Tag Archives: lemon

Convert to a Different Cake Pan Size and Blueberry Cake recipe

blueberry cake with lemon glaze
vegan blueberry cake with lemon glaze

Recently I posted on how I made a Moderate Midnight Chocolate Cake in a smaller-sized bundt pan. The conversion for that recipe was easy as all I had to do was cut the ingredients in half from the full-sized bundt pan recipe amounts.

I thought it would be fun to make another small bundt cake, but this time I looked at a recipe that used a loaf or a round cake pan. So, how do you go from one cake pan to a very different one and still make a successful cake? To start you need to know how many cups your pan holds.

The recipe I found originally called for a 9-inch round cake pan or a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Upon searching the internet, I found out that these each hold 8 cups so it made sense that they were interchangeable sizes. I knew from my research on bundt pans that my small pan holds 6 cups. Quick math told me that my pan was 75% smaller (or 6 cups divided by 8 cups). That meant I needed to multiply each measurement in the ingredient list by 75%. So far so good.

Next, I needed to throw in a few small tweaks for altitude, which gave me more flour and plant milk and less baking powder. After that I made an adjustment to the baking time to account for the overall smaller size of the cake. I began with 75% of the time used for the smaller pan in the original recipe, figuring I could add more time if needed. The reduced time was right on the mark, and the cake baked beautifully.

I was inspired to add lemon to complement the blueberry flavor. You could also make this with chocolate chips instead of blueberries to be more decadent. Or you can turn it into 6 cupcakes if that is what you prefer, but be sure to reduce the baking time by at least half because cupcakes are much smaller and bake faster.

Vegan Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze adapted from Vegan Blueberry Cake

shortening, to prepare cake pan
2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra to prepare cake pan
3/4 cup organic sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1.25 – 1.5 cups frozen blueberries (depending on their size), still frozen
1 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened and unflavored
3 ounces canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
lemon glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon non-dairy milk, if needed

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 6-cup bundt pan, making sure to get into every crevice. Set aside.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Remove 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and place it in a medium bowl. Add the blueberries to the medium bowl and lightly toss them to coat in the flour mixture.

Add the non-dairy milk, oil, and vanilla to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir with a spatula until just combined. Add the flour-coated blueberries and fold gently to incorporate them into the batter. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Hit the pan lightly oil the counter to level the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes away with a few crumbs. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan set on a wire rack, then gently loosen the center and cake edges from the pan using a small spatula. Invert the pan onto a wire rack and let the cake cool for 20 minutes.

To unmold, pick up the rack with the pan on top and lightly tap both on the counter to loosen the cake. Remove the pan from atop the cake and place the rack on the counter to allow the cake to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by sifting the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice. Keep stirring until no dry sugar remains. If some dry sugar remains, then add the 1/2 teaspoon non-dairy milk and stir until incorporated. The glaze should be smooth and glossy but not so thick that it won’t pour.

Once the cake is fully cooled, pour or drizzle the glaze over the cake.

chocolate chip cake with mocha glaze
chocolate chip version

Until next time, happy baking!

Rosemary Lemon Shortbread

rosemary lemon shortbread
rosemary lemon shortbread

The rosemary in my garden is incredibly lush and fragrant this time of year. It makes me daydream of Mediterranean flavors. I wondered, “How can I put that dreamy seaside feeling in a baked treat?” While perusing shortbread cookie recipes I realized they are fairly versatile and can stand up to a strong herbaceous taste. With a little lemon zest for summery nuance, I knew I could create something delicious.

The recipes I found needed a simple vegan adjustment — using vegan butter in place of regular butter. No high altitude changes were required, which just left my taste preferences. Using less sugar brought out the scent of the rosemary I added, and lemon zest rounded out the flavor profile. These are slightly savory but still a cookie. They go as well with a bracing cup of coffee as they do alongside strawberry ice cream.

Rosemary Lemon Shortbread adapted from King Arthur Baking’s Shortbread recipe

2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted vegan butter, cold out of the fridge
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
up to 1.5 teaspoon water, if needed

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line the bottom of an 8″ round cake pan with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Set aside.

Run the rosemary leaves through a coffee grinder until you have coarse bits. Put the ground rosemary in a medium bowl along with the flour, salt, and lemon zest. Whisk until combined.

Add the vegan butter and both sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream them until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until it comes together. If the mixture is too dry, then dribble in the water a little at a time. The dough should be a bit stiff.

Press the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup. Use a fork to prick the dough all over to allow the steam to escape. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the shortbread is a light golden brown across the top and the sides have pulled away from the pan.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately flip the shortbread onto a clean cutting board. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the shortbread into wedges. You want to do this while the shortbread is still warm and can be easily cut. Transfer the wedges to a rack to cool completely.

Until next time, happy baking!

Lemon Lavender Muffins

Lemon Lavender Muffins

Lemon Lavender Muffins

Happy National Tea Month! To honor the celebration, and to have another excuse to drink tea, I wanted to make a delectable treat that would go nicely with hot tea. Lemon and tea is a common pairing, so I looked into lemon muffins. I found a yummy recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, and then decided to take them up a notch by icing them with a lavender infused glaze. My tasters found them to be delicious and compared them to decadent cupcakes.

The recipe I tried was already vegan, so all I had to do was adjust for high altitude. To do this, I added flour and non-dairy milk while reducing the baking powder. My other alteration was to steep lavender flowers in non-dairy milk to give my glaze recipe its lavender taste. So, put the kettle on and enjoy!

Lemon Lavender Muffins adapted from Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins by Zsu Dever

glaze
2 1/2 TBS non-dairy milk
1 TBS culinary lavender buds
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

muffins
2 3/4 cups + 2 tsp unbleached all purpose flour
2 TBS poppy seeds
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup reduced aquafaba
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup + 2 TBS vegan sugar
1 cup + 2 1/2 TBS non-dairy milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS grated lemon zest

To start the glaze, bring 2 1/2 TBS non-dairy milk and lavender buds to a low simmer in a small pot on the stove. Take the pot off the heat, cover, and leave for 15 minutes to steep.

To make the muffins, preheat an oven to 375F. Line two muffin tins with paper cups to make 15 muffins. Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Place aquafaba in a large bowl and whisk for 1 minute or until it is frothy. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Add sugar in the same manner. Add milk and vanilla along with lemon zest, whisking to blend completely.

Add dry ingredients into the wet and, using a wooden spoon, mix until almost no flour is visible. A few lumps are fine; do not over-mix. Pour batter into the muffin cups filling 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean or with just a few crumbs stuck to it.

While muffins are baking, finish making the glaze by placing the powdered sugar in a bowl. Add the lavender milk and vanilla and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

When muffins are ready, set the muffin tin on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Place muffins onto the rack to cool completely before icing. Either drizzle the icing on the muffins with a spoon, or dip the tops into the bowl of glaze. Store muffins, airtight at room temperature, for 2 to 3 days.

Until next time, happy baking!