fruit – Compassion is the Secret Ingredient

Vegan Bourbon Whiskey Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Here’s the 1st of 2 declarative statements in this post: I hate pineapple upside-down cake.

Yeah, you read that right! My mom, on the other hand, loves it. It’s one of her favorite desserts so it was high time I set about making her a vegan version that would take the cake -pun intended! Now here’s the thing about my mom, it takes a lot for her to call something, “great,” or, “perfect,” but those were the exact words she used to describe this cake so you better believe it’s something to try -if you’re a fan of pineapple upside-down cake, I mean.

Ready for the 2nd declarative statement of this post? Here it is: I don’t drink alcohol -like ever.

While I’m not a drinker (by personal choice) I do like to cook and bake with certain adult beverages from time to time. I find that they can really help amplify flavor, and add complexity, when used in moderation. Now I say moderation not because you’re going to get your family and friends plastered if you use too much (the alcohol does actually cook out), but rather because people tend to not enjoy super boozy recipes. Too much alcohol, just like too much salt or any other ingredient, can ruin a recipe in a heartbeat.

“But, Heather,” you might be asking, “if you don’t drink then how do you even know what flavor you’re adding to your recipe in the 1st place?” It’s called Google, my friends. There are plenty of sites out there which help break down the flavor complexities of things like champagne, red wine, and bourbon whiskey. Some even go so far as to tell you which flavors pair well with the adult beverage you’re looking into. I also happen to be surrounded by people who absolutely are willing to take a swig of something and tell me all about it. Sounds a little sketchy, I know, but it all absolutely works and this lovely little cake is proof of that!

To get started, we need to whip up some egg replacer (my favorite, Ener-G) so that it’ll be ready for us to use in a minute. Normally I’d be telling you to follow the instructions on the box, which says to use warm water to hydrate the Ener-G, however this time we’re doing things a little differently -a little more badass, one might say. We’re hydrating the Ener-G with bourbon whiskey! Oh yeah, you can do that, and we just did. #MicDrop

Next, in a mixing bowl, the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) get whisked together until smooth. Then I add the almond milk, sugar, pineapple juice (stolen from our can of pineapple slices), egg substitute, and the vanilla, and stir to combine. Now set the cake batter aside for a moment to prepare the pan for it.

For this cake you’ll need a 10-inch round pan. Spray it generously with nonstick spray and then, while holding the pan upright, sprinkle a little flour around the edges of the pan. The goal here is to have the bottom of the pan greased and the sides both greased and floured to prevent the cake from sticking.

In the bottom of your prepared pan you’re going to pour in some melted vegan butter. Swirl it around the pan to make sure it sits evenly in the bottom then add in the brown sugar ensuring that it too is even across the pan. On top of that goodness, lay down the pineapple slices and, in the center of each, a maraschino cherry.

Now grab the batter we made earlier and gently pour that into the pan. Get your cake into a preheated oven and bake it for about 45 minutes.

You’ll know it’s done when the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan and the top, soon to be bottom, is golden brown. Let the cake rest in the pan for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes has passed, it’s time to turn that bad boy out! My preferred method for doing this is to sandwich the cake pan in between to large sheet pans with the sheet pan the cake is about to be flipped onto lined in parchment paper. Pinching the sheet pans tightly together so that the cake pan cannot move in between them, give the whole thing a quick flip then carefully remove the top sheet pan and the cake pan to reveal your upside-down cake!

