Vegan Cakes

We've celebrated my husband's retirement last month at Nautica downtown Norfolk.

I ALMOST ordered cupcakes from a local bakery but figure we won't be able to eat non-vegan cakes and it would cost a lot more than I invest my time and purchase own ingredients to make them.

So I searched vegan cupcake and cake recipes here and there, I don't have list of sites where I've got all the recipes from anymore...but all the cupcakes and the cake both came out pretty good!

If we don't have internet, I don't think I could become a vegan at all! That's how much I depend on internet to search everyday meal's recipe as well as special occasions.

Anyways, I made vegan yellow cake, coconuts cupcake with pina colada frosting from sticky fingers cookbook, chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting.

Coconuts cupcake's recipe was from Chef Chloe. I bake just cupcake part and it is enough yumminess and people love them! I like how fluffy the cake part comes out.

Here is the cookbook, I've got pina colada frosting recipe from. It was a huge hit!

I've noticed the other day at our local Whole Foods Market, carries her cupcakes! I should try them soon!

Virginia Beach Whole Foods Market now has 6" Vegan Oreo Cake available for $17.99 as well.

Yes, Vegan shouldn't have to be all that healthy.... lol

Okay, I made plenty cupcakes ready since we weren't really sure how many guests actually come to the reception. So I made cake part a day before....

and frost and decorate them next day which was a day before the ceremony.

This peach filling was amazing!

Voila!  with an edible sheet on top. :)

I ordered these anchors from Etsy as well.

I tasted a bit of every frosting before actually decorated them on the cupcakes. Just a little bit of each but it was enough to give me SUGAR high!

Yes, sugar (regular sugar and powder sugar) for vegan is a bit controversy...but I used it since all the vegan recipes call for 'sugar' or 'powder sugar'.  

I could tell sugar was affecting me! Even after midnight I've got going until I've got done with my own satisfaction. 

I was lucky enough to get a few hours of sleep before we left! 

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

We went to blueberry picking the other day. It was so hot and unfortunately the blueberry was not sweet as prior years. So I've made blueberry pancakes right next day but still had some leftovers.

I wanted make some kind of a quick breakfast/snack bite and searched recipe for blueberry muffins. I've tried one recipe from Bekarita.com(http://www.bakerita.com/vegan-blueberry-muffins/)but didn't turn quite right for me. I have no idea what did I do wrong, but dough was too heavy and it didn't look pretty as hers! So the second try, I've adapted her recipe but changed a little bit and it turned out very nicely. Fluffy and tangy, it represent a perfect combination of lemon and blueberries. If eggless, dairyless muffins are this good, why do I have to even think of using them? I am so happy baking vegan style! It is so much easier than dealing with eggs too. :)

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Makes regular size 12 muffins

Start pre-heating oven, set for 400F(200C)

Oil spray muffin pan or have liners ready

-A-
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

 -B-
1/2 cup Raw Sugar(I use Trader Joe's Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar)
2 TBS Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice and its peel grated
1/2 cup Almond Milk
1/3 cup Coconuts Oil
1 Ripe mashed Banana(or 1/2 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce SHOULD work as well)
1 cup Fresh Blueberry
1 TBS Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar

Directions
 1. Combine all the ingredients under -A- together. I prefer using a plastic bag and shake them up!

 2. Mix all the wet ingredients under -B- together. If coconuts oil is not liquid form, I suggest heat it with milk until WARM so that it'll mix well.

 3. Add the entire dry ingredient from 1. to 2. then add blueberries to the mixture.

 4. Using an ice-cream scooper for transferring the mixture into prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle additional 1 TBS Turbinade Raw Cane Sugar and then bake them ABOUT 18 minutes. 

I usually check them 2 minutes prior to the Direction's suggested baking time. Sometimes they are done already, sometimes not. It's varies depends on your oven and temperature of each ingredients, but it is better not over bake them. I'm pretty sure that fresh blueberries should be able to substitute with frozen blueberries but then, you should be careful how long to bake. Normally, a lot longer. I recommend if you are baking with frozen blueberries, it should be 20-25 mins.  This is very easy recipe and amazingly tasty! They banished quickly so I should be making some more. :)

Enjoy Baking!