Holly Jade - The Essential Book of Vegan Bakes: Irresistible Plant-Based Cakes and Treats

HOLLY JADE

CREATOR OF THE LITTLE BLOG OF VEGAN

Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cups,

I am so excited to bring you my very first vegan baking book. I made a book! I still cant believe it. Its been an absolute pleasure to work on this, and I want to thank every single person who has helped me bring it to life and all of you for buying it.

I have many happy childhood memories centered around baking and creating a mess in my family kitchen, and I wanted to produce a book filled with delicious classic and unique baked goods and desserts that everyone can enjoyvegan and non-vegan alike.

I am incredibly proud of every single recipe in this book and have worked especially hard to create recipes that suit all abilities, using ingredients that most people will recognize. If you love desserts and sweet treats, then youve come to the right place. The Essential Book of Vegan Bakes welcomes you to the world of vegan baking!

My name is Holly Jade, and Im the founder, owner, and creator of The Little Blog of Vegan , a multi-award-winning vegan food blog, where I share all of my tasty recipe creations and drool-worthy food photography (if I do say so myself!).

To understand how I got to where I am now, I have to reflect back on my school days. I had a very low school attendance record due to school phobia and health problems. I left school with very few job prospects, no plans for the future, and no desire to return to an educational setting because of the difficult time Id had. I had hoped that leaving school would be a relief, but instead I suffered from depression. It was an extremely upsetting time for me, and it was also around this time that I started to develop intolerances to certain foods. As a result, I had to go on a strict exclusion diet.

During this time, my wonderful cat and best friend, Tiggs, was a great comfort to me. Honestly, he became a treasured part of my life, and that is why I dedicated this book to him. He recently passed away after spending 18 cherished years by my side. It was thanks to his companionship that I decided I couldnt continue to support the meat and dairy industries, knowing how much harm they cause to innocent, beautiful animals just like my Tiggs. So I began to eat a plant-based diet, and I stopped wearing or using any products that came from an animal or that had been tested on animals.

I spent many hours researching foods that were vegan and cruelty-free, and I wanted to share my findings with others. Thats when my sister, Naomi, suggested I start a vegan food blog, and so The Little Blog of Vegan was born. Not only did creating my blog help me through a very difficult period in my life but I was also able to develop it into a full-time business that went on to win prestigious awards. Most importantly, it has enabled me to do what I love for a living. I still find it hard to believe that my blog has led me to work alongside high-profile international companies. Im especially proud of my Instagram account, @thelittleblogofvegan, which has helped me to evolve my style and grow an organic audience of followers from all over the world.

Not bad for a girl who left school without a clue!

Though my blog started as a general vegan food blog, over time I became more passionate about baking, which is something I loved to do as a child with my mom. I love the freedom it gives me to express my imagination through my creations. Some of my favorite recipes include my cute hedgehog doughnuts, polar bear cupcakes, reindeer tartlets, themed celebration cakes, and bakery-style desserts (see for photos of some of these creations).

I am happiest when Im in the kitchen, baking and experimenting with new recipes, but my other passions are food styling, photography, videography, and editing. Everything I do, I have taught myselffrom building a popular website to recipe creating, running a business, managing social media channels, and liaising with influential companies. It goes to show that you dont have to invest in further education if you have dreams, passion, and faith in yourself. My business isnt just a job to me, its a massive part of my life and something I love and feel passionate about. My followers are exceptional and have always been so supportive throughout my journeyI have even met other awesome creators I now regard as friends. Whenever a follower makes one of my recipes and shares it on Instagram, it makes my day. I just want to encourage and inspire other people to bakeafter all, a cake will brighten up anyones day.

There is no end to my blogging journey. Something fresh is always around the corner, and not a day goes by that there isnt something new to do or to plan for. I have to pinch myself sometimes when I remember that my work is not only being recognized around the world but is valued as well! Ive had my recipes featured on the front cover of magazines, and over the last few years I have won awards, including Blogospheres Food Blogger of the Year, been named a Top Ten Baking Blog by Vuelio, been a finalist in PETAs Great Vegan Bake-Off, and been shortlisted for Pinterests Food and Drink Awards. How amazing is that?!

Creating this book is yet another incredible opportunity. Whod have thought that I would be writing my very own baking book? I am so thankful to Countryman Press for sharing my vision and having faith in me and my work.

I wanted to share my story with you, as well as my bakes and creations, as its extremely important to me to convey that even when things seem hopeless, achieving your goalsand your dream jobis possible if you just believe in yourself.

Holly Jade x

When it comes to creating the most delicious baked goods and desserts, you dont need expensive, top-of-the-line utensils. Sometimes simple, basic tools work just as well. Heres a list of whats in my kitchen and the utensils I use regularly.

KITCHEN SCALE One of my most-used and crucial kitchen tools is my trusty digital scale. I prefer digital scales because theyre more precise and easy to use, and theyre great for making sure the bake comes out perfect each time.

CAKE PANS There are so many kinds out there. I prefer to use removable-bottom or springform cake pans, as they make it easier to turn the cakes out once baked. Make sure youre using the correct cake pan for the cake youre making. If your pan is too shallow, the cake batter could overflow, causing a mess in your oven and a very flat cake. My most-used cake pan sizes are 6-inch (15 cm), 8-inch (20 cm), and 10-inch (25 cm) pans with removable bottoms. If you want to create layered cakes, its worth investing in a few pans of the same size to save on baking time. I also find it helpful to have a variety of differently sized loaf pans, pie pans, tartlet pans, and muffin or cupcake pans. It is vital to have a muffin or cupcake pan when making cupcakes to hold the liners in place.