Vegan Bourbon Whiskey Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Servings: 1, 10-inch round cake, serving 6-8
Time: 60 minutes
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Ener-G egg substitute + 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
1 1/2 cups flour + more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice (from can of pineapple slices)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
7 slices of pineapple (a 20-ounce can will provide more than enough slices and juice for this recipe)
7 maraschino cherries
Nonstick cooking spray for pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare egg substitute by combining Ener-G powder with bourbon whiskey. Stir well then set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt. Whisk until smooth then add in the almond milk, sugar, pineapple juice, egg substitute, and vanilla. Whisk to combine then set aside.
Prepare a 10-inch round pan by spraying it with nonstick spray then, while holding the pan upright, sprinkle a little flour around the inner edges to coat just the edges (not the bottom) lightly with flour. Shake out any excess flour.
Pour melted vegan butter into pan. Swirl it around in the bottom of the pan to ensure an even layer and then sprinkle in the brown sugar, by hand, also making sure that it is even across the bottom of the pan. Lay down a layer of pineapple slices (7 slices to be exact) in the bottom of the pan and then place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring. Gently pour cake batter into pan then bake for 45 minutes. The cake will be done when edges are pulling away from pan sides, cake top (soon to be the bottom) is golden brown, and a toothpick stuck halfway down into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let finished cake rest in pan for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn cake out being very careful as it will still be very hot. (Read in post about how I prefer to do this!) Cake will keep in an airtight container on counter for up to 3 days.

Vegan Irish Apple Cake

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner I wanted to do a post featuring something Irish made vegan! My main criteria? It could not, and absolutely would not, be colored any shade of green. #IPityTheFoodColoring

Of course my first thought was, “ERMAHGERD POTATOES!!!” A logical first thought but alas, I wanted something different. I wanted something that was Irish but that didn’t punch you in the face with its Irish-ness. I wanted something that would caress your cheek (whichever cheek you prefer to be caressed upon) and then whisper in your ear, “Iiirriissshhhhh.” Immediately my mind went to desserts and, thanks to a little search engine inspiration, I figured out exactly what I wanted to make -Irish Apple Cake, also known as Kerry Apple Cake.

The traditional versions of this beloved Irish treat aren’t that sweet and they usually feature apples alone as the star of the show. I mean, it’s called apple cake so what would you expect, right? But in my modern take I have 2 stars -the apples, of course, and walnuts which add crunch and a little bitterness to offset the tart apples. I also upped the sugar just a smidge but the cake isn’t cloyingly sweet by no means so you can still enjoy it for breakfast just like they sometimes do in Ireland! However and whenever you choose to enjoy it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it -especially if you’re an apple lover like I am!

To get started, I went ahead and prepared some egg substitute for use a little later in the recipe. (By now I’m sure you know what my favorite egg substitute is in baking but, just in case you haven’t checked out any of my other recipes before, it’s Ener-G and I prepared it according to the instructions on the box for 2 eggs worth of substitute!)

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After I prepared my egg substitute I then prepared the walnuts by tossing them around with a little flour. We do this because nuts, and things like them that you add to cakes, tend to sink to the bottom of the cake if not coated in a little flour. Now, the batter for this cake is rather thick so I probably didn’t have to do this step but I thought better safe than sorry and it only took like 5 seconds to do! When all of your walnuts are nicely coated in a light layer of flour you’re just going to set them aside for a moment -we’ll come back for them soon, I promise!

Okay, time to make the cake batter!

First I mixed the wet ingredients, including the egg substitute I made earlier, together. And remember now, we count sugar as a wet ingredient in baking. After all of that was whisked to perfection, I added the dry ingredients and gave it all a good stir. The batter should be pretty thick and that’s exactly how we want it to be so don’t be tempted to add more liquid. Once the batter is made set it aside for a minute so that we can get the apples ready.

For the apples, you’ll wash them (obvi), then peel them and slice them thin (think 1/5th of an inch or a little over 1/8th of an inch). You’ll then core the slices and cut them into more bite size pieces. Lastly, you’re going to toss the bite size pieces in with a little flour -just like we did with the walnuts.

Now it’s time to build our cake -no degree in cake building required!

In a prepared pan (sprayed, floured, and lined on the bottom with parchment paper) I add a thin layer of the cake batter. Don’t worry about spreading the thick batter out edge to edge, it will get pushed out as we add stuff to it. Speaking of adding stuff to it, we will then add half of our apples, pressing a little with each one to help spread the batter out, and then we will add half of our walnuts.

