Vegan Pumpkin Shortcakes with Warm Spiced Apple Filling

I decided to end Vegan MoFo 2011 on a sweet note.

But, first, speaking of sweet…

A big thank you is in order to Isa and all the good folks who are the driving force behind Vegan MoFo.  Thank you so much for continuing to feed this fire and for making it so easy, not to mention gratifying, for all of us vegan bloggers and many, many readers to participate.  What a beautiful thing.

Though MoFo officially ends today, I will still be here offering new recipes several times a week to Blooming Platter readers and subscribers.  So I invite you to subscribe if you haven’t already.  It’s now easier than ever and you can do it via email, no rss feed necessary.  Just look over at the top of the right-hand sidebar and follow the simple prompts.

This version features a split pumpkin biscuit.

And now a sweet for the sweet, but, not so sweet that you couldn’t serve this warming dish for a fall breakfast or brunch, which is how I first enjoyed it.

I grew up loving my mother’s biscuit-style Strawberry Shortcake which, incidentally, she would sometimes allow my sister and me to enjoy for breakfast.  So, my fall version of this treat is based on a sweetened pumpkin biscuit.

And it’s topped with a quick and spicy apple and walnut saute.  Your kitchen will be perfumed with some of the best fragrances of fall.

Yield: 4 Servings

Note: the following is the Herbed Biscuit recipe from my new Blooming Platter vegan cookbook without the herbs, but with the addition of dehydrated pumpkin powder and a little natural sugar.  Just click here to order the dehydrated pumpkin from Barry Farm.  I am partial to it rather than pumpkin puree, as it adds lots of flavor and golden color, but no additional un-needed nor unwanted moisture which requires additional flour and, hence, a heavy biscuit.  However, if you have a vegan pumpkin biscuit recipe you like, feel free to substitute.  Just add about 2 tablespoons of natural sugar to a cup of flour. 

My special biscuit method requires freezing the vegan butter and shortening, so don’t forget to pop it in the freezer the night before you plan to make them.  And I highly encourage taking the tiny bit of extra time to employ my modified french puff pastry folding method.  You won’t believe how buttery and flaky the two together will make your biscuit-shortcakes.

This version features an unsplit pumpkin biscuit.

Pumpkin Shortcakes

Note: this recipe makes about 10 biscuit-shortcakes, more than you need, but they are delicious plain and reheat nicely, so I predict you’ll be glad to have them on hand.

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup plain or unsweetened soy milk

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (or 1 1/2 cups all purpose or white whole wheat flour + 1 tablespoon baking powder)

1/2 cup dehydrated pumpkin powder (I use Barry Farm brand–it’s like a fragrant golden powder)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder (add only if using the self-rising flour)

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or your own mix of ground cinnamon, clove and nutmeg to taste)

1/4 cup natural sugar

4 tablespoons frozen vegetable shortening

4 tablespoons frozen vegan butter + 2 tablespoons refrigerated vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

Warm Spiced Apple Filling (recipe below)

About 1/4 cup of your favorite vegan whipped topping, sweetened cashew cream, or even vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar into the soy milk and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder (3/4 teaspoon if using the self-rising flour and 1 tablespoon if using all purpose or white whole wheat), pumpkin powder, pumpkin pie spice, and natural sugar, and stir with a fork to combine.  Make a well in the center.  Spray your box grater very lightly with nonstick spray for easier clean up and then grate the frozen shortening and frozen vegan butter into the well.  Whisk the soy milk mixture and add it to the well.

2.  Incorporate the wet into the dry ingredients by stirring with a fork so that the warmth of your hands doesn’t melt the shortening and butter.  Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9-inch square pan and place it in the oven to melt the butter.  Remove the pan as soon as the butter has melted.

3.  On a lightly floured work surface, pat or roll the dough to about 1-inch thick (1/4-inch thicker than for my biscuits).  Fold it like a business letter: fold one side two-thirds of the way across and fold the remaining 1/3 back across.  Pat or gently roll the dough out to a 1-inch thickness again, turn it a quarter turn and repeat about 4 more times.  Do this fairly quickly so that the dough doesn’t warm up.

4.  Lightly flour the work surface as necessary.  The last time you pa the dough to a 1-inch, cut out biscuits wih a 2-inch biscuit, cookie cutter or drinking glass.  Place each biscuit in the prepared pan and flip to coat both sides with melted butter.  Bake the biscuits for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.   While biscuits bake, make filling (recipe below).

