Vegan Cake Options..Bananas and White Chocolate

Vegan cakes are just as delicious as the non vegan and to prove it The Cake Tree folk have been experimenting with various recipes.

Some have been downright disasters!! {The white chocolate mud cake that you could build a house with!} Others however have been a delightful surprise and have joined the list of successful recipes waiting for a chance to become a wedding/celebration cake.

We've saved one such cake for you…an easy and absolutely delicious banana/vegan white chocolate cake. Beware! This cake is so easy and quick to make that you could be in danger of cake overload. 

We've given both American and British measurements…we used the American measuring cup method  for speedy preparation and these are readily available on this side of the pond now. {don't use ordinary cups please.}

Just so you know: Vegan white chocolate can behave a bit strangely in some recipes and the best we've tried to date is the Humdinger dairy free white chocolate buttons sold in most supermarkets but they're only in 25g bags but two of these is sufficient for the recipe so don't worry about the extra 7g it will not change the cake. {Sorry do not know of a good American equivalent.}

Don't worry about the vinegar or lemon and lime juice..sounds a bit crazy but they are needed to help the cake rise and you can't taste them…honest!

If you like you can also grease and line the base of four 20cm sandwich tins and cook the cakes for 15-20 mins, again depending on your oven OR….halve the recipe for just two 20cm sandwich tins or one 20cm deep tin. Oh…and you can make cup cakes from the batter too about 24 large ones and you only need a half a paper wrapper full as these rise really well because of the double sifting.

The Cake

We've all had a bowl of these at some time especially when you have fussy individuals who like their bananas only just ripe!! {Jo?}

But they're still good and the flavour is so intense that they are ideal for a cake so here's a cake that takes full advantage.

Vegan White Chocolate and Banana Cake

Ingredients

57g 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate drops

420g/3 cups self raising flour

225ml/1 cup vegetable oil {sunflower}

2 tbsp white vinegar or lemon {we used lime} juice 

400g/2 cups castor sugar

pinch of sea salt

four large or six small bananas

Method

First of all the music

This is very important and it has to be loud!!

Metallica = Cakes that ROCK

{Sorry…Jo's a real 'Metal head'}

Heat your oven to 180C or 170C if fan assisted

Grease and line the bottom of two 20cm cake tins {If not non stick you will need to line the tins completely} This is important as the mixture does stick a little.

In a separate medium size bowl

Mash the bananas well

add the oil and salt

In a separate large mixing bowl 

Twice sift the flour

add the sugar

 add the chocolate drops

Now, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well to combine {and make sure there are no dry bits}

Do not over do it. The ingredients should be just blended.

Pour into tins equally {you'll need a spoon to help as the mixture is quite thick and sticky}

Make sure the batter is evenly distributed in the tins and pop into oven straight away.

Bake for 35-40minutes depending on your oven until golden brown and pulling away from the sides.

Check by pushing cocktail stick to the bottom and out. If still sticky/gooey leave another five minutes and keep checking there after until the stick comes out clean.

Leave to cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then turn out. {Make sure the cake is cooling on it's bottom side}

When cool, sandwich the cake with vegan "buttercream" and dust with icing sugar

Vegan "Buttercream"

50g soft vegan margarine

100g icing sugar

tsp vanilla extract

Mix icing sugar and margarine carefully until sugar has stopped 'puffing' and then beat until light and fluffy adding the vanilla extract mid way.

A little dash of cherry jam goes nicely when sandwiching the layers just make sure you smooth it on after the 'butter' cream or the frosting will slide all over the place!

If frosting the surface of the cake American style…pop the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up the 'butter' cream and stabilise the cake ready to smooth the frosting on top and sides.

Try a scattering of chocolate drops or decoration of your choice

We would have frosted our cake here but it didn't last long enough!

Easter Chocolate Cupcakes

Easter is always the time for chocolate here at The Cake Tree and today we've been baking chocolate cupcakes with little buttercream nests. They're really simple, fun and delicious so we thought you may like to make some too! So here's a little step by step 'how to'.

First the ingredients: 

Cake

225g of castor sugar 

200g SR Flour {combined with the..}

25g cocoa powder

225g unsalted butter

Four large eggs

Vanilla extract

Mini chocolate eggs {with the sugar coating} 

Pearly sprinkles but you can use any sprinkles you like

Buttercream

225g unsalted butter

500g icing sugar

100g good couverture milk chocolate drops

2 teaspoons milk

Heat the oven to 180C/ or 170C/ for 

fan assisted 

With the mixer on high {but not 'mad' high!} cream the butter and 

sugar until light and fluffy, {this can take about five minutes}  

add a teaspoon of vanilla extract

The colour will become light and creamy coloured

{There's usually a mug of tea on the go whilst watching.}

}

Once the butter and sugar are creamed together, gradually add 

the eggs one at a time with a teaspoon of the flour/chocolate mix 

{this helps stop the mix separating.} Switch the mixer to slow and 

add the flour/cocoa mixture to the batter, dessert spoon by 

dessert spoon ensuring it is combined between spoonfuls.

Pop the batter into the cases {a good dessert spoonful will do.}

Place into the middle of the oven and cook for 20 - 25 minutes 

but keep an eye on them and try not to open the oven door too 

soon or they'll sink in the middle.

The downside to all this? The washing up!… 

Upside?... Cake!

Cool the cakes in the tin for ten minutes the turn out to cool 

completely on a cooling rack.

While cakes are cooling {and after you've cleaned the mixing 

bowl!} mix the butter and icing sugar on slow and add a
teaspoon of vanilla extract.

                                Once the ingredients are combined gradually increase the speed 
                                            and continue until the mixture is light and fluffy. 

Melt the chocolate slowly in a heat proof bowl over simmering
pan of water stirring until smooth then cool until just warm.

add to the buttercream and on slow speed until thoroughly 

combined.

Ensure the cakes are cooled completely and if you have an icing 

bag and nozzle fill with the butter cream and pipe from the 

centre out to form 'nests alternatively smooth on with a spatula 

then add sprinkles and chocolate eggs

PS. A good way to add sprinkles is to fill a small bowl and 

lightly dip the top of the cakes into the sprinkles