snack cake

Vegan Coffee And Walnut Cake

October 15, 2019 by hannahhossack Leave a Comment

Vegan coffee and walnut cake – this easy coffee and walnut traybake cake is deliciously soft and moist. Topped with a cloud of light and fluffy coffee buttercream this is the perfect cake for serving a crowd. Post sponsored by Pyrex.

Coffee and walnut cake is an absolute classic British cake. No tearoom worth their salt would neglect to have a coffee and walnut cake on offer!

I think that this vegan sheet cake version is just as good as the original. The cake is soft and moist with plenty of coffee flavour, and the buttercream is light and fluffy and also packs a coffee flavour punch!

Due to the amount of coffee in this cake I think that it is best eaten in the morning or afternoon, not in the evening. I would also recommend swapping for a decaf coffee if you would like to make this cake with children.

I used Pyrex’s new Magic Metal range 23×30 cm roasting tin to make this cake. Their excellent quality roasting tins aren’t just good for cooking a roast dinner, they are also the perfect size and shape for baking sheet cakes!

While Pyrex may be best known for their reliable heat-resistant glassware, their metal bakeware lives up to the same high-quality standards.

The carbon steel Magic Metal bakeware range is non-stick, oven safe up to 230°C, dishwasher safe and comes with a five year guarantee!

I also used their Expert bowl and glass jugs to do all of the cake prep. Pyrex products are my go-to when it comes to baking as they are just so sturdy and practical!

If you want to get your hands on any of the excellent Magic Metal range it is available from Argos.

How To Make Vegan Coffee And Walnut Cake:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*

Start by greasing your 30x23cm roasting tin and lining it with baking parchment. Make sure that it comes above the top of the tin to make it easy to lift the cake out once it is baked.

Whisk together softened vegan block butter and light brown soft sugar with an electric mixer for a good few minutes until it is very light and fluffy. The Pyrex Expert mixing bowl is perfect for making cake batter in!

Next add non-dairy yogurt (plain soy is best), non-dairy milk (again, I favour soy milk for baking), vanilla extract, self-raising flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and instant espresso powder.

Whisk gently until everything is well combined but take care not to over-mix the batter as that can make the cake tough. Fold through some roughly chopped walnuts.

Transfer the batter to your prepared tin, spread it level and bake in a preheated oven for around 25-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin then carefully lift it out using the baking parchment and place on a serving platter.

To make the coffee buttercream, whisk together softened vegan block butter and vegetable shortening until they are well combined. Make sure that there are no lumps at this stage.

Mix together instant espresso powder and a little non-dairy milk to make a paste. Add the coffee paste to the butter mixture along with sifted icing sugar and vanilla extract.

Whisk on a high speed for a good few minutes until the buttercream is very light and fluffy.

If it is too thick you can whisk in a little extra milk, ½ tsp at a time. And if it is too soft you can either whisk in more sifted icing sugar or pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up a bit.

Spread the buttercream over the top of the cake and decorate as you like with chopped walnuts, cacao nibs and chocolate coffee beans.

How Long Will It Keep?:

Once decorated, this vegan coffee and walnut cake will keep for around five days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Can I Freeze It?:

Yes, the cooled, un-iced cake can be wrapped and frozen whole for up to three months.

What If I Want To Make A Coffee And Walnut Layer Cake Instead?:

If you want to make a coffee and walnut layer cake rather than a tray bake then this recipe can be baked in two 23cm/9inch round cake tins instead (you can get away with 20cm/8inch ones if they are deepish)

They will probably take a little less time to cook so start checking on them after 20 minutes.

The buttercream quantity should still be the right amount to fill and top a two layer cake.

Top Tips:

If you don’t have instant espresso powder you can grind up instant coffee granules in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder instead.
This cake has a fairly strong coffee flavour; if you want it to be milder then you can reduce the amount of coffee to 2 Tbsp in the cake batter and 1 Tbsp in the buttercream. You can also use decaf coffee if you just want the flavour, not the caffeine!
Whisk the butter and sugar together until it is very light and fluffy, but once you have added the other ingredients only mix the batter until it is combined. Over-mixing can make the cake tough.
It is very important that you use a vegan block butter/margarine to make this cake (both the cake and the buttercream) – the kind that comes in a foil wrapped block, NOT the spreadable kind in a tub which has too high a water content for baking.
Using part vegan block butter and part vegetable shortening in the buttercream helps to stabilise it and prevent it from splitting which is a common problem with vegan buttercreams.
Keep the decorations classic with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts, or turn it into more of a showstopper like I did by adding some cacao nibs and chocolate coffee beans too. (I used mocha coffee beans from Waitrose which appear to be vegan friendly).