5.  When cool enough to handle, either place a biscuit on each of 4 plates; top with 1/4th of the Warm Spiced Apple Filling; garnish each serving with a tablespoon of vegan whipped topping, sweetened cashew cream, or vegan sour cream and a light dusting of ground cinnamon; and serve warm.  Or, split the biscuits and place 1/8th of the filling inside and another 1/8th of the filling on top, garnish, and serve.  Save the remaining 6 biscuits in an airtight container for another use.

Warm Spiced Apple Filling

1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts

2 medium apples (I like our local Winesaps), cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup natural sugar

1/4 cup ground cinnamon or to taste

1/4 cup ground ginger or to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground clove or to taste

1 tablespoon maple syrup

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter.  Add walnuts and toast, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Remove nuts to a paper towel-lined saucer.  Add apple, natural sugar, and spices.  Saute for about 3 minutes or until apples soften.  Add maple syrup and cook another minute or two until apples are very tender.  Add all but 1 tablespoon of walnuts, stir, and heat through.  Remove from heat and use as directed above.

Vegan Peaches-and-Cream Cupcakes/Cake with Peach Butter Whip Frosting

Yield: 12 regular size cupcakes (or a single 8-inch layer; double the recipe to make an 8-inch layer cake)

This cake has quite a provenance.  When I baked the vegetarian version in 1997 for my friend Yvette’s birthday, she and her husband, Randy, both sophisticated foodies, pronounced it , “the best cake we’ve ever eaten.”

The next year, another good friend, Sonya Harmon, and I made it for our director at the Contemporary Art Center of VA, Barbara Bloemink’s, wedding.  It was a huge hit, as guests weren’t taking dainty slices but hefty slabs.

And, finally, Sonya’s mother, Sandy, entered it in a church baking contest and won top honors. (We suspect the contest is a thinly-veiled excuse for the men of the church to eat lots of scrumptious cakes.)  The cake is definitely a winner, but I don’t even remember from whence the original recipe hailed.  I want to say Southern Living Magazine.

Why I haven’t made it in over a decade, I can’t imagine.  And why I picked now, I’m not sure, except that I was watching “Cupcake Wars,” got excited about slightly out of the ordinary flavors, remembered this cake, and decided it was high time I veganize it.  My dairy-free version is at least as good–and I think better–than the original.   And, though I made it as cupcakes, feel free to double the recipe and make it as a layer cake.

When I made the vegetarian original, I “cheated” and used a Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe “French Vanilla” cake mix.  The main difference between garden-variety “vanilla” and “French vanilla,” is a rich “eggy” taste, as well as a caramel-like depth of flavor with “floral notes.”  So, I caramelized the sugar and used a real vanilla bean for this vegan rendition.   Wow!

I suppose that making a cake with a dried peach filling at the height of peach season is almost blasphemous, so try it with fresh if you like; you just might need to “tighten up” the filling with a little cornstarch. Regardless of how you decide to fill it, it will quickly become a favorite.

Note: Make and chill the Vegan Chantilly Whipped Cream for the Vegan Peach Butter Whip Frosting the day before you plan to use it.

Vegan French Vanilla Cupcakes/Cake:

1 cup soymilk

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons soymilk

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (if you want them to be more delicate, use unbleached all-purpose flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1 vanilla bean, split, and seeds scraped out with the sharp tip of a knife

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Dried Peach Filling (recipe follows)

Vegan Peach Butter Whip Frosting (recipe follows)

Optional Garnishes: a tiny slice of fresh peach and a mint leaf; a dot of Vegan Chantilly Whipped Cream and a lemon verbena or mint leaf; etc.

In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup of soymilk with vinegar and set aside to curdle.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a regular-size 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers.  In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, stir sugar for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to look moist.  Add the 2 tablespoons of soymilk and cook, stirring constantly, until creamy, heated through, and slightly more golden in color, about 2 more minutes.  Set aside to cool.   In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and make a well in the center.  Add oil, vanilla bean seeds, and both extracts to the curdled soymilk and pour into the well.  Whisk wet and dry ingredients together just until well-combined and no lumps remain.  Divide batter evenly among cupcake papers; they should be about 2/3 full.  Bake 20-22 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.  Remove cupcake tin to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.  Then remove cupcakes from the tin and allow them to cool completely on the wire rack.  When cupcakes are cool, top each with about 1/12 of the filling and frost with 1/12 of the frosting.  I like to pipe it on in a spiral using a large star tip.  Garnish as desired.  If not serving immediately, or if there are leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.   Leftovers?  What leftovers?

