MINI VEGAN BISCOFF BROWNIE CHEESECAKE

There is nothing quite like a smooth Biscoff cheesecake on top of a generous layer of brownies. With some additional chocolate glaze, of course.

We are mere weeks away from summer, my dearest time of the year, and cakes like this one are my personal staple for those months. The combination of the smooth Biscoff filling and absolutely gorgeously fudgy brownie layer is something that is timeless, but it is especially good during summer.

And this is one of those sweet treats that can be served as a regular cake but also as an ice cream cake. It only takes about 30 minutes in the freezer before serving for the most majestic ice cream texture to happen.

It is best served in modest slices because of how rich it is, but if you prefer your cheesecake generous, I fully understand and support. Serve it with your favourite coffee and enjoy!

Ingredients

For the brownie base layer

80 grams plain flour
90 grams granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
15 grams unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
60 millilitres espresso, freshly pulled
50 millilitres tepid water
25 millilitres neutral oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
50 grams Biscoff Lotus spread, melted

For the Biscoff cheesecake

200 grams Biscoff Lotus spread, softened
200 grams vegan cream cheese
120 millilitres vegan double cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the chocolate topping

80 grams dark chocolate (70%)
80 millilitres vegan double cream
50 grams Biscoff Lotus spread, melted

Preparation

Start by making the chocolate brownie base. Line a medium round cake pan (16 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set it aside. Let the oven preheat to 180°C.

Take a small bowl, add in the cocoa powder and pour in the freshly pulled espresso. Mix very well to make a paste, and then let the cocoa cool down slightly. Sift together the plain flour and baking soda, add in the sugar and salt, and whisk well. Add in the espresso and cocoa paste, water, oil, vanilla, and the vinegar, and whisk until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 12-15 minutes. Check the cake early on to make sure it stays soft and fudgy. Let it cool in the pan completely.

My cake was done after exactly 12 minutes.

Once the cake is completely cool to the touch, place it on a serving platter, close a cake ring around it, and line it with a tall strip of acetate. Melt the Biscoff spread and pour it over the cake, then place the whole thing into the refrigerator until firm.

As soon as that layer has set, start making the cheesecake layer. Whip the vegan double cream until soft peaks form, and set it aside. Add the softened Biscoff spread and vanilla into a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer on high until it becomes lighter in colour and very fluffy. Add the vegan cream cheese can gently fold it through, making sure not to overmix it, as some vegan cream cheeses do tend to go overly soft. Add in the softly whipped cream and proceed to whip on high until blended. It should look firm, but not dry.

Spread the cheesecake batter onto the cake base in layers, to prevent air pockets, level the top as much as possible, and place it into the refrigerator for about an hour or so.

Once that layer has set enough to hold the chocolate glaze, melt together the dark chocolate and vegan double cream and set it aside briefly. Melt the Biscoff spread and have it close and ready. Pour the ganache onto the cake and, working quickly, swirl through the melted Biscoff as best as you can.

Place the whole platter into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and serve in thin slices with strong coffee. Yields 12 rich servings or 16 modest ones.

MINI VEGAN CHOCOLATE BISCOFF SNACK CAKE

Soft vegan chocolate cake, rich double chocolate syrup, and a generous layer of Biscoff spread. And some more dark chocolate on top, for good measure. Truly the snack cake of dreams.

She is tiny, but as almost all chocolate cakes are, she is mighty. Especially with the Biscoff on top, almost melting into the cake itself. The combination of those gorgeous caramel notes from Biscoff, cocoa, chocolate, espresso… The cake of dreams, I stand by what I said.

I do enjoy making mini vegan cakes, simply because there is a modest number of servings and because they all keep so well when refrigerated, they are excellent for a quick sweet snack with coffee or even meal-prep. Especially if you have a sealed container for them.

And although many of my cakes can be served after just 4 hours in the refrigerator, I strongly advise you to leave this one overnight. It will be magnificently soft and moist, even fudgy, if it is chilled properly. Good things take time, even if they're tiny.

Ingredients

For the vegan chocolate cake

120 grams plain flour
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
140 grams granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
35 millilitres neutral oil
150 millilitres hot water

For the homemade chocolate syrup

100 millilitres boiling water
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
20 grams dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon neutral oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
30 grams vegan milk chocolate

For the glaze

200 grams Biscoff Lotus spread, smooth
50 grams extra dark chocolate (85%)

Preparation

Start by making the vegan chocolate cake. Let the oven preheat to 180°C. Line a medium rectangular cake pan or a loaf pan (10x20 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set it aside. Take a small bowl, sift in the cocoa powder, pour in the hot water, mix very well, and set aside. Take a large bowl and sift in the plain flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the sugar and mix very well. Make a well in the centre, pour in all the wet ingredients, and whisk until just combined. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 20-25 minutes, or until done.

