MINI VEGAN WALNUT CHOCOLATE ORANGE CAKE

Whenever walnut cakes are mentioned, I always remember how adamantly against them I was all my childhood. Something about them simply did not sit right with my tiny self, and I am actually quite proud of how well I voiced my absolute disdain for anything containing walnuts.

But preferences change as we age, and today, walnut cakes are among my firm favourites, right next to fruit layer cakes. Walnuts simply pair perfectly with chocolate, vanilla, warm spices, applesauce and apple butter, and even in carrot cakes. They are simply that versatile and lovely.

And this little beauty is, hands down, one of my favourites as of lately. As someone who has loved that classic chocolate and orange pairing since earliest childhood, I find this cake simply irresistible.

Rich walnut layers, smooth chocolate orange buttercream, and some additional molten dark chocolate on top. What's not to adore about it?

I am also happy to say that it both transports and slices wonderfully, so it can make for a wonderful gift over the upcoming holiday period.

And if you love mini vegan cakes as much as I do, I am happy to tell you that you can find many more in my cookbook.

Ingredients

For the soft walnut cake layers

160 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
100 grams granulated sugar
50 grams light brown sugar
75 grams toasted walnuts, finely ground
40 millilitres neutral oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
220 millilitres carbonated water

For the walnut chocolate vegan buttercream filling

150 grams vegan block butter, softened
75 grams toasted walnuts, ground
100 grams icing sugar, sifted
25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
50 ml boiling hot orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Preparation

Start by making the cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line a square cake pan (18x18 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda, add them to a medium bowl, and add in both types of sugar, along with the walnuts. Whisk to combine. Pour in all of the wet ingredients, without any particular order, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 22-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down in the pan completely.

When the cake is almost completely cool, start working on the buttercream. Place the ground walnuts, cocoa powder, and half of the icing sugar into a bowl, and separately let the fresh orange juice come to a boil. Once boiling, pour it over the walnuts, mix well, and let it cool down to room temperature.

Place the softened vegan block butter into a large bowl, add in the vanilla and orange zest, and whip with an electric mixer on high for about 2-3 minutes, or until light in colour and creamy. Sift in the rest of the icing sugar, and blend it very well.

Finally, when the buttercream is almost ready, add in the cooled walnuts, and blend well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and whip again. Place the bowl into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or so.

Once everything is ready, proceed to assemble the cake. Level the cooled cake if needed, slice it in half lengthwise, to create two thin and long strips of cake, and then cut each of them in half to create four very thin layers. Whip the buttercream once more until light and creamy and divide it into four equal parts.

This is best done by weight.

Place the first cake layer on the serving platter, and add a portion of the prepared filling. Continue stacking the cake layers until all of them are used up. As the cake is firm, use the remaining buttercream to frost and decorate to your liking. Place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and serve with strong coffee. Yields 8 rich servings or 12 more modest ones.

VEGAN PUMPKIN SEED FLOUR SWIRL BREAD

Breads are one of my greatest loves, and I don't mean just consumption, I truly enjoy shaping and baking bread, which is very visible both on my blog and social media. There is something wonderfully therapeutic in working with bread dough, and I highly recommend it to everyone, because I believe that everyone should know how to bake at least one type of bread they love.

This lovely little loaf is excellent for savoury spreads of all kinds, as well as hearty stews. Honestly, it works well with jams, as well, but not so much with chocolate-based spreads, take my word for it. However, it really does have that gorgeous wow effect once sliced, and it does bring an additional layer of happiness to a meal.

Keep in mind that if you don't enjoy swirl breads, you can either add all the flour directly into the bowl and create a simple loaf that will still bake up the same, or simply arrange the dough pieces as you like. Whatever your vision is, do follow it, and I am absolutely certain that the result will be equally beautiful and delicious.

Ingredients

100 grams vegan Greek-style yoghurt, cold
100 millilitres hot water
35 millilitres neutral oil
40 grams fresh yeast
20 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
350 grams plain flour
30 grams pumpkin flour
20 grams crushed pumpkin seed, optional

Preparation

Take a medium bowl, pour the boiling hot water over the cold soy yoghurt, add in the sugar and crumbled fresh yeast, mix well, and let it stand for about 10 minutes, so the yeast can dissolve. When the yeast is ready, add in the oil and mix well. Sift in half of the flour and the salt, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Sift in the rest of the flour, and proceed to knead with your hands, either in the bowl or on the work surface, for about 3 minutes more, until the dough starts to come together.