Dried Peach Filling:

1 3/4 cup dried peaches or peach pieces

1  1/2 cups water

1/4 cup natural sugar

2 tablespoons agave nectar or light corn syrup

Combine peaches and water in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover, remove from the heat, and let stand 30 minutes or until peaches are soft.  Add sugar and nectar and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated (not all of the liquid or it will be too stiff).  Remove from the heat and process the mixture until smooth.  Cool.

Vegan Peach Butter Whip Frosting:

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegan butter, softened

1 pound powdered sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup cashew Chantilly Whipped “Cream” (recipe follows)

4 tablespoons peach filling

Beat together at medium speed vegan butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla and almond extracts until fluffy.  Then add remaining powdered sugar alternately with Chantilly Whipped Cream, beating after each addition to combine well.  Add peach puree and beat an addition minute and a half on high speed until the frosting is smooth, very fluffy and holds peaks.

Vegan Chantilly Whipped Cream

2 cups raw cashews, divided

1 1/4-1 1/2 cups water, divided

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural sugar or, for a lighter color, granulated or powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup raw cashews and water.  Cover, and let sit for 8 hours or over night.  (I like to begin the soaking process in the morning so that I can make the Cream in the evening and let it chill overnight before using.)  Rinse and drain well.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine soaked cashews, cashews, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla.  Process until very smooth, thick and creamy.  Chill.   Reserve remaining Chantilly Whipped Cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For 150+ additional seasonal recipes not on this website, I invite you to explore The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

Vegan Whoopie Pies with a Secret Ingredient

Yield: 12 Whoopie Pies

I’m a southern gal and we didn’t grow up knowing what Whoopie Pies were.  But now I know I missed out!  These New England comfort snacks are all the rage and it’s easy to see why: what’s not to like about a fluffy white filling sandwiched between two cake layers that look more like cookies?

So, seduced into trying my hand by the appealing-looking version that Starbucks sells, I set about yesterday to create vegan Red Velvet Whoppie Pies but without all of that red dye.  My plan was to use a can of beets that has been in our pantry for I don’t know how long.  Why this seasonal cook had canned beets in her possession can only be explained by something like hurricane preparedness!

It turns out that the color is just not intense enough to turn the batter red.  The puree and juice look ruby red, but they become much more subdued in the batter, which is okay, as it just makes these chocolately Whoopie Pies a warmer brown color.   I think beet powder would do the trick, so I plan to experiment.

The trouble with canned beets as a food item is that they are virtually devoid of nutrition except a tiny bit of protein.  I suppose they contain micro-nutrients, but those aren’t listed on the label.  However, they do contain carbohydrate, a wonderful texture, sweet flavor, and the previously mentioned bit of protein, so they seemed perfect for adding body to my Whoppie Pies, red color or not…and they were!   Hope you agree!

Pies:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup unsweetened or plain soymilk

1-15 ounce can beets, drained, 2 tablespoons of  juice reserved (if you want to use fresh beets, trim about 2-3 of them, place them in a 1-quart saucepan covered with water, cover, bring to a simmer over medium-high, and cook until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid, and peel)

1 1/2 cups canola oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all purpose)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.  Make soy “buttermilk” by whisking apple cider vinegar into soymilk and setting it aside to curdle.  Whisk again before using.  In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree beets until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.  Remove 1/2 cup puree; if there are any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Place puree, 2 tablespoons of juice, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat about 1-2 minutes or until completely combined and sugar starts to dissolve.  Then add flour, in three parts, alternating with “buttermilk,” beating only enough after each addition to incorporate ingredients.

Using heaping tablespoons (I like to use the traditional fairly shallow measuring spoon, as the shape is perfect) make 24 “patty” shapes, 12 per baking sheet.  Avoid crowding them and bake in two batches if necessary, though they won’t spread much.  Bake about 12 minutes until the “cookies” are firm, but not crisp.  They should be about the consistency of a cupcake top.  Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, covered with a dish towel.

Filling:

6 ounces vegan cream cheese

4 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter  (I like Earth Balance)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter at medium to medium-high speed, until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in extracts followed by powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, starting the speed on low and gradually increasing.  Keep beating until the mixture is very smooth and somewhat fluffy.

