Vegan strawberry sponge

Cake Ingredients:

280g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

120g caster sugar

350g fresh strawberries, chopped and roughly hulled

175ml soya milk

125ml light rapeseed oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

 

 

Vanilla Icing Ingredients:

300g icing sugar

2 tbsp soya milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 

9 fresh strawberries, hulled for decoration

 

Makes ~ 1 7" cake

 

Preparation/Baking Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4 and grease and line cake tin

 

In a large bowl mix together to flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and caster sugar. Add the chopped strawberries, milk, oil and vanilla.

 

Using a metal spoon, quickly mix everything together for about 10 seconds until the ingredients are just combined. Don't mix the batter too much, it should still be a bit lumpy.

 

Pour/spoon the mixture into the tins and place in the preheated oven for 30-45mins. Cool on a wire rack.

 

To make the icing mix together the icing sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl. If it's too firm add a couple more drops of milk, and if too runny, add a little more icing sugar.

 

Ripple the icing onto the cake and decorate with fresh banana chips.

 

Enjoy on a Sunday morning, in the garden cabin, with a cup of tea and the broadsheets.

 

Inspiration

 

Notes: Cake was a little bit dry - but did eat it 24 hours after baking...Maybe moisten it up with strawberry jam and vegan buttercream!

Vegan banana & strawberry loaf cake

Cake Ingredients:

560g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

230g caster sugar

2 over-ripe bananas

350ml soya milk

250ml light rapeseed oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

12 fresh strawberries hulled and roughly chopped

 

Vanilla Icing Ingredients:

300g icing sugar

2 tbsp soya milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Dried banana chips for decoration

 

Makes ~ 1 loaf cake and 1 7" cake

 

Preparation/Baking Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4 and grease and line loaf/cake tin

 

In a large bowl mix together to flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and caster sugar. Add the mashed banana, milk, oil, vanilla and chopped strawberries.

 

Using a metal spoon, quickly mix everything together for about 10 seconds until the ingredients are just combined. Don't mix the batter too much, it should still be a bit lumpy.

 

Pour/spoon the mixture into the tins and place in the preheated oven for 45-60 mins. Cool on a wire rack.

 

To make the icing mix together the icing sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl. If it's too firm add a couple more drops of milk, and if too runny, add a little more icing sugar.

 

Ripple the icing onto the loaf/cake and decorate with dried banana chips.

 

Enjoy on summer solstice after a stroll by the river.

 

Inspiration

 

Notes: Makes a crazy amount of cake. Halve and just make one loaf/cake. Recipe adapted from the one in Ms Cupcake's recipie book as I ran out of oil and s/r flour. Extra banana made it super moist, smelt really 'banana-y' and didn't have the faint oil taste the victoria sponge seemed to have.

Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake (with raspberries)

 

Cake Ingredients:

400g self-raising flour

240g caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

400ml unsweetened soya milk

160ml light rapeseed oil

2 tbsp vanilla extract

 

Icing/Filling/Decoration Ingredients:

40g dairy-free margarine

1 tbsp vanilla extract

325g icing sugar

3 tbsp unsweetened soya milk

6 tbsp raspberry jam

150g fresh raspberries

 

Serves ~ 8-12

 

Preparation/Baking Method:

Grease and line 9" cake tin and preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

 

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the soya milk, oil and vanilla, stirring with a metal spoon until just combined. 

 

Tap the bowl on the work top to stop the raising agents working too quickly - you will see the bubbles pop (and the ingredients will be crackling like magic).

 

Pour the mixture into the tin and tap the tins on the work top to pop the bubbles again.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

 

Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

 

To make the icing whip together the margarine, vanilla extract, icing sugar and soya milk until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. If the icing is too firm add a bit more milk and mix, if too soft, add a little more icing sugar.

 

To finish, cut the cake into two and apply a generous layer of jam, fresh raspberries and just under half the buttercream to the bottom layer. Then spread the remaining buttercream on the second layer and sandwich together. Finish by decorating the second layer with fresh raspberries.

 

Perfect with a glass of muscatel on a Sunday afternoon.

 

Inspiration

 

Notes: Try with light rapeseed oil next time. Stupid no-option-London-Tescos.