On top of that first layer of apples and walnuts you’re going to spoon on dollops of batter. Again, we’re not looking to completely cover the pan edge to edge, we’re just looking for moderate coverage. Add the next layer of apples and walnuts now -the remaining amounts of each. Be sure to once again be pressing on the apples as you lay them down so that they help spread the batter around a little. The final layer is the remaining cake batter dolloped and then gently spread/pressed around to ensure that the apples are all covered. Once the final layer is complete you may then put the cake into the oven.

When the cake is done, a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Let that bad (Irish) boy cool completely then give him a nice dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy!

Vegan Irish Apple Cake

Servings: 8-10
Time: 75 minutes
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

Egg substitute for 2 eggs (I used Ener-G -it’s my favorite!)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick of vegan butter, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour + 1/2 tablespoon for walnuts + 2 tablespoons for apples + extra for pan
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 granny smith (green) apples
Powdered sugar for dusting over finished cake

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 inch round cake pan by greasing it, dusting it with flour, and then lining the bottom with parchment paper. Prepare egg substitute according to directions on packaging for 2 eggs if you haven’t done so already. In a separate small dish, prepare walnuts by coating them with 1/2 tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, vegan butter, almond milk, egg substitute, lemon juice, and vanilla. When combined, add 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Stir to incorporate dry ingredients. Batter should be thick and smooth. Set aside for a moment to prepare apples. To prepare apples, wash then peel the apples. Slice apples into thin slices, core the slices, then quarter the slices. In a small bowl, toss the apples with 2 tablespoons of flour to lightly coat them.
Grab your prepared pan and add in a thin layer of batter. Enough to coat most of the bottom but don’t feel the need to get it edge to edge. Layer in half of your apple pieces, pressing down on each as you add it so as to help push the batter around into a more even layer. Add half of your walnuts over top of the apples. Now add another layer of batter by spooning dollops of batter into the pan. Again, don’t worry about getting complete coverage because the batter will spread as you add the next layer of apples and walnuts. Add the final layer of apples and walnuts just as you did the first. Lastly, top the whole thing off with the remaining cake batter, dolloping it on and then carefully smoothing/pressing it out to ensure that all of the apples are covered.
Bake for 50 minutes. When done, a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Cool cake fully then dust with powdered sugar. Cake will keep on counter in an airtight container, or covered well, for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes & Strawberry “Buttercream” Frosting

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Well, Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day! (Or Galentine’s Day, or Singles Awareness Day, or whatever other name you have for February 14th!)

With the day o’ love coming up I decided to do a Valentine’s-inspired recipe this week. When I think of Valentine’s day, the first thing that comes to mind is that I’m single but, once I stop crying, the next thing, or rather things, that comes to mind are strawberries. Who doesn’t love a good fresh strawberry? I know I could eat them, and have eaten them, by the pint. Oh who am I kidding, I’ve eaten them by the pound before. #StrawberrySkank

So with strawberries in mind I decided to come up with a recipe for fresh and from scratch strawberry cupcakes with a strawberry “buttercream” frosting to go on top. Why did I take the time to let you know that they are not only fresh but also from scratch? Because 9 out of 10 strawberry cupcake/cake recipes you find out there are not fresh or from scratch. Most ask you to plop in some strawberry gelatin dessert mix and some just doctor up a box of strawberry cake mix -either way, no thank you. My recipe calls for real strawberries and that makes all the difference.

Oh look, here come some fresh, real strawberries right now…

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Beautiful, aren’t they?

The first step is to process the strawberries by hulling, halving, and then blending them up with some lemon juice until smooth and liquidy. My blender has an “extract” button which pulverizes whatever you put in there so I opted to use this feature with my strawberries to ensure that their tiny little seeds would not be floating around in my puree.