Turn half of pies upside down and, using a tablespoon, dollop frosting evenly among them.  You can coax the frosting to the edge with a spoon or spatula or, do as I do, and just gently press the top half of the pie down to squeeze the frosting to the edges. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap, store them in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving.

Note 1: If you want to dress them up a bit, as in the photo, just melt some vegan chocolate chips in the microwave (about 1 minute at 20 second intervals) and, using a small spoon, just drizzle the melted chocolate over the tops and allow to harden before wrapping/storing.

Note 2:  These stack nicely in a wine sack for gift-giving.

Vegan Chocolate Carrot Cupcakes Bloomed on My Platter

This weekend, my husband hosted an overnight house party for 14 of our closest couple friends including a dear friend from D.C.   The beautiful venue was an oceanfront house he rented in Sandbridge, a coastal community in southern VA Beach.  The two-story house–with a kitchen on each floor!–accommodated us all very comfortably, with rooms to spare.

The party concept was entirely Joe’s idea, though he turned all of the details over to me.  Through the efforts and generosity of many, I have to say that everything was completely perfect, far surpassing my greatest expectations!  Thanks to all!

We based virtually the entire catered menu for Saturday night’s dinner on recipes from my new cookbook, including these exquisite cupcakes artfully crafted by Chef Emily de Long of the Gourmet Bake Shoppe in Virginia Beach.

After an initial meeting, I emailed Chef de Long the Chocolate Carrot Cake recipe from The Blooming Platter Cookbook, and she used her own naturally vegan buttercream and sugar artistry to recreate two different cupcake designs I had researched, lending to them her own special touches.  Then she wrapped them in scalloped cupcake wrappers I had made using a template I found online and scrapbook paper from a local arts and crafts store.

The end result is my idea of a Blooming Platter!

I ordered far more cupcakes than we needed because I wanted a bountiful display.  But I also ordered individual cupcake boxes so that I could send the leftovers home with our guests.  They made beautiful Mother’s Day gifts, as several people were meeting their mothers for brunch today.

Stay-tuned for more food-related posts from this lovely party and Happy Mother’s Day to mothers of all kinds wherever you may be.

For this luscious recipe, I hope you’ll consider purchasing a copy of The Blooming Platter Cookbook for your collection.  It is available at Amazon; Barnes & Noble; and locally at Prince Books, Norfolk’s favorite book store:  109 E. Main Street, Norfolk, 757-622-9223, staff@prince-books.com.

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Vegan Cranberry-Walnut Streusel

Yield: one 9 x 13″ cake

This is the moistest cake you may ever eat. And it becomes even more so as it sits (well covered of course).

The cake was inspired by a recipe I saw for a dried cranberry-nut pumpkin cake. I didn’t think the dried cranberry and nuts sounded very good in the batter. So, thinking that I wanted to make something that didn’t require frosting, but that was more than just a “naked” cake, I thought of a streusel topping. Then it occurred to me that I could add the dried fruit and nuts to the streusel. Eureka! Goldilocks would agree that the combination is just right.

I crave this cake perhaps most especially at breakfast because it functions well as a coffeecake. But I hope you will enjoy it anytime you please!






For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

The Big White Vegan Cake–Vegan German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan-Dried Cranberry Filling and Vegan Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Annually in December, Southern Living magazine publishes what their staff has come to call “The Big White Cake” issue. And with good reason. For years, come December, a glorious confection swathed in snowy white has graced the cover of their winter holiday issue. From tiered spectacles to more humble one-pan wonders, flavors have ranged from red velvet to chocolate to peppermint and many more.

For this month’s “Veggie Table,” my column in the Virginian-Pilot, we decided to borrow a page from their playbook and create our own version of The Big White Cake, only one that is completely egg- and dairy-free. Generating ideas was not the difficult part—white goes with everything—but narrowing down the choices was.

The approach of my friend Sharon Tanner’s birthday made the decision a little easier. Tasked with bringing the cake to her party, I asked what flavor her heart most desired. “German Chocolate,” was her unequivocal response. Ah, that was easy. It’s my dad’s favorite too.

So the cake layers are deep dark, but sweet, chocolate. The recipe I chose may be made with all-purpose or cake flour and melted vegan butter or canola oil. The cake flour and oil results in a somewhat lighter cake, and the all-purpose flour and butter results in one a bit denser. Both taste delicious; just choose the texture you prefer.

