix 2 T. ground flasxeed with the boiling water, allow to cool for 10 min.
Add oil, and milk. mix well.
Add flour, ground flaxseed, sugar, baking powder, salt. Mix well.
Spread about half the batter (it will be thick) in a lined round cake pan. spread 1/2 jar of cherry preserves over this. Spread the remaining batter on top.
Mix together the topping, and cover the whole top of the cake.
Bake at 180 C (about 350 F) for 30 - 35 min. Check with a toothpick to be sure it's done.

Allow to cool before cutting.
It was a big hit in my house! Please be sure to tell me what you think if you try it!

Raisin-Bran Cake (Vegan)

I invited a few other families over today so our homeschooled kids could all play together, and we mothers could all chat and help each other chase the little ones...

I try to serve a snack for everyone. At first I pulled a banana coconut cake out of the freezer, but then one of the families with a child allergic to a bunch of foods, including banana, decided that it worked out to come today, after all!

Uh oh. I had to quickly figure out an allergy-free snack besides the carrots that were in my fridge!

Here's what I came up with:

Raisin-Bran Cake

Mix together :
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oat bran
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 T. baking powder

Add:
1/2 cup oil
1 c. sugar
2. cups water
1 cup raisins (unsweetened. I used some of my "stash" of Trader Joe's organic raisins)

Combine, breaking up all the lumps. Pour into a cake pan (mine was 8" X 12")
Bake at 350 F (175 C) for about 1 hour

It tastes great, but it's a bit crumbly, as it has no eggs! But it was a hit! The name was a bit confusing, as there is no "raisin bran" cereal in this cake, but there are raisins, and there is bran! I figured I can keep the name. It is accurate, after all!

I shared this with the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop on July 18, 2012

Banana Coconut Cake or Muffins (vegan)

I promised I'd write up my banana coconut cake! It really is yummy, if you like banana and coconut (I do).

4 overripe bananas, mashed well
1/2 - 2/3 c. sugar (I've been going with 1/2 to cut back on the sugar...)
1/3 c. oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 T. ground flaxseed
1.5 - 2 c. water + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or you can use half water/half orange juice to give it an interesting extra flavor)
combine well.

Add:
3.5 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. shredded coconut
                                                                                    1/2 tsp salt
                                                                                    1.5 tsp baking powder
                                                                                    Mix well 
Optional - 6 oz chocolate chips, folded in (last step)

Bake in a loaf pan if you like, or you can make 12 generous muffins out of this, or you can bake in your favorite cake pan. It's a really versatile recipe. (Bake at 350 F/175  C for 25-30 min for muffins, or about an hour for loaf or cake)
Optional: sprinkle more shredded coconut over the top before you bake it.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try them!

Another vegan cake

We had a little get together today, and I promised my friends I would try to recreate the cake I threw together. It was a last minute inspiration, and I didn't follow a recipe... I think this one would go well with coffee. Please remind me to offer coffee/tea next time, people! I get a little scatter-brained some days!

Here's what I did:

3 T. ground flaxseed
2 c. oats
4 c. boiling water
Mix together, allow to sit for 10-15 min. It will get thick and porridge-like, if it gets too thick, add a little more water to thin it down. I think I ended up adding about another 1/2 cup...

Add:
1.5 t. vanilla
1/2 c. oil
1 - 1.5 c. raw sugar
1/2 c. apricot jam
Mix well.

Add:
4 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well. pour in a large pan (I used my lasagna pan) and bake in a preheated oven (175 C/350 F) for about 1 hr, test to make sure it is done...

Cinnamon-Maple-Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

I got a whole bunch of requests for the recipe for my not so sweet, but sweet enough breakfast bread.  Here goes:

(I make this vegan. More on my analysis of baking with eggs vs. baking with flaxseed another time.)

4-6 T. ground flaxseed
1 cup whole oats
2.5 cups boiling water
Mix these 3 ingredients together and allow to sit for 10 min.
Add:
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. oil
Mix well.
Add:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix Well.

The next part is optional, but does add something!

mix together 1 tsp oil, 1/4 c. sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 2 T. ground flaxseed, 2 T. oat bran

This makes two loaf pans. I pour 1/4 of the batter into each loaf pan, sprinkle half the cinn-oatbran-flaxseed mixture on top, then fill the loaf pans with remaining batter, and sprinkle the other half on top. Bake for 1 hour in the center of your oven at 350 F (175 C). Test for doneness...And Enjoy!