Guest Post: By Susmitha Subbaraju

Susmitha is perhaps one of the friendliest people that I have encountered online and has accepted me into the group "Vegan Temptivists" on Facebook, which is truly an honor - especially since she is my first guest blogger! She is an extremely talented artist in practically all of the mediums and makes amazingly mouth-watering recipes. Her blog, http://blog.veganosaurus.com/ is full of delicious, stunning and unique recipes - she isn't afraid to veganize and is most definitely outgoing when it comes to the things that she loves. Check her out because you won't regret it! ^^

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Before I became vegan, 9 years ago, I was never interested in baking and barely interested in cooking. But turning vegan opened up a whole new world of ingredients and possibilities to me and I couldn't help but be inspired to get creative in my kitchen. That's when the baking bug bit me and ever since then there's been no looking back.
Since I'm vegan for ethical reasons, for the longest time I had the attitude that I'd rather use a few less than healthy ingredients in my baking (all purpose flour, processed oils etc...) than compromise on the taste and texture of the finished goodie. My main focus was to have people taste my cakes and pastries and be blown away by the deliciousness of vegan desserts.

When my more health inclined vegan friends spoke of using date syrup or whole wheat flour in their cakes, I used to turn up my nose and say, "those healthy cakes won't impress non-vegans into turning vegan so what's the point?" I even tasted a few of those healthy cakes and cookies with an open mind but was left unimpressed which further strengthened my belief that good cakes had to be made of all purpose flour and contain a generous amount of oil.

Then a few months ago, my friend Arun kicked that attitude right out of me by bringing this amaaaazing chocolate cake to our monthly Vegan Bengaluru potluck. I thoroughly enjoyed it. He told me that it contained absolutely no oil, was made of whole wheat flour and was made without an oven! My jaw would've dropped hearing that last bit except that I was busy gobbling up the cake.

Since I associate Bou Shin's blog with healthy eating as much as the cute bentos, I figured a healthy cake recipe would be perfect for my guest post here. :)

I made a bunch of changes to Arun's original recipe based on the ingredients I had at home.

(Here's my version of the Healthy Chocolate Cake recipe)

• 1 1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 C Jaggery Powder (can use Sugar if you can't find jaggery but it's less healthier that way)
• 1/3 C Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 Small Mashed Bananas + 2 tsp Flax Seed Powder+ 1/4 C Water (whipped together for a few minutes)
• 3 tsp Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 C Water
• 1/2 C Walnuts - broken into little pieces
• 2 Small Mashed Bananas + 2 tsp Flax Seed Powder+ 1/4 C Water (whipped together for a few minutes)

(Directions)

• Bring 3 to 4 C of water to boil in a large pan/pot/steamer (the baking dish should easily fit inside).
• Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease with a few drops of olive oil.
• Mix dry ingredients (except sweetener and walnuts) and sieve a few times to make the flour airy.
• Mix jaggery/sugar with wet ingredients and whip for a few minutes to create air bubbles.
• Mix wet and dry ingredients quickly until there are no large lumps (do not over mix).
• Stir in the walnuts and transfer to baking dish.
• Place an upside down the plate or bowl inside the steamer pot (to add height) and place the baking dish inside it.
• Cover the pot and steam on medium-high heat for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and continue steaming for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking dish from the pot and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Gently lift the cake along with the foil out of the dish and place on a cooling rack.
• After the cake has cooled completely, peel off the foil.
• Slice and serve plain or with melted chocolate poured over it.
• Enjoy!

Thanks Bou Shin for having me over on your blog.

Wacky Watermelon Cake (Soy-Free)

It may seem odd, but this cake is amazing - it smells like a pumpkin or sweet potato pie and has a similar texture as well. Although this cake is frosted, thanks to a high juice content it is more like a Chinese steamed cake, so feel free to replace some of it with non-dairy milk. Additional chocolate chips for pizazz are welcome, although not necessary with such a rich and creamy coconut and pandan frosting. Surprise everyone with this lovely treat!

What's the weirdest food you've ever created?

