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!

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!

Vegan Raisin Bran Muffins (with zucchini/kishuim)

These are my absolute favorite muffins to make when there is an abundance of kishuim around! I'm sure you all saw my post about how I got tons of kishuim (zucchini-like summer squash) really cheap from the sug bet rack. Well, there have been more there, day after day, and, well... it turns out I bought A LOT.

So, to rescue my overflowing vegetable drawer, I made these delicious, moist, whole grain, fiber-rich, relatively low sugar vegan muffins.

Ingredients

2 heaping tablespoons of ground flaxseed (I grind them in my Coffee Grinder but you can buy them already ground)
1 cup of hot water
1 cup orange juice or 1 cup of cold water + a splash of vinegar
1/4 cup oil (I used olive oil, you can choose your favorite oil)
1/2 cup sugar
1 generously packed cup of shredded zucchini/summer squash/kishuim - I peeled it so there wouldn't be green flecks in the end result. Peeling is optional, however.
2 cups sifted whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat bran
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Directions

Combine flaxseed and hot water in a large mixing bowl.  Mix and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add orange juice or water/vinegar mixture, oil, and sugar. Mix well. Add shredded squash. Stir to combine. Add flour, wheat bran, salt, baking powder to the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine but don't overmix. Finally, fold in the cinnamon and raisins.

Fill the muffin cups all the way up, and bake at 180 C for about 25-30 minutes.
This recipe makes 12 generously sized muffins, if you want smaller muffins, fill the muffin cups halfway and make 24 small muffins.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Monkey Bread

Today's monkey bread is a higher fat version. And is cinnamoney. And a big hit with my kids.

See - I didn't manage a picture before they attacked it!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Monkey Bread 

This recipe has a LOT less sugar than similar recipes I have seen, and my kids did not miss the extra cup of sugar, really!

Dough

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 T. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
1 cup milk

Mix together and knead with hands, for a short time.

Filling:

1/2 c. sugar 
1.5 tsp cinnamon

Mix together in a shallow bowl

Form balls of dough and roll them to coat (lightly in cinnamon sugar mixture.
Layer into a greased baking pan

Use the leftover cinnamon sugar mixture (I had plenty left), add 1/3 - 1/2 c. more sugar. Mix with 1/3 - 1/2 c. oil.

Pour sugar and oil mix over the dough.

Bake 30-45 min at 375 F.

It's our new favorite quick cake! Maybe I'll make it pareve for Shabbat, with coconut milk or something...

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