Have Your Cake and Vegan Too (13 page)

CHAPTER 3

Simple Layer Cakes

These single-layer cakes are things of beauty: no fillings, no stacking of layers. Heck, some of them even have their topping built-in—just bake and flip! Simple, sweet, and in your mouth, just the way a cake should be.

This is a supersimple sheet cake that's perfectly sweet by itself, but rocks warm with a scoop of ice cream. Nom!

 

INGREDIENTS

FUDGE STRIPE SAUCE

1/3
cup
chocolate chips
1 teaspoon
agave nectar, corn syrup,
or brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon
nondairy milk
2 tablespoons
margarine

 

CAKE

2 cups
all-purpose flour
1
1/4
cups
organic granulated sugar
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
1/4
teaspoon
salt
^¾
cup
nondairy milk
1/2
teaspoon
mild vinegar
1 cup
mashed ripe banana
1/4
cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 large
ripe but firm banana,
sliced into thin rounds

 

DIRECTIONS

 

To make the sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, agave, milk, and margarine. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate and margarine melt. Whisk to combine and remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.

 

To make the cake, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the milk and vinegar and let sit for a few minutes to activate the vinegar. Add the mashed banana, oil, and vanilla and mix until combined. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Fold in the banana slices. Spread the banana mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Drizzle the cooled fudge sauce in stripes along the banana mixture. Run a butter knife through the stripes to make a nice zigzag pattern.

 

Bake for 37 to 42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 40 to 60 minutes before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator.

 

SERVINGS:
9

 

INGREDIENTS

1
1/2
cups plus 2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
^¾
cup plus 2 tablespoons
organic granulated sugar
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
1/4
teaspoon
salt
1 cup
nondairy milk
1/4
teaspoon
mild vinegar
1/4
cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 cup
packed finely shredded zucchini,
drained of excess juice
1 recipe
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
(see page 138)

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour the sides of 1 or 2 (8- or 9-inch) round pans and line with parchment paper.

 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the milk and vinegar and let sit for a few minutes to activate the vinegar. Add the oil and vanilla and mix to combine. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending until just mixed, then repeat with the other half. Add the zucchini and mix until evenly distributed. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread evenly.

 

Bake for 22 to 28 minutes for 1 cake, 40 to 45 minutes for 2 cakes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is light and springs back to the touch. Let cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of one of the layers and invert onto the cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting. Spread the frosting over the top. Remove the other layer from its pan and place on the bottom layer. Spread more frosting over the top and sides. If you are making 1 layer, you will have enough frosting to bust out the piping bag and add some decorative frosting work to the top. You will need to add a little more sugar to the piping frosting to make it a bit stiffer so it holds its shape. (See page 14 for more tips on frosting cakes.) Store covered in the refrigerator.