MINI VEGAN APPLE PUMPKIN CAKE BARS

When it comes to everyday desserts, truly nothing beats cake bars. At least for me, they are the epitome of the good old sweet treats that we had growing up. As I always say, a bit of nostalgia in every bite.

And these are probably the softest cake bars I have made in a long time. I seldom speak in absolutes, but these are simply that soft and rich.

The cake itself is phenomenally tender thanks to the pumpkin purée and walnuts, and the apple pie filling is just gorgeous on its own.

They also make a very nice picnic item, although we technically are headed for the less forgiving weather. Still, smaller gatherings and time spent with loved ones can definitely be improved even further with a sweet treat of this nature.

I find it best after a day or two, especially if it's kept at room temperature, preferably with a tiny cup of freshly brewed coffee. It is equally delicious served with tea, but you know that coffee has my heart.

Ingredients

For the soft pumpkin walnut cake

160 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
120 grams granulated sugar
75 grams toasted walnuts
40 millilitres neutral oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
100 grams pumpkin purée
125 millilitres carbonated water

For the apple pie filling

350 grams sweet cooking apples, peeled and cored
75 grams granulated sugar
15 grams cornflour
30 millilitres cold water
30 grams toasted walnuts, finely ground
ground cinnamon to taste

Preparation

Start by making the filling first, so it has a bit of time to cool down. Combine the diced apples and sugar in a saucepan, and place it over medium high heat. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the apples soften to your liking.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornflour, and add it to the bubbling apples. Cook, mixing and folding constantly, until all the liquid evaporates and the filling becomes sticky, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the walnuts and cinnamon, if using, and set aside to cool.

Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line a small rectangular cake pan or a loaf pan (10x20 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides.

For the cake bar batter, sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda, add them to a medium bowl, and add in the sugar and walnuts. Whisk together well. Separately whisk all of the wet ingredients to combine them well, and then add them to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 10 minutes, so the surface firms up. After about 10 minutes or so, take the cake out of the oven, add the apple filling gently, and pour the remaining cake batter on top.

Return to the oven and bake for further 30 minutes, for a total of 40 minutes. Make sure you check the cake early on, so it stays soft.

Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool down completely in the pan. Serve with coffee or tea of your choice. Yields 8 servings.

MINI VEGAN PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE

Bundt cakes are something I've always wanted to make, but I could never find the right pan for me. Given that I focus on mini vegan cakes, tiny desserts, and smaller treats, large bundt pans, that are widely available here, simply never fit my vision.

However, good things come to those who wait, and I finally managed to track down a tiny bundt pan, taking around 350 grams of batter, just perfect for mini cakes that I love so dearly. So if you love tiny cakes or simply want to try out a recipe by halving it, I wholeheartedly recommend getting a small pan - bundt or not.

And speaking of good cakes, this one is excellent, if I might say so myself. Roasted pumpkin purée, ground cinnamon, and just the tiniest bit of espresso make it simply perfect for the beginning of the cosy season.

I served it in a very simple fashion, with just a bit of icing sugar, but feel free to serve it with melted dark chocolate, some fudge sauce, or perhaps a bit of vegan cream. And as always, with a cup of good coffee.

Ingredients

100 grams plain flour
80 grams coconut sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
120 grams roasted pumpkin purée
40 millilitres neutral oil
25 millilitres carbonated water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Preparation

Let the oven preheat to 180°C. Take a medium bowl and sift in the plain flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in the sugar, cinnamon, and espresso powder, and mix through very well. Grease and flour a small bundt cake pan or spray it generously with baking spray, to be sure the cake will come out nicely. Set aside.

My tiny bundt pan has an inner diameter of 14 cm and height of 6 cm, so any pan that is around that size or takes around 350 grams of batter will work.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and add all of the wet ingredients in no particular order, and whisk until just combined. Any further mixing might result in tunneling or dry cake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately in a preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted close to the centre comes out clean, so the cake stays soft and fudgy.

Mine took exactly 30 minutes to bake through.

Let the bundt cool in the pan completely and serve with either icing sugar or some melted dark chocolate. Yields 4 large servings or 6 modest ones.

MINI VEGAN PUMPKIN WALNUT BRIOCHE STRUDEL

My love for sweet dough desserts genuinely predates even my love for figs, and that one is on a plane of its own. One of my favourite childhood situations, although I don’t remember it personally, was when I was offered a very large array of sweet and savoury snacks to pick the one I wanted, and I went for a homemade bread roll.