It is fine if the dough feels sticky at this point.

Divide the dough roughly in half, transfer one half to a separate bowl, and add in the pumpkin flour. Knead it through very well, adding a teaspoon or two of warm water if necessary. Pumpkin seed flour will give a bit of fat to the loaf, since pumpkin seed is naturally higher in fat, so you might not need the additional water. Knead the other half of the dough until supple and elastic, and place the dough pieces into a large bowl, cover it, and let it rest and rise for about an hour.

Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and briefly knead it, adding just a bit of flour more, only if necessary. Roll both pieces to about 10 millimetres in thickness. Stack them together and roll them up as you would a Swiss roll. Gently dampen the edge with some cold water, so the rolls hold together, and place it into a small loaf tin (10x20 cm) lined with baking parchment. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rise for another 30 minutes.

Let the oven preheat to 200°C. Generously mist the risen dough with cold water, sprinkle it with pumpkin seeds if using, and bake it in a preheated oven, at 200°C, for about 25-30 minutes, until baked through and nicely browned. Let it cool down to room temperature, and serve. Yields one small loaf.

Author's note: If you wish, you can brush the loaf with a bit of melted vegan butter or some neutral oil as soon as you take it out of the oven, for a beautifully soft crust.

MINI VEGAN POPPY SEED CHERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

If you love blue poppy seeds as much as I do, you will adore this mini vegan cake. It is absolutely brimming with chocolate, poppy seed, sour cherries, and deep, rich vanilla.

Four deliciously brownie-like cake layers, rich cherry jelly, and plenty of creamy poppy seed filling make this tiny little cake a true delight. Yes, it is a mini cake, but it is a mighty one, serving up to 16 people. Because it is so robust in flavour, I do recommend serving it in thin slices, with your favourite fruit liqueur or strong coffee.

One final note; if the filling is still a bit too soft for your liking, which is a fairly common thing to happen because of how the poppy seed was ground, the type of semolina, the type of vegan butter you use, etc; feel free to add some more ground almonds. Simply blend them in very well and place the filling into the refrigerator for another 20-30 minutes.

Ingredients

For the soft chocolate cake layers

150 grams plain flour
160 grams granulated sugar
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
200 millilitres boiling water
30 millilitres neutral oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste

For the sour cherry jelly

150 grams sour cherries, fresh or defrosted
50 grams light brown sugar
30 millilitres water
20 grams cornflour
15 grams vegan block butter

For the poppy seed filling and frosting

350 millilitres soy milk, cold
150 grams granulated sugar
30 grams semolina
20 grams cornflour
200 grams poppy seed, ground finely
120 grams blanched almonds, ground finely
200 grams vegan block butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Preparation

Start by making the sour cherry jelly, as it needs to be frozen solid. Line a small cake form (15x20 cm) with baking parchment or plastic wrap and set aside. Place the fruit into a heavy saucepan, and add in the water, sugar, and cornflour. Place over medium-high heat, and let it come to a boil, stirring often. Once it starts to boil, cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes, stirring vigorously, because it will have quite a thick texture. As soon as it is done, remove it from the heat and add in the vegan block butter.

Mix very well, transfer it to the prepared cake form, level the top and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap or a round of baking parchment, and place it into the freezer for at least 6 hours, or until completely frozen. This can also be done the night before.

The next day, start by making the poppy seed filling. Pour the cold soy milk into a large saucepan, add in the ground poppy seed, cornflour, and sugar, blend well, and place it over medium heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, add in the semolina, and start stirring vigorously, cooking for 4-5, until it cooks into a glossy custard. Once done, remove it from the heat, blend it well with a hand mixer or an immersion blender, cover the top with a piece of baking parchment or cling film, and let it cool down to room temperature.