Mine was done after exactly 21 minutes, but as every over bakes differently, check with a toothpick to make sure it stays soft.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Mix together the boiling water, cocoa powder, sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, and oil; and place in over medium-high heat. Let it come to a boil and once it starts to boil, turn the heat up to high, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until thickened, stirring often. Once done, remove from the heat and add in the vegan milk chocolate. Whisk until fully melted, and set aside.

As soon as the cake is done, take a skewer or a fork and poke tiny holes all over the cake, down to the pan itself, all the way through. Gently, one tablespoon at a time, pour the hot syrup over the hot cake, waiting until all the syrup is absorbed before adding more. Once all the syrup is used up, let the cake cool down to room temperature.

When the cake is cool to the touch, heat the Biscoff spread until pourable, pour it all over the cake, and place into the refrigerator overnight. Just before serving, add the chopped extra dark chocolate, and serve with freshly brewed coffee. Yields 8 rich servings or 12 more modest ones.

VEGAN CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES

Soft and fluffy vegan pancakes, rich cinnamon butter swirl, and a cup of hot coffee. Truly the breakfast of dreams. Or if you are like me, the brunch of dreams, because I prefer my breakfast savoury.

These ones are simply perfect, namely because of the Greek-style yoghurt in the batter. I am generally a massive fan of yoghurt dough in general, but I find it especially irresistible when it comes to desserts. Not only does that addition of yogurt make the doughs and batters rise much better, it also adds such a pleasant tangy flavour to them.

And these are, as all pancakes, absolutely the best served piping hot right off the griddle, with some additional cinnamon butter. The longer you wait, the cooler they will get, but they will still be delicious. My recommendation will always be a cup of coffee, but if almond milk is what you love, or even a nice cup of tea, by all means, serve them up and enjoy!

Ingredients

For the pancakes

120 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
20 grams granulated sugar
140 grams Greek-style vegan yoghurt
100 millilitres carbonated water
20 millilitres neutral oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the cinnamon butter swirl

45 grams icing sugar, sifted
45 g vegan block butter, softened
2 teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste

Preparation

Start by making the cinnamon butter topping. Place the softened vegan block butter into a small bowl, add in the icing sugar and the ground cinnamon, and mix until fully combined. It should form a very thick paste. Transfer it to a sturdy piping bag and set it aside, but do not refrigerate it.

For the pancake batter, take a medium bowl and add in the vegan Greek-style yoghurt, carbonated water, and oil, and mix until combined. Add in the sugar, salt, and vanilla, and blend again.

Finally, sift in the flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined. It is fine if there are a few lumps through the batter; it's better to leave them than to overmix.

Place a medium, flat, non-stick crêpe pan or a pancake griddle over medium-high heat, and let it heat up nicely. Using a small ladle or an ice cream scoop, take portions of the batter and place it onto the heated skillet in one fluid motion and let it spread out on its own.

Cook the pancake for about 30-45 seconds on one side, pipe a generous amount of the cinnamon butter, and let it cook for 30 seconds more. Gently flip it over and cook for about another 45 seconds to a minute, until the other side is nicely cooked. Repeat until all of the batter is used up.

Once all of the pancakes are cooked, serve them immediately with freshly brewed coffee or almond milk. Yields 9 small pancakes or 3-4 servings.

Author's note: Because there will be a bit of the cinnamon butter leftover, you can use it to spread it on pancakes or as a sweet little dipping sauce.

MINI VEGAN MANDARIN & LIME LAYER CAKE

Mini vegan cakes truly have my heart. So delightful to make and enjoy, so tiny and cute. And if they are full of homemade jam, even better.

When I was a child, there was a specific snack bar that I adored. Two layers of a simple vanilla sponge and a layer of marmalade between them. Given that jams have been one of my greatest loves since childhood, it was not a surprise that I loved those little snack bars.

They've been discontinued a long time ago and even if they were still being produced, I am quite sure the sponges were egg-based so it would not align with my preferences now, so I took it upon myself to bring them back in a way that is much more fitting for who I am today.

Four vegan vanilla sponge layers and three layers of homemade mandarin orange and lime jam. Absolute perfection all on its own, but even better with a crunchy chocolate glaze.

Ingredients

For the soft vanilla cake layers

180 grams plain flour
200 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
45 millilitres neutral oil
240 millilitres carbonated water

For the mandarin and lime jam filling

400 grams fresh mandarin orange segments
200 grams apples, grated
50 grams lime segments
300 grams granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons apricot brandy

For the dark chocolate glaze

70 grams dark chocolate (60%)
20 millilitres neutral oil
30 grams flaked or crushed almonds

Preparation

Start by making the jam filling, because it needs time to cool down. Grate the apples and squeeze them dry, and add them to a heavy saucepan or a small cooking pot. Segment the mandarin oranges and limes, remove any pips, and add them to the apples. Finally, tip in the sugar and mix everything thoroughly. Place the pot over medium heat, and let it very slowly come to a boil. As soon as it starts to bubble, start the timer, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring often. As this is a small batch of jam, the cooking process is quick.