It is the dough that simply spells comfort for me. The texture, the flavour, the aroma that fills the house as it bakes... Some things are simply for forever, as I used to say, and this is one of them.

Needless to say, strudels have a special place in my heart. Both sweet and savoury, don’t get me wrong, I love them both equally; but there is something beautifully comforting in a pumpkin strudel, full of walnuts and cinnamon, lightly dusted with icing sugar, and served with love.

Baking is my love language and that is how I approach the world, as you can tell from almost 900 recipes on this blog. I hope you serve it with freshly brewed coffee or your favourite tea, and enjoy it on a chilly autumn day.

Ingredients

For the rich vegan sweet dough

100 grams pumpkin puree
100 millilitres water
25 millilitres neutral oil
30 grams granulated sugar
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon instant dry yeast
350 grams plain flour
50 grams vegan block butter, lightly softened

For the filling

350 grams applesauce
75 grams granulated sugar
75 grams toasted walnuts, finely ground

Preparation

Start by making the filling. Whisk together the applesauce and sugar, place the saucepan over medium heat, and let it slowly come to a light boil. Once boiling, start whisking or mixing with a spatula, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes or so. It is important to keep stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.

Aim for about 250 grams of the filling or as close as you can get to it. It is better to cook it for longer than to leave it watery, as it will make the dough soggy.

Once reduced, remove from the heat and add in vanilla. Mix and fold well, and then let it cool down completely to room temperature.

For the vegan brioche dough, sift the flour well, and add in the instant dry yeast, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk well and set aside. Separately whisk together the pumpkin puree, water, and oil, and add it to the flour. This way, the puree will be distributed well throughout the dough.

Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until a very soft dough forms. It should not be overly sticky, but if it is, add another tablespoon of plain flour and mix it in well. Once a dough forms, let it rest for about 15 minutes, and then add in the vegan block butter, and knead it into the dough. It may seem a tad too sticky at first, but be persistent, and the dough will absorb it. Place it into a large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise, at room temperature, for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a nicely floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle about 5 millimetres thick. Whisk the cooled filling vigorously to loosen it up, and stir in the ground walnuts.

Spread one-third 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 again. Finally, rotate the dough again, roll it out again, spread the remaining filling, and roll it up into a tight roll.

Transfer it to a small loaf pan (10x20 cm) lined with baking parchment, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rest and rise for another 20-30 minutes. Turn the oven to preheat to 200˚C. As soon as the oven is ready, generously mist the strudel with cold water, and bake it for about 15 minutes at 200˚C, then reduce the heat to 180°C, and bake for further 20 minutes, or until browned nicely and baked through.

Let it cool down to your preference, and serve. Yields 9 rich servings.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BAKLAVA

I come from a long line of people who deem all effort as too much effort. And that has resulted in them deeming me far too much in all matters, including baking. And I do understand, they do not enjoy the process as much as I do, and that is fine. They prefer to buy, I prefer to make, it's a simple preference.

To me, baklava is one of the easiest and heartiest desserts one could make. Layer upon layer of supremely thin filo sheets, plenty of toasted hazelnuts, brown sugar, dark chocolate, and a bit of coffee, for good measure; what is not to love?

And it comes together so quickly and effortlessly, too, making it excellent for a midweek dessert, as well as a sweet gift to your loved ones. It lasts quite a bit, as well, due to the sugar content and the syrup making it soft and moist.

It is best served with strong coffee, but I leave that up to you, as I always do.

Ingredients

For the vegan baklava

250 grams filo pastry sheets (8 sheets)
250 grams toasted hazelnuts, finely ground
100 grams light brown sugar
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 heaping teaspoon instant espresso powder
100 grams dark chocolate (70%), grated coarsely
200 grams vegan chocolate hazelnut spread

For the layering

100 grams vegan block butter, melted
50 millilitres neutral oil
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

For the baklava syrup

300 millilitres water
100 grams granulated sugar
30 grams glucose syrup

Preparation

Place the brown sugar in a large bowl, add in the ground hazelnuts, espresso, cocoa powder, and grated dark chocolate, and whisk it together well. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted vegan butter, oil, and vanilla.

Divide the filo sheets into two stacks of four sheets each and let the oven preheat to 200˚C. Generously butter a rectangular baking pan (20x30 cm) and set it aside.

