Eckmeier Jérôme - Easy vegan baking: 80 easy vegan recipes: cookies, cakes, pizzas, breads, and more

VEGAN BASICS

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Our aim for this book was for the recipes to be quick and simple to make and, ideally, to avoid exotic ingredients. The German Vegetarian Association asked, What vegan baking recipes would you like? and over 600 of our Facebook friends responded. They loved wholesome foods, cookies, and muffinsand they dreamed of the perfect vegan cheesecake.

Their careful, detailed responses show that baking is a hot topic for people who want to follow a vegan dietwhether for some or all of the timebecause purely plant-based cakes, cookies, breads, and rolls are hard to find. Furthermore, information provided at bakeries isnt always reliable; for example, often you cant be sure if the margarine they use really is vegan.

So for our second book with Vegetarian Societys kitchen buddy Jrme Eckmeier, there was never any doubt that our topic would have to be baking. Jrme was supported on this project by our new discovery, baking expert Daniela Lais. Together, they met vegans requests: that the recipes should be easy for anyone to follow, with clear step-by-step instructions, for example, on how to make muffins super fluffy and cheesecake silky smooth.

So even if you rarely venture into a kitchen, its time to get baking! Find out how fun baking can be, how it saves money, and how it makes your home smell heavenly, too. These sweet temptations are fantastic ambassadors for veganizm.

Its true that anyone who wants to bake great cakes needs a few key ingredients but eggs, butter, lard, and milk most definitely arent necessary.

Yours,
Sebastian Zsch
Managing director of the German Vegetarian Association
[Vegetarierbund Deutschland e.V.]

PS

Find us at www.vebu.de and facebook.com/
provegDE

What is your favorite baked itemthe thing you cant bear to be without, even as a vegan? A survey by the German Vegetarian Association helped identify which baking recipes the veggie community would most like while avoiding milk, eggs, and so on. The results were used as inspiration for the recipes in this book.

6. SPONGE CAKE

With tried and tested recipes; a few techniques, tricks, and skills; and the right utensils, vegan baking is just as simple as conventional bakingand sometimes even simpler.

Liquid measuring cup, saucepans, frying pans, fine sieve/sifter, large and small spoons, paring knife or potato peeler, graters, pastry brush, cutting board, rolling pin, kitchen scales (ideally digital), toothpicks or skewer for testing. Also:

Mixing bowls

For preparing most recipes, two mixing bowls are enough. Often, dry ingredients are combined in one bowl and liquid ingredients in a second bowl. For beating cream, we also recommend a mixing bowl with a lid with an opening for the beaters.

Baking pans

High-quality baking pans made of metal or silicone are crucial for the success of many baked items. We recommend a springform pan and, where required, a pie dish, a loaf pan, a 12-hole muffin pan or silicone tray, and a rectangular ovenproof (glass) dish, for baked goods like brownies. If your baking pan isnt quite the right size, just adjust the quantities and baking times.

Parchment paper

Environmentally friendly, washable parchment paperwhich can be reused again and againor some simple coated parchment paper. Different sizes are helpful.

Electric hand whisk

For preparing cream, frostings, or toppings, at least 450-watt.

The decision to purchase additional kitchen gadgets is entirely up to the individual, but the items here are often highly practical, save time, and can help to make baked goods look even more attractive.

Cake ring

This holds a cakes shape during filling or stacking and helps ensure accurate alignment when there are multiple layers to a cake.

Dough scraper, spatula, and palette knife

These help smooth out the surface on creamy layers and other spreadable substances and can be used to straighten up edges.

Piping bag with nozzles

Piping bags made from reusable material are easy to use and to clean.

Recommended nozzles are:

A 1416mm star nozzle

A variety of 18mm nozzles for decorating cupcakes

A flower nozzle

A round nozzle

Adapters make it easy to change nozzles quickly by screwing and unscrewing, but you can also make a yourself.

Zester or box grater

This makes it easy to remove and zest the peel on citrus fruits and shreds the zest evenly, making it ideal for decorative purposes.

Waffle iron

Use this for sweet and savory wafflesideally, a classic heart-shaped iron. Oiling the surface makes cleaning easier.

Food processor for grinding or mixing

This is an optional luxury for preparing cakes that are made with raw ingredients or which do not involve baking. It grinds and mixes thoroughly in a single process.

One advantage of vegan baking is that most of the ingredients keep for longer than animal products, which can go bad very quickly. It is super easy to throw together a delicious cake with a very modest supply of high-quality, organic ingredients, which you can keep stocked in your pantry.

All-purpose flour

Shelf life: if stored in an airtight container, away from the light and in a dry location at 60.868F (1620C), up to 1 year

Fine cane sugar

Shelf life: if stored in an airtight container, away from the light and in a dry location at 60.868F (1620C), up to 1 year or longer

Baking powder

Shelf life: if stored in an airtight container in a dry location and unopened, 112 years or longer

Dry yeast

Shelf life: if stored in an airtight container in a dry location and unopened, up to 2 years

Soy milk

Shelf life: kept sealed, even if not chilled, several months

Flavorless oilfor example, canola oil

Shelf life: kept sealed and airtight in a cool, dark location, at least 1 year

Vanilla extract

Shelf life: kept sealed in a cool, dark place, 6 months to 1 year. Pure vanilla extract has an indefinite shelf life

Vegan margarine

Shelf life: 68 weeks

For a 10in (25cm) long loaf pan

Time: 5 mins prep + 1 hr baking

212 cups all-purpose flour, plus some extra for the pan

23 cup fine cane sugar

2 tsp baking powder

118 cups soy milk

12 cup canola oil

12 tsp vanilla extract

margarine, for greasing the pan

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk the soy milk, canola oil, and vanilla extract and add to bowl, mixing everything until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan, greased and dusted with flour, and bake for about 1 hour, until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.