Black Forest Cake

I don't usually post dessert recipes on here because I feel like there are so many amazing cookbooks and blogs already dedicated to vegan baking and desserts. I'm not expert in that area so I leave it to the professionals. Sometimes, I do feel like trying to make my own goodies and I don't think I've ever seen a vegan black forest cake. So, I went with it! I modified the recipe off of this one. Also, excuse the frosting in these pictures. I should have put the cake in the fridge to let it set before I took the pictures!

Black Forest Cake

* Prep Time: 30 minutes
* Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
* Ingredients (for cake batter):

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder  
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar*
• 2 egg replacers, follow box directions*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar

* Ingredients (for frosting materials):

• 1/2 cup kirsch*
• 1 cup soy butter*
• 7 cups powdered sugar
• 2 pinch salt
• 2 tsp brewed coffee
• 2 (14 oz.) cans pitted cherries, drained
• 1 can vegan whipped cream, to top*
• maraschino cherries, to top
• 1 bar semisweet chocolate, shaved, to top  

* Recipe (for cake batter):

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix.
3. Combine the non-dairy milk with the vinegar. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. 
4. In another bowl, whip the sugar and vegetable shortening until combined. 
5. Mix the egg replacers in a small bowl until frothy. 
6. Combine the dry ingredients with the sugar mixture, egg replacers, butter milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until batter is smooth.
7. Line the bottom of two round 8 in. pans with parchment paper. Pour half the batter in each. 
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
9. Let cool completely and remove the parchment paper. Cut each cake in half horizontally making 4 cakes total. 

* Recipe (for frosting materials): 

1. Sprinkle each layer with the kirsch.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar, pinch of salt, and coffee. Beat until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a couple teaspoons of cherry juice. 
3. Roughly chop up the cherries.
4. Spread the frosting over each layer. Add cherries. Repeat for all layers except the top one (so two more times).
5. Top one layer with another layer of cake until all 4 are on top of one another.
6. Continue frosting the entire cake.
7. Shave chocolate and cover the cake with it.
8. Top with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

* Note: Make sure all your sugar is vegan. For egg replacers, I used Ener-G. The non-dairy milk I used was almond milk. Feel free to use whatever you prefer. Kirsch is cherry liquor. You can find it in the alcohol section with other liquors. For soy butter, I like Earth Balance with olive oil. Lastly, Soyatoo makes an amazing canned whipped cream. I can usually find it at Whole Foods here.

Irish Festivities: Stew, Brown Bread, & Stout Cake

The stew and brown bread recipes were adapted and veganized from a cookbook I picked up in Ireland last year, Irish Soups & Breads. It is a traditional book full of interesting recipes and facts. The stout cake with stout ganache I came up with on my own, though!

Irish Beefless Beef Stew w/ Fluffy Dumplings

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 45 minutes
* Ingredients (for stew):

• 1/2 seitan recipe, cooked as directioned, ripped into chunks
• 1 leek, light green and white parts chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small-medium white onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 2/3 cup porter beer*
• 7 1/2 cups vegetarian "beef" broth*
• 1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp tiny white onions, peeled
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• flour, for dusting seitan
• olive oil, for frying seitan pieces
• 2 tbsp soy butter*
• 2-3 tbsp parsley, to top
• salt & pepper

* Ingredients (for fluffy dumplings):

• 3/4 cup self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup white breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 "eggs" prepared by Ener-G instructions*
• cayenne, to taste

 * Recipe (for stew):

1. In a large pot on medium heat, let the butter melt. Add the leeks and onion. 
2. After onions become translucent, add the carrot and celery. Cook until tender.
3. Next, add the caraway seeds, beer, broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
4. While the stew is cooking, prepare the seitan pieces. In a medium pan, heat the olive oil. While olive oil is heating, roll the pieces of seitan in flour. Brown them in the olive oil and add to the stew.
5. Add the mushrooms,tiny onions, and fluffy dumplings to the stew. Cook for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf when done cooking.
6. Top soup with parsley when serving.

* Recipe (for fluffy dumplings):

1. In a bowl, combine flour, breadcrumbs, and cayenne.
2. Mix the egg in a small bowl. Add into the flour mixture followed by the butter. Combine well.
3. Form into small dumpling shapes and add into stew about 10-15 minutes before it is finished cooking. 

* Note: I used a porter beer because I couldn't find a vegan stout on hand that wasn't a chocolate stout. If you can find a non-chocolate stout that is vegan, please use that. Check Barnivore to make sure it is vegan. For vegetarian "beef" broth, I used Frontier broth. The soy butter I used was Earth Balance. Ener-G is a type of egg replacer.

Brown Bread


* Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
* Cook Time: 55 minutes - 1 hour
* Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups course whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 2 "eggs" prepared by Ener-G instructions
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar

* Recipe:

1. In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
2. In the well, add the soy milk, olive oil, and "eggs". Mix the batter well. If the mix is too thick, add a little more soy milk if necessary.
3. In a greased bread pan, add the batter and smooth the top. Make two diagonal cuts on the top of the bread. 
4. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes.
5. Take out of the oven and test to see if done. Bread to cooked by tapping the bottom; if it sounds follow, it's done. One could otherwise use a kebab skewer and poke down the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, bake for another few minutes and re-check.

* Note: The mashed potatoes that the bread is with in the picture are made via my recipe here.

Chocolate Stout Cake w/ Chocolate Stout Ganache


* Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
* Cook Time: 50 minutes
* Ingredients (for chocolate stout cake):

• 1 cup chocolate stout beer*
• 1 cup softened soy butter
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 "eggs" prepared by Enger-G instructions
• 2/3 cup vegan sour cream*

* Ingredients (for chocolate stout ganache):

• 1/4 cup chocolate stout beer
• 9 oz. vegan chocolate chips
• 1-2 tsp vanilla extract

* Recipe (for chocolate stout cake):

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients in the well and combine well.
2. In a greased cake pan, pour the batter in. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
3. Check the cake after 40 minutes to see if it is done. use a toothpick or kebab skewer and poke the cake to the bottom of the pan. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake it done. If not, place back into the oven until cooked.

* Recipe (for chocolate stout ganache):

1. Bring a small pot to boil. In a small pan, place the chocolate chips inside. Place pan over the boiling water and stir while the chocolate melts. Add the stout and the vanilla extract.
2. Once cake cools, top it with the ganache.

* Note: Most stout is not vegan. Please make sure you check Barnivore before you make this cake. There are a few stouts out there that are vegan. Don't use Guinness! For vegan sour cream, I used Tofutti. 


Well, there you have it. I hope you all have a great holiday! Irish blessings from your part Irish blog doll. xo