Though German Chocolate Cakes are typically coconut-and-pecan filled, but not frosted, I thought the addition of my favorite vegan cream cheese frosting would be both lovely and delicious. And it is. This show-stopping dessert is so pretty that it can do double-duty as a centerpiece.

For a more holiday-ish adaptation of the traditional filling, I took my cue from Lane Cake, adding dried cranberries to the filling along with a little citrus to brighten the fruit flavor. A hint of almond extract, in addition to the traditional vanilla, enhances the flavor of the nuts and coconut. And cognac—a nip of my husband’s “good stuff” brushed on the layers and stirred into the filling—creates subtle nuances and depth of flavor.

Decorating this cake may be akin to gilding the lily, but this season of the year seems to call for going a bit over the top in the name of festivity. I created borders from piped on frosting “stars” and pecan halves. If you don’t trust yourself wielding a pastry bag, pecan halves alone are plenty pretty and lend a homespun appeal, as would finely chopped pecans or flaked coconut pressed into the sides of the cake.

Though you could stop right there and still have an extra special dessert, I decided to add a crowning touch: a little finial and a focal point on the rim of the platter made from sugar-coated fresh cranberries and kumquats. The sugaring process is so simple that you could easily prepare enough fruit to make an entire border in mere minutes (after the overnight steeping).

Easy to make, but impressive to the eyes and palate, this cake embodies the spirit of this beautiful season when it is shared with friends and family.

Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Cake:
3 cups all-purpose or cake flour (the former yields a slightly denser cake; the latter slightly lighter)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup canola oil or melted vegan butter (the former yields a slightly lighter cake; the latter slightly denser)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cognac (or bourbon)
1 recipe Vegan Coconut, Pecan and Dried Cranberry Filling (recipe follows)
1 recipe Vegan Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
Garnishes: pecan halves, finely chopped pecans, and/or flaked coconut
Optional: sugared cranberries and kumquats (instructions follow)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch cake pans. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the dry ingredients, add the wet ones except cognac, and mix until well combined. Then beat for about 1 minute at medium speed or until smooth. Avoid over-beating. Bake for approximately 30 minutes (slightly longer for the 8-inch rounds) or until a toothpick inserted at the highest point comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on wire racks. Run a knife around the edges of the pans to loosen and turn out onto racks to cool. Cover layers loosely with a kitchen towel while cooling. Note: For other applications, you may bake this cake in 24 cupcake tins for 20-25 minutes or one 9 x11-inch pan for about 50 minutes.

When cake layers are cool, place the bottom tier on a serving plate and brush with one tablespoon of the cognac or bourbon. Spread with half the filling. Top with the second layer, brush it with remaining liquor, and spread with remaining filling. Frost just the sides of the cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting. Decorate as desired with optional piped on frosting stars, pecan halves and sugared fruit. In addition or alternatively, you may press finely chopped pecans or flaked coconut into the sides of the cake. Note: There will be enough frosting to pipe on a moderate amount of decoration. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for another use.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If cake layers “dome” while baking, allow them to cool and then use a serrated knife to slice off the crown of the dome. If the center of the layers is still noticeably higher than the sides, use a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off to pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the bottom cake layer to effectively raise the outer edge of the cake and create a “dam” for the filling. This will allow you to create a flat surface for the second layer to rest on. Do the same for the top layer to prevent the filling from spilling over the edges.

Cake recipe source: Susan Voisin and the Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

Vegan Coconut, Pecan and Dried Cranberry Filling:
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain, vanilla or vanilla lite would also be good)
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons cognac or bourbon
Juice of one lemon
½-1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/3 cup cornstarch
¼ cup water
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 ½ cups pecan pieces or chopped pecans
½ cup (generous) dried cranberries

In a medium saucepan, mix the soy milk, coconut milk, sugar, extracts, cognac or bourbon, and lemon juice and zest. Whisk the cornstarch together with the water and add to soy milk mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Cook and stir for one minute after it boils. Remove from heat and stir in coconut, pecans and dried cranberries. Cool to almost room temperature before spreading on layers.

Adapted from Susan Voisin and the Fatfree Vegan Kitchen. I added the dried cranberries to make the cake look more festive for the holidays, and then added the almond extract, cognac, lemon juice and zest to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.

