Vegan Blueberry Upside-down Cake!

I've been in a funk this last week. A close relative of mine passed away and I didn't handle the news well. So in an effort to try and help myself get back to normal I decided it was time to do some baking.

I've had some fresh blueberries in my fridge for a few days that have just been so badly wanting to be turned in to something amazing. I decided to try a twist on a recipe I posted back in January for Pineapple upside-down cake. Today's changes made for an awesome and very pretty cake!

I made a 'flax' egg today instead of the egg replacer and almond milk instead of soy. This cake isn't as sweet as the pineapple one because of that. If you'd prefer the sweeter cake, I'd say avoid the flax egg.

Here is the recipe I used today. :)


Preheat oven to 350

Topping:

2TBS vegan margarine(or any kind of vegan butter)
1/3c packed brown sugar
1TBS water

Melt butter in a sauce pan.Stir in brown sugar and water. Poor in to a 9x1 1/2in round cake pan. Arrange blueberries in pan and set aside.

Cake:
1 1/3c flour
2/3c sugar
2teas baking powder
2/3c vanilla almond milk (or any non dairy milk)
1/4c softened vegan margarine or butter
egg substitute to = 1 egg. I made a flax egg (1tbs ground flax + 3tbs water)
1 1/2 teas vanilla

 Mix together dry ingredients, then add wet. Mix well then pour into your baking pan. Bake for 30-35min. Let cool for 10-15min, loosen edges and flip on to a plate and serve.


 

Vegan Pineapple Upside-down Cake!!

My best friend is visiting from Cairo so I had him and a few friends over for dessert tonight. Was a little short notice and I wasn't sure what to make. My roommate suggested making pineapple upside-down cake and gave me a recipe of hers she's been using for a few years from a Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Knowing my friend Jordan was coming and that I didn't have any eggs, I decided to veganize the recipe. Turned out great!! I promised Jordan I would post a recipe, so here goes....

Preheat oven to 350

Topping:
2TBS vegan margarine(or any kind of vegan butter)
1/3c packed brown sugar
1TBS water

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in brown sugar and water. Poor in to a 9x1 1/2in round cake pan. Arrange pineapple and cherries in the pan and set aside.

Cake:
1 1/3c flour
2/3c sugar
2teas baking powder
2/3c vanilla soymilk (or any non dairy milk)
1/4c softened vegan margarine or butter
egg substitute to = 1 egg. (I used Ener-G Egg replacer, next time I want to try a flax egg)
1teas vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients, then add wet. Mix well then pour into your baking pan. Bake for 30-35min. Let cool for 10-15min, loosen edges and flip on to a plate and serve.

Apple Cinnamon Cake Buddies!

My roommate and I have had some frozen concentrate apple juice in our freezer for a while. I'm not a big fan of apple juice so we were discussing one night what we could use it for. I suggested putting it in a cake of some sort. We decided oatmeal cake would be best and in further talking thought maybe putting apple slices in it would be good too. I discussed it with my mom and another friend as well and between everyone I formed something that turned out pretty awesome and much better then I had expected!

This was not a vegan recipe as I didn't really have time to figure out and test different things to use as an egg substitute. The next batch I think I'm going to just try and use applesauce in place of the eggs and see how it goes.

For the batter:

1 1/4c apple juice concentrate
1c quick oats
Mix together and set aside

beat
1/2c butter(I used vegan margarine)
1c white sugar
1c brown sugar
add:
2tsp vanilla
2eggs

add oat/apple juice mixture.

after that is mixed well add
1 1/2c flour
1tsp baking soda or powder (whichever is fine)
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp nutmeg

Pour in to lined cupcake sheets.

For the apples in the center I made 'apple pie' apples. I cut up my apple in smallish pieces, lightly coated them in flour... added some brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, a little melted butter and mixed together.



Put a single slice in the center of each cupcake. Bake at 350 for 40min or until done. I would check on them sooner then that.

Pecan Topping:
mix together
3TBS melted butter
1/2c brown sugar
approx 1/2c chopped pecans
touch of cinnamon

After your your cupcake/muffins come out of the oven top them with the pecan mixture. Let cool and serve!

I have a few friends that don't like nuts so for those I just topped them with the same mixture minus the pecans.

Epic Mocha Cupcakes!! (vegan!)

FINALLY a blog post from me! I've been moving and had a lot going on and my poor blog has been neglected! That doesn't mean I haven't been making some great food in the mean time!

For over month I just kept thinking and thinking about how I could turn my vegan white cake recipe in to a chocolate one.... Then a friend gave me the brilliant idea of mocha cupcakes! I thought and thought and finally one night at like 2am my brain worked out these cupcakes.... turns out they rock! As far as the coffee part goes, I'm not allowed to have it, so I don't often have it in my house, but was given some awesome coffee milk from a friend that I wanted to try and also had some instant coffee packets that I'd been given from my birthday!

The basic recipe is pretty much the same as the white cake, but I'll post it fresh here w/changes included



Epic Mocha Cupcakes

1 cup white sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/4c vegetable shortening(CRISCO)
2TBS flax + 4tbs water
1TBS vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder(slightly heaping)
1/2c chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
1 packet instant coffee mixed w/just enough water to dissolve it.
1c Pearl brand coffee soymilk


Beat together sugar, margarine and Crisco until smooth. Then add flax/water mixture and vanilla. Add your baking powder and flour, then pudding mix. Mix well then slowly add milk. Mix until smooth. Will be kind of thick, it's okay... they will fluff up and bake nicely.

Pour in to lined baking cups.
Bake 350 for 30-40min

For frosting I just used a basic frosting recipe... powdered sugar, shortening, and vanilla and milk....

I melted down some semi-sweet chocolate chips with a tiny bit of milk in them to keep it smooth and mixed it in to the already mixed frosting, added another packet of instant coffee and called it great! ;)