Vegan Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 level tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20 cm round or ring cake tin.

Sift dry ingredients.

Whisk oil, water, vinegar and vanilla. Combine with the dry ingredients, with the minimum of stirring.

Bake for 30—35 minutes.

Icing

1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/8 cup water

Method

Combine all ingredients

Bliss Balls
Ingredients

1-1/2 cups dates
1/2 cup dried apricots
1 cup coconut
2/3 cup sultanas
3 tbs cocoa powder or carob
1-1/2 tbs honey
1 tbs tahini
1 cup of nuts: choose a combination of three kinds from almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds or sunflower seeds.

2/3 cup of hot water to soak the dates, apricots and sultanas.

Extra coconut (fine) to roll the bliss balls in at the end.

Method

Chop the apricots and dates into medium-small pieces. Soak them and the sultanas in hot water for half an hour to soften them.

Then drain them and squeeze the water from them very thoroughly.

Save the water—it is delicious, and you can either drink it or use it in another recipe!

Chop the nuts finely. Mix them and the apricots, dates and sultanas with the cocoa, tahini, honey and coconut to a firm consistency—add more coconut if the mixture is too wet.

Add a little more honey if you like them sweeter.

Roll into balls of your preferred size, then roll in extra coconut.

Refrigerate.

Makes about 30 medium sized bliss balls.

Super Deluxe Version

Omit cocoa powder/carob and dip half of the finished bliss balls in melted chocolate.

Carrot Cake (dairy-free)

Ingredients

225 ml oil
125 g brown sugar
110 ml honey
325 ml soya milk
700g plain wholewheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice
225g grated carrot
110g chopped walnuts
110g raisins

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°F/ Gas Mark 4

Oil a 25cm (9-10 in) ring-shaped cake tin.

Blend the oil and sugar, add the honey and soya milk, and beat together.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices and add to the oil mixture.

Add the carrots, walnuts and raisins, mix well and place in the pan.

Bake in oven for 55 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn onto a wire rack.

Icing

200g creamed coconut
finely grated rind of ½ lemon
3-4 tablespoons icing sugar to taste
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
75-100ml hot water
6 dessertspoons lightly toasted dessicated coconut

Beat together the creamed coconut, lemon rind, icing sugar and lemon juice with enough hot water to give the mixture a spreading consistency.

Spread the icing over the cooled cake, then sprinkle evenly with lightly toasted coconut.

Makes a 25cm (10in) ring-shaped cake.

Banana Date Cake

Ingredients

90g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Grated rind of one orange
2 eggs (optional)
1 cup chopped dates
3 large very ripe bananas, mashed
2-1/2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
1/4 cup orange juice

Method

Pre-heat over on 180°C.

Cream butter and sugar.

Add orange rind, then eggs. Beat well.

Add dates and bananas.

Stir in flour and add it alternately with the orange juice.

Bake 50—60 minutes.

Vegan version

Substitute 3/4 cup of olive oil for the butter and use a total of four bananas instead of the eggs.

This principle can be used to convert any standard cake recipe to a Vegan 

Substitute oil for butter and two mashed bananas for eggs.