Vegan Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:
½ cup vegan butter
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup vegan cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
5 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons plain soy creamer (unsweetened, plain, vanilla or vanilla lite soy milk would also work)

Cream together first three ingredients on high speed of electric mixer until creamy. Beat in extracts. Turn mixer off and add a little less than 2 cups of the powdered sugar and a tablespoon of soy creamer. Slowly turn mixer to high and beat until incorporated and fluffy. Repeat two more times until all of powdered sugar and creamer have been incorporated. Frosting should be creamy-stiff and peaks should hold their shape. If piping on decoration, you will want the frosting on the stiffer side.

Sugared Fresh Cranberries and Kumquats:
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
2 cups fresh cranberries and kumquats (skin on), combined
3/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar (granulated sugar will work fine, but will lend a coarser appearance; you may pulverize granulated sugar in a food processor, if desired)

Make simple syrup: combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. (Do not boil or the cranberries may pop when added.) Stir in fruit; pour mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain fruit in a colander over a bowl, reserving steeping liquid, if desired. Place sugar in a shallow dish. Add the fruit, rolling to coat with sugar. Spread sugared fruits in a single layer on a waxed paper or parchment paper-lined baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.

Source: Cooking Light, December 2003

Vegan German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan-Dried Cranberry Filling and Vegan Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting–Teaser

I’m posting this photo as a tease to entice you to return for more good things to come. Once the recipe and story are published in “The Big White Cake” edition of my vegan column, “The Veggie Table,” this coming Wednesday, December 16, in The Virginian-Pilot, I will post it all for you. (If you are local, please support the newspaper and check it out in the “Flavor” section.) Until then, may visions of sugarplums dance in your head!

Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake–Beautiful for Holiday Gift-Giving

Yield: 12 servings

My annual Christmas Curry & Cakes all-girls party–an almost 10-year tradition dubbed by one of the husbands as “CC&C”–was this past Wednesday evening. Though everyone is encouraged not to bring gifts, they always do. My lovely friend Susan Kaplan presented me with the “sugarplum” in the photograph. I thought she had purchased it, not because she’s not a talented cook with great decorating taste, but because it was packaged so professionally. However, inside the card was the recipe which, of course, I couldn’t wait to share with you. Enjoy!

1 3/4 cups freshly brewed coffee
2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

Preheat over to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8- or 10-inch bundt pan. Heat the coffee in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Turn heat down and whisk in the cocoa powder until it has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to bring to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, oil, applesauce, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve, about 2 minutes. Mix in the extracts. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled a bit, stir that in as well. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat until the batter is relatively smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick or butter knife inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for about 20 minutes. Then invert the pan onto a serving plate to remove the cake, and cool completely. Once the cake is cool, sift the confectioners’ sugar over the top and serve.

Source: Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero as published in Yoga Magazine via Susan Kaplan

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Vegan Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 1-9 x 13″ sheet cake

I took this cake to school today as a day-before-Thanksgiving treat for my Advanced Art and AP Studio class. It was a hit. One of my students described it as having the texture of pumpkin bread but a little more cakey. I agree. It is a slightly more dense cake or a slightly less dense bread. Regardless of how you look at it, it is moist, yummy, and it slices really nicely.

The original recipe calls for chocolate chips and nuts with no frosting, but I’m not a big pumpkin and chocolate fan, so I omitted the chips and I sprinkled the nuts on top in case a “picky” student wanted to pick them off. The recipe also calls only for cinnamon, but I use pumpkin pie spice and much more of it than the 1/2 teaspoon specified. And, finally, I used brown and turbinado sugars instead of the white called for.

You can bake the batter in loaf or Bundt pans, but sheet cakes are so easy to transport and don’t require as much cooking time as the others. However, sheet cakes seem to need frosting, so I just made one of my favorite go-to recipes and added maple extract.

Vegan Pumpkin Cake:
3 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar (I actually used 1 cup brown and 1 cup turbinado sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13″ pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Add oil and pumpkin. Mix well by hand or on low-medium speed of an electric mixer just until combined and no lumps remain. Scrape into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Frost with Vegan Maple-cream Cheese Frosting and garnish with walnuts or pecans.

Vegan Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance), softened
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
approximately 2-3 cups powdered sugar
approximately 2-3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk (or plain, vanilla or vanilla lite)
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together first two ingredients on high speed. Add powdered sugar and soy milk with mixer turned off and then slowly bring the speed up to high to completely incorporate it, adding approximately 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. If too thin, add more powdered sugar; if too thick, add more soy milk. Beat in maple extract.

Garnish:
Approximately 1/2 cup walnut or pecan pieces

Cake Source: Adapted from Aliciasrecipes.com

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