(Wacky Watermelon Cake Ingredients)

• 2 & 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1+ cup of Raw or Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp of Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp of Salt
• 1/2 cup of Floured-Chocolate Chips (optional)
• 1 cup of Watermelon Juice
• 1/2 cup of Coconut Yogurt

(Wacky Watermelon Cake Directions)

• Mix your dry ingredients first, then fold in your wet and your chips (if you have them) just until incorporated into a thick batter.
• Pour in a greased pan lined with parchment paper. Tap lightly on a hard surface about 20 times. Then, bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until cooked.

(Coconut Frosting Ingredients)

• 2 cups of Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 cup of Cream of Coconut
• 1 tsp of Vanilla
• 2 tsp of Pandan Extract (optional)

(Coconut Frosting Directions)

• Cream everything together. If it is not thin enough (it should be quite thick with spreadability) then you can spoon in some water, 1/4  tsp at a time until it's to your liking.
• Wait for the cake to cool, reserve some frosting for later decoration and ice as you like.
• Enjoy!

* Cream of Coconut is essentially a syrupy and sugar-filled coconut cream. They are not totally interchangeable due to stickiness, but it can work.

Raw Vegan Carrot Cake (Low-Fat, Low-Sugar)

This is a really simple raw vegan carrot cupcake. I just used the leftover pulp from the juicer and added a few more ingredients, popped it in a silicone cupcake cup and dehydrated for about five hours or so. Its really tasty and nutritious, plus it doesn't require much sugar or work. I would say that this would be a great breakfast treat for Mother's Day.

(Raw Vegan Carrot Cupcakes Ingredients)

• 1/2 cup of Mixed Carrot and Sweet Potato Pulp
• 1 cup of Raw Oat Flour
• 1 tsp Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1/4 cup of Minced Walnuts
• A few tsp of Chopped Golden Raisins(optional)
• A mix of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Allspice
• Raw Stevia or Sugar to taste

(Directions)

• Mix the ingredients as you like and pile into your cupcake molds.
• Then, dehydrate at 150 for about five to eight hours or until it has dried to your liking but still contains moisture.
• Top with a nice Cashew Cream Cheese or enjoy plain.
• Enjoy!

5-Minute Chocolate-Peanut Butter Marble Cake (Low-Fat w/ Gluten-Free Option)

This is a really soft cake recipe and is quite reminiscent of Chinese Steamed Cakes. It is also low-fat, lightly slight and full of choco-peanutty flavor. With a denser peanut butter mix to add to the cake for swirling, it is easier to control and makes it so surprising when you cut into the cake. Its sure to be a hit and is especially good with extra crunchy peanut butter.

(Chocolate Cake Batter Ingredients)

• 1/2 cup of White Whole Wheat (or whole grain flour mix)
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 cup of Raw Sugar
• 2 tsp of Stevia
• 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp of Organic Canola Oil
• 1/2 cup-3/4 cup of Rice Milk

(Peanut Butter Swirl Ingredients)

• 2 tbl of Low-Fat Peanut Butter
• 1/4 cup of White Whole Wheat (or whole grain flour mix)
• 4 tbl of Raw Sugar
• 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract
• 2 tsp of Stevia
• 1/4 tsp of Turmeric
• Enough Water to make a thick batter

(Directions)

• Mix your cake ingredients together as you normally would and (making sure that the chocolate batter is quite liquidy but has a feel. Pour into a microwave-safe dish.
• Mix your peanut butter swirl ingredients in a different bowl, then spoon it batter into the middle if the cake batter. Take a fork or knife and cut through it to swirl it through the cake.
• Put it into the microwave for about 2 minutes and 15 seconds, check. If that side is done you may need to flip it over to cook the other for another 2 and 1/4 minutes to have the full steamed cake effect.
• Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Tres Leches

(Tres Leches Cake Ingredients)

• 1/2 cup of Soy Milk/Rice Milk
• 1/2 cup of Almond Milk
• 1 and 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Melted Coconut Oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups Cake Flour
• 3/4 cups of White Sugar (add less if it is a sugary frosting)
• 1 tsp of Baking Soda
• 1 tsp of Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp of Sea Salt
• A pinch of cinnamon (optional)

(Tres Leches Blend)

• 3/4 cup Coconut Milk
• 3/4 cup Almond Milk
• 3/4 cup Soy/rice milk

(Whipped Topping)

• Coconut Cream (refrigerated and whipped)

(Directions)

• Combine your dry ingredients together and wet ingredients (separately). Then slowly add the wet to the dry. Combine until everything has come together well and then place into a lightly greased pan.
• Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until well browned. Let it cool completely and cut off the top.
• Poke as many holes into the cake with them as you can. After that, mix your Tres Leches blend and slowly pour it over the cake (do this in batches and let the cake soak up each one).
• Let it sit in the fridge for about 24 hours and then cover in whipped and refrigerated (full-fat) coconut cream.
• Serve with your favorite fruits and stash the rest later.(it tastes amazing the next day).
• Enjoy!