Finally, make the vegan chocolate cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 170°C. Line a rectangular cake pan (20x30 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set it aside. Take a large bowl and sift in the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the sugar and mix very well. Make a well in the very centre of the dry ingredients; pour in the wet ingredients in no particular order, whisk until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap it lightly on the work surface, and bake immediately in a nicely preheated oven, at 170°C, for about 15-18minutes, or until done. As every over bakes differently, check with a toothpick to make sure it stays soft. Let it cool in the pan completely.

Once everything is ready, proceed to assemble the cake. Level the cake and trim the sides, if necessary, and slice it in half crosswise and lengthwise, to create four thin rectangular layers. Set them aside.

Whip the cooled poppy seed custard with an electric mixer on high until light and creamy, and set it aside. Take a large bowl and beat the vegan block butter with the vanilla until lighter in colour and fluffy. Add the ground almonds to the whipped custard, and blend well. Finally, add in the whipped butter in a few additions, and beat until completely creamy and smooth. Divide it into three equal parts and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, to firm up slightly.

Place the first cake layer on the cake platter, and add one-third of the filling. Place another cake layer and add the frozen cherry jelly straight from the freezer. Top with another cake layer, followed by another third of the poppy seed almond filling. Place the final cake layer on top and use the leftover filling to frost and decorate the entire cake. It is firm, so it can be frosted immediately.

Place the whole platter in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight, and serve the cake in thin slices with strong coffee. Yields 12 very rich servings or 16 smaller ones.

VEGAN BLACK SESAME STRAWBERRY DOUGHNUTS

Homemade vegan doughnuts, homemade strawberry jam, and a cup of coffee. Is there a more delightful way to brighten up a winter's day? Rhyme was unintentional, but welcome; however, homemade doughnuts are a good way to brighten up any day, not just long winter ones.

As someone who loves sesame in every way, adding it to sweet dough desserts was just a next logical step, really. And I find that it pairs tremendously well with fillings that are naturally on the sweeter side, like strawberry, raspberry, or even apricot jam.

Now, these doughnuts are baked, not fried. Traditionally, they are fried in plenty of oil, but I am not a fan of deep-fried sweets, so this is what works best for me. Think of them as a cross between a traditional doughnut, baked beignets, and light brioche. Just perfect.

I suggest serving them as soon as they're cool enough to handle, with plenty of strawberry jam filling, and a cup of good, strong coffee.

Ingredients

For the doughnut dough

450 grams plain flour
50 grams bread flour
25 grams light brown sugar
25 grams black sesame seeds, toasted and roughly ground
30 grams fresh yeast
150 millilitres warm water
125 grams vegan vanilla yoghurt, Greek-style
45 millilitres vegetable oil
10 grams salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the strawberry jam filling

500 grams strawberries, fresh or defrosted
50 millilitres maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 tablespoon cold water

Preparation

Start by making the sweet dough. Sift both types of flour into a large bowl, add in the salt, whisk well, and set aside. Crumble the fresh yeast into a medium bowl, add in the sugar and warm water, and set it aside for about 10 minutes so the yeast can activate.

Once ready, make a well in the centre of the flour, add in all the other ingredients for the dough, and mix with a wooden spoon until a very soft and sticky dough forms. It should not stick to your hands, though, but if it is, add another tablespoon of plain flour. Place the dough into a large bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature for about an hour, or until doubled. It might take longer if your kitchen is on the cooler side.

Next, make the filling. Chop the strawberries roughly, add them to a heavy pot along with the maple syrup and vanilla, and let it come to a boil. Cook, stirring often, for about 15-20 minutes, until thickened and reduced to about half. Separately whisk together the cornflour and cold water, add them to the jam, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely.

Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it briefly. If it is still sticky, flour the surface well. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces by weight and shape each of them into a ball. Arrange them on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment, and let them rest and rise, covered with a kitchen towel, for about 30 minutes more, while the oven is preheating to 200°C.

Just before baking, generously mist them with cold water and bake, in a preheated oven, at 200°C, for about 10 up to maximum 12 minutes. Make sure they don’t overbake, as they will be tough if they do.