More Classic Vegan Cakes:

If you tried this recipe why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

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Vegan Coffee And Walnut Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 15 people

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Coffee Cake:

200 g (½ + 1/3 cup) softened vegan block butter (I use Naturli vegan block)
300 g (1 + 2/3 cup) light brown soft sugar
200 g (½ + 1/3 cup) non-dairy yogurt (I used Greek style soy)
200 ml (½ + 1/3 cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
2 tsp vanilla extract
400 g (3 + 1/3 cups) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp instant espresso powder
125 g (4.5 oz) roughly chopped walnuts

Coffee Buttercream:

125 g (½ cup) softened vegan block butter (I use Naturli vegan block)
50 g (1/4 cup) vegetable shortening (I use Trex)
2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
2 tsp non-dairy milk
215 g (2 cups) sifted icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
chopped walnuts for decorating

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 30x23 cm/9x12 inch roasting tin or traybake tin and line it with baking parchment.
Whisk together the softened vegan block butter and light brown soft sugar with an electric mixer for a good few minutes until it is very light and fluffy.
Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, self-raising flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and instant espresso powder.
Whisk gently until everything is well combined but take care not to over-mix the batter as that can make the cake tough.
Fold through the chopped walnuts then transfer the batter to the prepared tin, spread it level and bake for around 25-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin then carefully lift it out using the baking parchment and place on a serving platter. (At this point you can also wrap and freeze it if you like).
To make the buttercream, whisk together the softened vegan block butter and vegetable shortening until they are well combined.
Mix together the instant espresso powder and milk to make a paste. Add the coffee paste to the butter mixture along with the sifted icing sugar and vanilla extract.
Whisk on a high speed for a good few minutes until the buttercream is very light and fluffy.
If the buttercream is too thick you can whisk in a little extra milk, ½ tsp at a time. And if it is too soft you can either whisk in more sifted icing sugar or pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up a bit.
Spread the buttercream over the top of the cake and decorate as you like with chopped walnuts, cacao nibs and chocolate coffee beans.

Recipe Notes

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

This post is sponsored by Pyrex, thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to continue doing what I love – playing with food and making a mess of my kitchen.

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

September 25, 2019 by hannahhossack 3 Comments

Vegan pumpkin bread – this spiced pumpkin loaf cake tastes like Autumn in cake form! This one-bowl pumpkin cake is soft, moist, spicy, easy to make, full of Fall flavours and perfect for snacking on. Eggless and dairy-free.

I absolutely adore pumpkin cake; sadly pumpkin based baked goods are not very common here in the UK, and tinned pumpkin puree can be difficult to find, though I have managed to find it in Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s and Waitrose so far!

It’s a shame it’s not more popular here, as pumpkin cake is like the Autumn version of carrot cake; full of warming spices with a soft, moist, incredibly more-ish texture.

This vegan pumpkin bread is super easy to make and just uses one bowl – always a bonus to have less washing up to do! It has a wonderfully soft and moist texture and a beautifully spiced flavour; you would never be able to guess that it is vegan!

It keeps well for up to five days in an airtight container, and is perfect for snacking on or even for breakfast with a cup of something hot.

How To Make Pumpkin Puree:

I used tinned pumpkin puree to make this vegan pumpkin bread which I get from Sainsbury’s; it can also be found in some Tesco’s, Waitrose and on Ocado and Amazon. In the supermarkets it is often hidden away in a little ‘American section’ in the world foods aisles.

If you can’t find it however it is also really easy to make your own; you just need to halve, de-seed and roast an eating pumpkin (NOT a carving one) or a butternut squash until it is tender then scoop the flesh out of the skin and puree it until smooth.

Roast it at around 200C/400F/gas mark 6. The time it takes will very much depend on how large the pumpkin/squash is so just cook it until the flesh can easily be pierced with a fork.

I don’t recommend boiling the pumpkin to cook it as that will make the puree, and therefore the cake, too wet.

How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Bread:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

Start by whisking together plain flour, light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, pumpkin spice (or you can use your own blend of spices – quantities are given in the recipe card below) and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin puree (either tinned or homemade – see instructions above), sunflower oil (or another flavourless oil), non-dairy milk, vinegar and vanilla extract and whisk gently until no dry lumps remain but be careful not to over-mix.

Transfer the batter to a greased and lined approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 in loaf tin and spread it level. Scatter a handful of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) over the top then bake for 60-75 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.

Loosely cover the top with tin foil for the last 20 minutes of baking if it starts to get too dark.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully lift it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.

Top Tips:

If you are using tinned/canned pumpkin puree, make sure that it is 100% pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
Don’t over-mix the batter as that can make the cake tough, just mix it until no dry lumps remain.
Grease your loaf tin and line it with a strip of baking parchment that comes above the sides of the tin so that it is easy to lift the cake out of the tin.
Depending on your oven the top of the cake might start to get a bit dark before it is cooked in the middle. If this happens you can loosely cover the top with a sheet of tin foil for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
The cake is ready when it is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Make sure that the cake has cooled completely before you slice it as otherwise the texture can be a little gummy.