You will be using this puree in both the cupcakes and the frosting but you will have a little leftover to do something fun with or you know, you could just drink that leftover strawberry goodness right down, if you’re so inclined to do so. And I was.

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To get started on the cupcakes you’re going to whisk together the dry ingredients and then set them aside for a moment until they’re needed. (Pretty easy so far, right?!)

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Next you’re going to get the wet ingredients, including some of the strawberry puree, combined in a separate bowl.

One of the wet ingredients in this cupcake recipe is vegan strawberry yogurt. For this recipe I prefer a soy-based rather than nut-based yogurt and if your yogurt has bits of strawberries in it then you, like me, will have to scoop those out before you move on to the next step. We want out cupcakes to be light and lovely and not have little lumps in them so it’s important that you get those out. It’ll only take a minute, I promise.

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Once your wet ingredients are combined and the strawberry lumps from the yogurt have been removed, you can then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Should you desire a more pink-y cupcake you are more than welcome to add in a few drops of pink or red food coloring here but I personally wanted to keep my cupcakes au naturel.

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Fill your cupcake papers (12 to be precise) a smidge over halfway full then bake ’em for 20-25 minutes. When done, as with most cupcakes, a toothpick stuck in the center will come out clean.

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Transfer your little piggy pink beauties to a baking rack to cool completely before frosting.

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As for the frosting, it couldn’t be any easier to make a vegan “buttercream.” Simply combine the room temperature vegan butter, a little strawberry puree, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment attached, or in a bowl and use a hand mixer. With the mixer on low you’re going to slowly add in the powdered sugar in parts. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, crank up the speed of the mixer and whip a little air into your frosting for just a few seconds until it is light and fluffy. Again, if you’d prefer a more pink-y color you can add in some food coloring but as with the cupcakes, I went for the natural color which is a very pale shade of peachy pink.

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After you’ve allowed your cupcakes to cool fully you can then frost them with your strawberry “buttercream” frosting and add any little special touch you want to them -I added some itty bitty heart sprinkles because after all, these are Valentine’s cupcakes.

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Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes & Strawberry 'Buttercream' Frosting

Servings: 12
Time: about 40 minutes plus time for the cupcakes to cool and then to frost them
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Credit: Compassion is the Secret Ingredient, http://www.citsiblog.com

Ingredients

For the puree:

About 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup strawberry puree
1 stick of vegan butter, melted
1/4 cup almond milk
3 tablespoons vegan strawberry yogurt (preferably soy-based)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red or pink food coloring (optional)

For the frosting:

1 stick of vegan butter, room temperature
About 1/3 cup strawberry puree
1/4 tsp vanilla
A pinch of salt
Red or pink food coloring (optional)
About 3 1/3 cups of powdered sugar

Directions

For the puree:

Combine both ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and liquidy.

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin/cupcake pan by lining 12 cups with cupcake papers.
In a medium or large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup mix the sugar, 1/2 cup of strawberry puree, melted vegan butter, almond milk, vegan strawberry yogurt, and vanilla together and stir to combine. If your strawberry yogurt has little bits of real strawberries in it then you’ll want to fish those out before you move on to the next step -we don’t want those in our cupcakes because they’ll make our cupcakes lumpy. If you desire a more pink-y cupcake you can add a couple drops of red or pink food coloring to the wet ingredients but this is completely optional.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake papers and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. When cupcakes are done, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting. Cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days and because of the fresh fruit in both them and the frosting they should be kept in the fridge when not being served.

For the frosting:

Combine the vegan butter, about 1/3 cup strawberry puree, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment attached, or in a bowl and use a hand mixer. If you desire a more pink-y frosting you can also add in a couple drops of red or pink food coloring but this is completely optional.
With the mixer on low slowly add in the powdered sugar in parts. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, crank up the speed of the mixer to whip a little air into the frosting. Be sure to not overwork the frosting -it should only take a few seconds of mixing on a higher speed to get the frosting light and fluffy.