After about 30 minutes or so, purée the jam completely with an immersion blender, and cook for 10 minutes more. At that point, check to see if it has reached the setting point, either by dropping a teaspoon of it onto a chilled plate, and seeing if it sets after about a minute, or by inserting a candy thermometer and making sure it has reached 90-95°C. If not, continue cooking and checking in 2-minute intervals until set. The longer you cook it, the deeper the colour and flavour will get, but it will also be much more difficult to spread and slice the cake. Once the jam reaches its setting point, remove it from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let it cool down completely. You should get around 400-420 grams of jam.

Next, make the vanilla cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line a medium square cake pan (18x18 cm) with baking paper, bottom and sides. Take a medium bowl and sift in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in the sugar and salt, and mix well. Finally, in no particular order, pour in the carbonated water, oil, vanilla, and vinegar, and whisk until combined. As soon as the batter is ready, pour it into the prepared pan, and bake immediately in a preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 20 minutes or so, checking for doneness early on. As soon as a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove from the oven and let it cool down a bit in the pan.

My cake was done after exactly 21 minutes.

Once the jam has cooled down almost fully and the cake is still slightly warm to the touch, proceed to assemble the cake.

Level the cake if needed, slice it in half lengthwise, to create two thin strips of cake, and then cut each of them in half to create four very thin layers. Weigh the jam you previously cooked and separate it into four parts. Three of them should be 100 grams each, while the fourth one can be whatever is leftover.

Place the first cake layer on the serving platter, and add 100 grams of jam. Place another cake layer on top, and keep repeating the process until all the cake layers are used up.

If your jam is too thick or has gotten very cold, you can add it to a piping bag and simply pipe the jam in a single layer onto the cake.

Add the apricot brandy to the remaining jam, and heat it very lightly, to make it additionally spreadable, and then use it to frost the cake on all sides. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.

Once the cake has set, melt together dark chocolate and oil, either over low heat or in the microwave, and mix it very well. Just before glazing, add in the flaked or crushed almonds, and glaze the cake on all sides, covering all of the jam. Return it to the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and then serve as desired. Yields 12 rich servings.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE WALNUT CINNAMON ROLLS

Homemade cinnamon rolls. Fluffy, light, beautiful. Full of chocolate and walnuts. Truly a perfect sweet treat.

Although they are typically seen as a breakfast item, being someone who doesn't tolerate early sweets all that well, I find them excellent for brunch or an after-lunch indulgence. With that being said, they are on the sweeter side because of the chocolate in the dough and the chocolate glaze, so serving them with coffee will always be my heartfelt recommendation.

The filling acts almost as a thin brownie layer in the centre of each of them, and it is beyond perfect when served hot out of the pan. I mean, they are good even cold, but serving them straight from the oven is what I adore for that molten reason alone.

Given that the recipe makes 8 very large rolls, you can absolutely divide the roll into 12 smaller pieces and bake them for a shorter time, making sure they stay soft and pillowy. The dark chocolate glaze is optional, but very welcome, I promise you.

Ingredients

For the soft dough

375 grams plain flour
180 millilitres almond milk, warm
30 millilitres neutral oil
20 grams fresh yeast
35 grams granulated sugar
10 grams salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the chocolate walnut filling

80 grams vegan block butter
60 grams dark chocolate (75%)
60 grams icing sugar, sifted
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
30 grams toasted walnuts, finely ground
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

To serve

50 grams extra dark chocolate (85-90%)

Preparation

Start by making the dough. Take a medium bowl, crumble in the fresh yeast, add in the sugar and warm almond milk, and mix well. Set the bowl aside for about 10-15 minutes so the yeast can activate.

Separately sift the flour into a large bowl, add in the salt, and blend well. Once the yeast is ready, make a well in the centre, pour it in, and add in the vanilla and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until a very soft dough forms.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes or so, until it becomes smooth and elastic. If it is sticking too much to your hands or the surface, feel free to add a tablespoon of flour more. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled.

When the dough is almost risen and ready, make the filling. Place the vegan butter, chopped chocolate, sifted cocoa powder, and icing sugar into a saucepan, and place it over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly, let everything melt together until completely liquid. Remove from the heat, add in the ground walnuts, cornflour, cinnamon, and vanilla, and blend very well.

As soon as the filling is ready, let the oven preheat to 200°C and line a rectangular baking pan (20x30 cm) with baking parchment. Take the dough out of the bowl, knead it gently, and then roll it out into a large rectangle. Spread half of the filling onto the dough, and fold it into thirds, like folding a letter. Almost as if you were laminating it like croissant dough. Rotate it 90°, roll it out once again, and repeat the folding process once more. Finally, rotate the dough again, roll it out to about 1 centimetre in thickness, and roll it up into a tight roll. Slice into 8 equal pieces.

Arrange them into the prepared pan, cover and let them rise for another 20 minutes. Bake in a nicely preheated oven, at 200°C, for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden. If you wish, you can brush them with a bit of vegan butter for an additionally soft and rich crust. Serve them right away with melted dark chocolate. Yields 8 very rich servings.