Optional Mix-Ins:

I love this pumpkin bread as it is, topped with pumpkin seeds (pepitas), but if you want to get creative why not try adding:

chocolate chips
dried cranberries
raisins
chopped pecans or walnuts

Can I Freeze This Vegan Pumpkin Bread?:

Yes. This pumpkin loaf cake freezes really well in well-wrapped individual slices (make sure it is completely cold before you slice and wrap it!). Allow to defrost at room temperature.

More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes:

Vegan pumpkin cake with maple pecans and cinnamon buttercream
Vegan pumpkin muffins
Pumpkin spice granola
Pumpkin bread rolls
Vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Vegan sweet potato bread with pecan streusel (ok, so not technically pumpkin but pretty close!)
Vegan pumpkin pancakes
Pumpkin chocolate chip cake bars
Vegan pumpkin mac and cheese
Stuffed mini pumpkins with cranberry and pecan rice

If you tried this recipe why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Vegan pumpkin bread - this spiced pumpkin loaf cake tastes like Autumn in cake form! This one-bowl pumpkin cake is soft, moist, spicy, easy to make, full of Fall flavours and perfect for snacking on. Eggless and dairy-free.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, baking, vegan

Keyword cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

280 g (2 1/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
135 g (3/4 cup) light brown soft sugar
100 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice/mixed spice (or use 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp allspice and 1/8 tsp cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
320 g (1 1/3 cups) tinned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) (see instructions above to make your own)
120 ml (1/2 cup) sunflower oil (or another flavourless oil)
100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used oat)
1 tsp cider vinegar/white wine vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
a handful of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to decorate (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease an approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 in loaf tin and line it with a strip of baking parchment that comes a little way above the sides so that you can easily lift the cake out once it is baked.
Whisk together the plain flour, light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, pumpkin spice and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the pumpkin puree, sunflower oil, non-dairy milk, vinegar and vanilla extract and whisk gently until no dry lumps remain but be careful not to over-mix.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf tin and spread it level. Scatter a handful of pumpkin seeds over the top then bake for 60-75 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Loosely cover the top with tin foil for the last 20 minutes of baking if it starts to get too dark.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully lift it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.

Vegan Gluten Free Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cake (Low Fodmap)

June 7, 2019 by hannahhossack Leave a Comment

This moist, delicious sweet potato chocolate chip cake is easy to make and is totally vegan, gluten free and suitable for the low fodmap diet.

I’m going to straight up admit that gluten free baking is not really my area of expertise. I don’t really know any coeliacs/gluten intolerant people so it isn’t something I’ve ever needed to do on the regular.

Recently however, Damian has been giving the low Fodmap diet a try (it is SUCH a ballache of a diet but needs must…). The elimination phase requires you to cut out basically everything that contains gluten (and just about everything else as well it feels like!), so I’ve come up with a few gluten free and low fodmap friendly bakes so he can still have a little bit of joy in his diet.

This sweet potato chocolate chip cake is both vegan and gluten free, as well as being suitable for the low fodmap diet. It uses a base of ground oats and almonds instead of flour which makes it soft and moist. It is bound with cooked mashed sweet potato, maple syrup, almond milk and full fat tinned coconut milk.

There is no extra fat added to this cake other than the fat from the coconut milk so don’t swap this out for another kind of milk or it might not work as well.

This is not an overly sweet cake – it is sweetened just with maple syrup; so a healthy dose of chocolate chips provide a bit of extra sweetness. (And the more chocolate chips the better in my opinion!).

This is a great cake for snacking on and because it is a bit more nutritious than regular cake you don’t need to feel guilty about having two slices!

How To Make Vegan And Gluten Free Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cake:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

Start by making your sweet potato mash – Take one medium-large sweet potato and prick it a couple of times with a sharp knife. Microwave for around 10 minutes, turning it over halfway through, until it is soft. You can also bake it if you prefer; but it takes longer.

Allow to cool a little then peel off the skin, place the flesh in a bowl and mash. Measure out 120g/1/2 cup of the mash for the cake and reserve any left over for another use. (I give it to my dog, he loves it.).

(If you are measuring the potato by weight, not cups (which I always recommend!) then there is no need to mash it as you will be blending it in a minute anyway.).

(You only need one sweet potato – two are pictured as I nicked this photo from my vegan sweet potato bread with pecan streusel post).

Tip your oat flour/ground oats (see below for instructions on how to make it) into a large bowl along with ground almonds, baking powder and salt and mix it well with a balloon whisk so no lumps remain.

Place your cooked sweet potato in a blender along with tinned full fat coconut milk (no substitutions!), almond milk (or another thin plant milk, or just water is fine), maple syrup (or you can use agave) and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well, the batter should be very thick. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scrape the batter into a 23cm/9inch square greased and lined cake tin and spread it level. Bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a couple of moist crumbs but no wet batter.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin before turning it out and slicing into squares. It MUST be completely cold before you cut it otherwise the texture will be too wet.