Monthly Archives: August 2015

Coffee Shop Coffee Cake

coffee shop coffee cake

So, donuts. I was going to make donuts but I had no luck. I first tried to bake them years ago in the special donut pan I bought for the occasion. They were a dense disaster and I gave away the pan to another sucker. When I recently approached the idea of making donuts I was more optimistic as I had found a recipe for donut holes. Okay, I can do this, I thought. But no, massive failure again. Hence today’s post on coffee cake. I’ll save donuts for another day when the frustration dies down.

I had never made coffee cake before but I figured I’d give it a go. I’d also never baked with gluten-free flour, but I decided to attempt that as well. I’ll just say that gluten-free baking is also something I’ll save for another day. However, the coffee cake was a success and it smelled great while it baked.

For the coffee cake, I based it on several recipes. I used the cake portion of the gluten-free recipe I tried and combined it with different topping and filling ideas. Some changes were to sour the milk with the apple cider vinegar first – this makes a “buttermilk” that works as a leavener in vegan baking. For high altitude I reduced the baking powder and increased the flour. And because I love cinnamon and wanted a delicious filling, I used a smaller cake pan so I could layer cake and filling and then cake and topping.

Until next time, happy baking!

Coffee Shop Coffee Cake
Print Recipe

Coffee Shop Coffee Cake

I had never made coffee cake before but I figured I’d give it a go. I’d also never baked with gluten-free flour, but I decided to attempt that as well. Let's just say that gluten-free baking is something I’ll save for another day. However, this coffee cake was a success.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Cake, Cinnamon, High Altitude, Recipe, Valentines Day
Servings: 8
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 9" round cake pan

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1/2 cup organic sugar
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon powder
  • 3 tablespoons vegan margarine melted

Filling

  • 1/2 cup organic light brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon powder

Cake

  • 3/4 cup + 1 teaspoon soymilk
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/3 cup organic sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9" round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Start the cake by stirring together the milk and vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • Make the topping by whisking together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the melted margarine and stir with a fork until well combined. Make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
  • To finish the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the sugar. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soured milk, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
  • Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the batter. Spread the remaining batter over the filling. Use a knife to gently swirl the filling through the batter. Crumble the topping over the batter in the pan.
  • Bake the cake until it's dark golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 33-35 minutes. When pressed gently in the middle, the cake should spring back. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Custom Granola Bars

granola barsI know granola bars aren’t a decadent baked treat, but now that I have made them I can say I won’t be buying them in the store. They are like rice krispy treats – you melt some stuff, add some stuff to it, and put it in a pan. You do have to actually bake granola bars, but the oven really does that work. And once you’ve made rice treats you would (probably) never buy them. You know yours are better. Same with granola bars.

Admittedly, my first attempt was more granola than granola bar, but it tasted great over yogurt. Then I realized that I needed more of a ‘spackle’ so I tweaked a few things and got a bar that held together. There are no tips for baking at altitude because it wasn’t a factor; the only consideration was the lack of humidity requiring spackle because the mix was a bit dry. But the best part – I used ingredients I had on hand. I chose the nuts and fruit I like, with added chocolate, and I didn’t include yucky things like high fructose corn syrup. Here comes breakfast.

Until next time, happy baking!

custom granola bars
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Custom Granola Bars

I know granola bars aren't a decadent baked treat, but now that I've made them I can say I won't be buying them again. They are like rice krispy treats, and once you've made rice treats you would (probably) never buy them. You know yours are better. Same with granola bars.
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Bar Cookies, Granola, High Altitude, Recipe
Servings: 8
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 8 x 8-inch baking pan

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons agave syrup
  • 4 tablespoons refined coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 3 tablespoons flax seeds ground
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dried cherries
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dates
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8 x 8" pan and set aside.
  • Melt agave syrup, coconut oil, almond butter and cinnamon together over gentle heat in a pan. Remove from heat and add flax seeds.
  • Combine oats, pumpkin seeds, cherries, dates, and chocolate chips in a bowl. Pour almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to form a sticky mixture. Press mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Will keep for up to a week when stored in an airtight container.

Notes

Adapted from The Medicinal Chef by Dale Pinnock

Brunch for a Month

brunch

Image courtesy of ccharmon on flickr.com

I collect cookbooks and recipes. It’s a bit of an obsession. Lately, as I pour through my recipe collection, I’ve been drawn to morning treats. My latest post was already a muffin recipe, so I thought I would devote the rest of the month of August to baking for brunch. If you’re being less fancy, feel free to enjoy these baked goods at breakfast – with or without the mimosas.

The brunch recipes will include items I’ve thought about baking for awhile. One is Granola Bars because I am not only too cheap to buy them but I don’t always like the ingredients found in them. Next is the Date Nut Bread from The Ranch House Restaurant in Ojai Valley, CA – one bite of this delectable bread and I was hooked. And, to appease my chocolate cravings, I will try my hand at Baked Chocolate Donuts.

My morning meal can be quite routine, so I look forward to switching it up. I hope you will enjoy exploring the brunch menu as much as I will.

Blueberry Bran Muffins

blueberry bran muffins Truth be told, I haven’t made blueberry muffins in a long time. And those were from a box. But it was breakfast and couldn’t decide between blueberry muffins or bran muffins. Yes, this is a departure from my decadent, chocolate ways, but I was feeling healthy. Besides, fresh blueberries were calling my name every time I passed them in the market. So I decided on Blueberry Bran Muffins.

For my recipe, I found one that was vegan. I swapped out oat bran for wheat bran because that was what I had. The high altitude fixes were the usual – more milk and flour, less baking soda. Also, I had read that dusting blueberries with flour keeps them from turning your muffins purple. Not that I have anything against purple, but I didn’t think that would make an appetizing picture.

They were good still warm from the oven, but the bran seemed a bit pronounced. After they had cooled a few hours the texture smoothed out, but they were still quite healthy. I think they should be eaten with a glass of chocolate milk.

Until next time, happy baking!

blueberry bran muffin
Print Recipe

Blueberry Bran Muffins

I haven’t made blueberry muffins in a long time. And those were from a box. I was craving something for breakfast and couldn’t decide between blueberry muffins or bran muffins, so I decided on Blueberry Bran Muffins. This is a departure from my decadent ways, but I was feeling healthy.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Blueberry, High Altitude, Muffin, Recipe
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Muffin Tin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon flour for dusting the blueberries
  • 1 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup wheat bran
  • scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon almond milk
  • 1/3 cup liquid fruit juice concentrate
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners. Wash blueberries and pat dry. Lightly dust them with a teaspoon of flour.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to combine and make a well in the center. In another medium bowl, whisk milk, fruit juice concentrate, and oil until the surface is bubbly. Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients, then stir just until smooth. Stir in blueberries.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from Sweet and Natural Baking by Mani Niall