Remove from the oven, and immediately take them off the baking sheet. As soon as the doughnuts are cool enough to be comfortably filled, generously fill them with the strawberry maple jam, and serve immediately. Yields 16 generous servings.

MINI VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CAKE

We are barely over a month away from spring and that makes me tremendously happy. I have always preferred warmer weather, and the idea of longer, sunnier days just fills me with endless excitement.

With that in mind, may I present to you a lovely mini vegan cake, full of sweet strawberries, white and milk vegan chocolate, and bright and fresh lemons, for that beautiful spring-like joy. Truly a tiny little gem, perfect for any kind of smaller gathering or even just a brunch.

Two soft vanilla cake layers, generous amounts of milk chocolate ganache, layer upon layer of billowing white chocolate mousse, and ripe strawberry jelly make this cake so effortlessly perfect. The only thing left to do is take a tiny little dessert spoon and enjoy.

Ingredients

For the soft vanilla cake layers

50 grams plain flour
10 grams cornflour 50 grams granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
60 millilitres carbonated water
15 millilitres neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the whipped vegan white chocolate mousse

200 grams vegan white chocolate
60 grams vegan block butter
120 millilitres vegan double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon whipped cream stabiliser

For the strawberry jelly

100 grams strawberries, fresh or defrosted
45 grams light brown sugar
10 grams cornflour
20 millilitres fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
10 grams vegan block butter

For the vegan milk chocolate ganache

120 grams vegan milk chocolate
40 millilitres vegan double cream

Preparation

Start by making the strawberry jelly, as it needs to be frozen. Line a small round (10 cm) cake frame or mousse mold with a strip of acetate or baking parchment and set it aside. Place the fruit into a bowl, add the lemon juice and zest, sugar, and cornflour, and mash until smooth. Alternatively, for a perfectly smooth jelly, blend everything in a blender. Pour the mixture into a heavy saucepan and place it over medium heat. Let it come to a boil, stirring often. Once it starts to boil, cook until thickened, about 3 minutes, stirring vigorously. As soon as it is done, remove it from the heat and add in the vegan block butter.

Mix very well, making sure to incorporate the butter completely, and transfer it to the prepared frame. Level the top and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap or a round of baking parchment, and place it into the freezer for at least 6 hours, or until frozen solid. This can also be done the night before.

For the vegan white chocolate mousse, chop the chocolate finely and add it to a saucepan, along with the vegan cream and butter, and place everything over low heat. Melt it together slowly, stirring gently, remove from the heat, add in the vanilla, and let it cool down to room temperature. Cover with a piece of cling film or baking parchment, and place into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

For the soft cake layers, start by letting the oven preheat to 180°C and lining a small rectangular cake pan (10x20 cm) with baking parchment. Take a medium bowl and sift in the flour, cornflour, baking powder, and the salt. Whisk to combine, add in sugar, and whisk once again. Add in all the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 8-10 minutes. The cake is very thin, so check early with a toothpick to make sure it is baked through and soft. Once baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool down completely in the pan.

Once everything is cool to the touch and ready, proceed to assemble the cake.

Level the cake if necessary, and using a cake form or a 10-cm cookie cutter, cut out two 10-cm rounds from it. Reserve the remaining cake as a snack. Whip the white chocolate ganache until soft peaks form, sift in the whipped cream stabiliser, and continue whipping on the highest setting until stiff peaks form. Divide into four equal parts and place it into the refrigerator briefly.

To make the milk chocolate ganache, chop the chocolate finely, place it in a saucepan, and add in the vegan double cream. Melt over low heat and let it cool down, but still remain pourable. Place the first cake layer onto the serving platter, close a cake ring around it, and line it with a tall strip of acetate. Pour the ganache over the cake layer and place it into the refrigerator.

Once firmed up, take the cake out and add one-fourth of the white chocolate mousse, followed by the frozen strawberry jelly. Be gentle because the mousse will be soft. Add another cake layer on top and spread another fourth of the white chocolate mousse over it. Place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, along with the remaining mousse in an airtight container.

The next day, remove the cake from the cake ring, remove the acetate, and decorate the cake using the leftover mousse. Add some additional strawberries if desired and serve. Yields 8 rich servings.