I hope that you enjoy the cake as much as my family and I did!

Cat-Bear-Cake?

I got a Hello Kitty cake pan from Wilton, and let's just say I wasn't very good at doing anything with it. For some odd reason, everything HK that I make turns into a bear. It's never an adorable bear either, this one just looks...off, but I didn't use parchment paper to lift it or anything. No matter though, the cake is absolutely moist and delicious and I love it.

(Cat-Bear-Cake Ingredients)

• 1/4 cup Strong Brewed Coffee (you should probably cut down on that)
• 1 cup Vegan Sweetener
• 3 Cornstarch Eggs
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 2 and 1/2 cups Cake Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Soda (or a little less baking powder)
• 1 cup of Soy Milk
• 2 tsp Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (avoid if using powder)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Cold Coconut Oil
• 1/2 tsp Iodized Salt

(Directions)

• Cream the coconut oil and sugar together and slowly sift in the dry ingredients. Fold them into each other.
• slowly add the wet ingredients until it is a medium-thick batter.
• Place into a greased and parchment paper lined baking dish and tap onto a hard surface about 20 times.
• at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the knife comes out clean from the middle.
• Let it rest of one hour, cover in coconut cream and berries or whatever you choose.
• Enjoy!

Three Little Lambs of Easter Are We

                                            

These cakes were simple to bake and pretty easy to decorate. The only hard part is that you have to constantly chill them after each application of frosting. Otherwise it's just a sweet and wonderful treat to add to your holidays! It’s full of coconut flavor and it's the perfect dessert for those whole love this island nut.

Coconut Cake Recipe:
3 cups of Cake Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp of Iodized Salt
1 and 3/4-2 cups of Vegan Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (with Mother is best)
1/2 cup Coconut Cream
1/2 cup Cold Water
3/4 cup of Coconut Oil (scented is fine)

Sift together the cake flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and mix together the rest of the ingredients separately. Once all of the dry items are mixed together and all of the wet items are mixed together then you can slowly mix them, adding the wet to the dry in this case. Use whichever baking dish(es) that you like (I used two ramekins and a larger pan) and grease them with coconut oil. Spread the coconut cake batter through the dish(es) equally and tap them about 10-20 times on a hard surface to ensure that all goes well in the baking process and everything is equally distributed.

Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees and poke a knife through the middle of the center-most one. Let the cakes cool on a cake rack (or a cool pan) for about an hour or until everything is fully cooled, then run a knife around the edges a few times and pull the cake out to let it cool a bit more, then prep your frosting.

Coconut Frosting Recipe:
3 cups of Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup of Coconut Cream (or enough so everything is pulled together like store-bought)
1/4 cup of Cold Coconut Oil
1/4 tsp of Coconut Extract (optional)

Mix the coconut cream with an electric mixer and slowly pour in the powdered sugar. Once about 1/2 a cup is added you can add more coconut cream and coconut extract, then alternate until it is the right texture. My kitchen was especially hot today so I stored the frosting in the freezer for about 5 minutes, and then stirred it with a whisk. I took one of the smaller cakes from one of the ramekins and cut the puffed top off (use your hand to level it but keep your thumb out of the way). I put large amount of icing on the top, and then smoothed my butter knife around it to cover the brown color and to make sure that it looked more like a sheep. I placed that in the fridge for about five minutes, took it out and added raisins for eyes and made a design of rings around the face with my knife and a cake decorator (optional). I placed that back into the freezer and mixed some of the frosting with some beet juice to make sure that the color was to my liking, then used a skewer to place the nose on and the cheeks. I covered the sides with coconut and placed it back into the freezer to chill. Repeat with the next one. For the larger cake I did the same except for adding about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and adding more beet juice for a darker color.


Remember, these cakes can be used for any occasion so don't feel left out if you don't celebrate Easter!

Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3