MINI VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CAKE

Few things make me as happy as fresh strawberries showing up in shops around late March and early April. They are such a delightful sign of spring arriving that it truly warms my heart seeing them pop up everywhere.

And even though these days they are available year-round, the sweetest ones will always be the early spring ones. Fragrant, delicious, and still a tiny bit tangy, pairing perfectly with rich vegan white chocolate ganache and dark chocolate mousse. A wonderful little spring cake.

You do not have to use liqueur if you don't want to or if you are serving the cake to any children, of course. You can fully opt out or use some strawberry nectar, although that will make the cake a touch sweeter.

Ingredients

For the soft chocolate cake

120 grams plain flour 150 grams granulated sugar
35 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
150 millilitres boiling hot water
30 millilitres neutral oil
1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
25 millilitres vegan strawberry liqueur, optional

For the fresh strawberry insert

60 grams fresh strawberries, hulled
30 grams light brown sugar
10 grams cornflour
10 millilitres cold water
10 grams vegan block butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the rich white chocolate ganache

200 grams vegan white chocolate
50 millilitres vegan double cream
15 grams vegan block butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the dark chocolate mousse

125 grams dark chocolate (75-80%)
150 millilitres vegan double cream

Preparation

Start by making the strawberry gelée insert, because it needs to be completely frozen. Line a small round cake frame or mousse mold (10 cm) with a strip of acetate or baking parchment and set it aside. Place the hulled and chopped strawberries into a bowl, add sugar, water and cornflour, and mash until smooth. Alternatively, blend it completely by using an immersion 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 and vanilla. Mix very well, making sure to incorporate the butter completely, and transfer it to the prepared cake frame. Level the top as best as you can 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.

Right after making the insert, make the dark chocolate mousse. Chop the chocolate finely and add it to a saucepan, along with the vegan cream, and place everything over low heat. Melt it together slowly, stirring gently, without letting it come to a boil. Remove from the heat, let it cool down to room temperature, and then cover the top with a piece of cling film or baking parchment, and place into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Next, or the next day, make the vegan chocolate cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C. Line a round cake pan (16 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 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. As every over bakes differently, check with a toothpick to make sure it stays soft. Mine was done after exactly 23 minutes. Let the baked cake cool in the pan completely.

Finally, make the white chocolate ganache by melting together the chopped vegan white chocolate, vegan double cream, vegan butter, and vanilla. Take your time with this step, making sure the chocolate doesn't catch on the bottom and burn. Once melted, remove from heat and leave at room temperature for a while, until it is the consistency of runny peanut butter - thickened but still pourable.

Once everything is ready, proceed to assemble the cake.

Take the cooled dark chocolate mousse out of the refrigerator, and whip it with an electric mixer on high until a thick mousse forms. Level the cake, if needed, and slice it into three thin layers. You can keep them all the same thickness or you can play around and make the bottom one the thickest, followed by the two other layers being thinner. That is up to you and your creativity.

Place the first cake layer on the serving platter, close a cake form around it, and line it with a strip of acetate. If using liqueur, brush it gently on top of the cake and let it soak in. Place the frozen insert in the centre of the cake layer, and pour the cooled white chocolate ganache over and around it. Make sure that there are no air bubbles around the insert.

Add the second cake layer, followed by half of the dark chocolate mousse. Add the third and final cake layer, which will be the thinnest one if you decided to make them that way, press it down lightly with your hand, and use the rest of the mousse to decorate as desired.

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 8 very rich servings or 12 smaller ones.

MINI VEGAN CHERRY BROWNIE CAKE

The first post I ever published on my blog were my sour cherry brownies, with less-than-stellar styling and one defiant little cherry that fell out just as I was about to take the photo. But all that mattered in that moment was taking the photo and posting the recipe. And I did post it, with great joy and pride.

To me, making cakes is never a hassle. I truly love each step of the way, from preparation, to baking, to assembly. It is something that makes me feel alive.

And this little cake is a heartfelt homage to that very first recipe, full of rich vegan chocolate buttercream, brownie-like cake layers, and of course, sour cherries. It would not be a special occasion cake if it did not have cherries.

Even though it is not a large cake and it serves a very small crowd, it does give endless enjoyment on each bite. It is best served very well chilled, with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, but I do have to say, cherry brandy pairs exceptionally well, too.

Ingredients

For the chocolate brownie layers

180 grams plain flour
200 grams granulated sugar
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
3 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
240 millilitres boiling water
40 millilitres neutral oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 heaping teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the cherry almond filling

200 grams vegan block butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
15 grams glucose syrup
60 millilitres Disaronno liqueur
120 grams toasted almonds, finely ground
120 grams icing sugar, sifted
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
75 grams sour cherries, chopped

Preparation

Start by making the chocolate brownie cake layers. Line a medium square cake pan (18x18 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set it aside. Let the oven preheat to 180°C.

Place the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and espresso powder in a medium bowl, and pour in the boiling hot water. Mix very well and let the sugar dissolve and cocoa powder bloom. As soon as that mixture is lukewarm, sift together the plain flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, and pour in the bloomed cocoa. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.

Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for 15-18 minutes. Check the cake with a toothpick even before the indicated time, as it will be tall, making sure it stays soft and fudgy. Mine was done after exactly 17 minutes. Let it cool in the pan completely.

When the cake is almost completely cool, start working on the buttercream. Place the ground almonds, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and the icing sugar into a bowl, and bring the liqueur to a boil. It should only come to a boil and not reduce. Once boiling, pour it over the almonds, 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 the glucose, and whip with an electric mixer on high for about 2-3 minutes, or until lighter in colour and creamy. Scrape down the sides, and whip for a few minutes more, until it starts to almost resemble whipped cream.

When the buttercream is ready, add in the cooled almonds and blend well. Scrape down the sides once again, and continue whipping until smooth. Place the bowl into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or so.

When everything is cool and ready, 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. Whip the buttercream once more until light and creamy and divide it into four equal parts by weight. Separate one of them into a separate container, add in the chopped sour cherries, and mix them through.

Place the first cake layer on the serving platter, add one-fourth of the plain filling, and smooth it nicely. Add another cake layer, spread evenly the sour cherry part of the filling, and top with another cake layer. Spread one more portion of the filling, and top with the final layer.

The cake will be firm, so use the remaining buttercream to frost and decorate to your liking. Place the cake into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and serve with strong coffee. Yields 8 rich servings or 12 more modest ones.

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.