Using a pastry brush, brush the first filo sheet liberally, and pipe half of the vegan hazelnut spread along one of the edges. Roll it up very tightly and set it aside. Take another filo sheet, brush it with the butter mix and top with a generous portion of the filling. Top with another filo sheet, brush it with butter, and top with the filling. Repeat this once more, and place the rolled up filo sheet with the hazelnut spread on one of the edges.

Roll it all up into a nice, neat roll, resembling a cake roll, and carefully transfer it to the prepared baking pan. Repeat this once again, for the second stack of pastry sheets. Once everything is used up, take a very sharp knife and slice the baklava rolls all the way through, into 8 equal pieces. Place it in the hot oven, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until beautifully golden and baked through.

I do not recommend slicing it any smaller, because it will fall apart.

As soon as the baklava is in the oven, start cooking the syrup. Place all the ingredients in a large pot, place it over medium heat, and let it heat up slowly. Once boiling, let it cook for about 15 minutes or so, until lightly thickened.

As soon as the baklava is done, take it out of the oven, and using a ladle, pour the syrup all over, making sure that all the pieces have a bit of syrup in and around them.

You can also use a thin knife to move the pieces a bit so the syrup can go between them nicely and do not feel obligated to use up all of the syrup if it looks like your baklava does not need it or if you prefer it less sweet.

Let it stand overnight in a cool place, and serve with strong coffee. Yields 8 generous servings.

MINI VEGAN APRICOT WALNUT SNACK CAKE

I think my complicated relationship with walnuts deserves its own separate essay, but the core of it is me being a little rebel and people making dry cakes. While the tiny rebellion is a very real thing, dry cakes are more than likely what has caused my dislike for walnuts cakes and pastries.

Because a cake can be dry but salvaged by a good filling. On the other hand, it can be dry and have a less-than-stellar filling and frosting, which only makes matters more difficult.

And that is what cakes were like when I was a child.

I have spoken and written about this before, but the cakes were very dry, while the filling always had undissolved granulated sugar crunching as you took each bite. And while I am sure that people did the best they could, there is also something to be said about baking because you have to versus baking out of love.

So now, when I bake and when I create recipes I love, out of love, I focus on making cakes and pastries and all other happy pastry things the way I like to present them; rich, delicious, and never dry.

This little snack cake is just like that. A gorgeous chocolate cake, soft and moist, plenty of walnut and apricot jam filling, and a luscious Rocher glaze on top. Absolutely delightful with coffee or tea, and transports perfectly, should you decide to gift it to someone you love.

Serve it with your favourite cuppa and enjoy every bite!

Ingredients

For the mini vegan chocolate cake

160 grams plain flour
25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
190 grams granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
280 millilitres coffee, freshly brewed
30 millilitres neutral oil
1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the filling

100 grams apricot jam
75 grams toasted walnuts, ground
20 millilitres walnut brandy

For the syrup

75 grams apricot jam
45 millilitres fresh orange juice

For the gourmet Rocher glaze

70 grams vegan milk chocolate
20 millilitres neutral oil
30 grams toasted walnuts, chopped finely

Preparation

As the cake is prepared relatively quickly, start by mixing together all the filling ingredients, and setting them aside. Do the same for the syrup, and whisk together the apricot jam and the fresh orange juice. If the jam is too thick, feel free to heat it up slightly, so it becomes liquid. Set all of that aside and let the oven preheat to 180°. Line a small cake pan or a loaf pan (10x20 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides.

For the cake, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add everything to a large bowl. Tip in the sugar and whisk to combine. Pour in all of the wet ingredients in no particular order, and whisk until just combined, so the cake stays soft. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and place it into the nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 15 minutes. This way, the surface will firm up, but the cake will not be baked all the way through.

After those initial 15 minutes, take the pan out of the oven, and add the filling in an even layer. Do this part gently, so the filling doesn't sink into the cake. Top with the rest of the cake batter, and return the pan to the oven, for further 30-35 minutes, until the cake is fully baked through.

My cake was done after exactly 47 minutes.

As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, brush it generously with the prepared syrup. Brush it on in layers, so the cake can absorb it well, and set the cake aside to cool down completely in the pan.

Once the cake is cool, prepare the glaze. Melt the chocolate over low heat or in the microwave, add in the oil, and blend very well. Finally, stir in the walnuts. Glaze the cake as desired and either place it into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or serve it as is, with freshly brewed coffee. Yields 8 rich servings or 12 modest ones.