Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

I had the day off yesterday and felt like baking something decadent, perhaps marginally healthy but fast and immediately gratifying. I pulled out the Big Gun, the Betty Crocker Cookbook, circa 1989 version. Although I have an updated version from the one I would find in my moms kitchen…it is still pretty old school. Out of the massive library of vegan, vegetarian and simply divine cookbooks we proudly own, I can’t tell you why I walked right to this one and pulled it off the shelf. It was like I was craving comfort more than cake and baking out of that iconic red and white checked book felt right, so I honored it and went for it. As I turned each glossy page searching for just the right thing, I stopped, completely mesmerized at the photo of the Pineapple Upside Down Cake and said to myself, “That’s it. I will banish all of the fruit and turn it into a caramelized nut brittle cake.”

Photo By: S. Duquet

So that’s what I did. I combined the recipes for the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake and The Busy-Day Cake, veganized them and made them my own.

The result was nearly amazing. The marriage of the  buckwheat flour and the caramellized nuts is spot on. The cake shows restraint in sweetness but then brazenly sports a caramelly, nutty top hat. My kind of chapeau.

The conundrum is that the cake itself came out a teeny bit too dry ( To me. Sandy loved it and compared it to the texture of a spice cake). The addition of buckwheat flour boosted flavor and density but short changed the finished product in moistness. It was incredible nestled up to a huge scoop of ice cream, but wasn’t as amazing without the added creamy lake of melty ice cream goodness. So,  what do you think it needs to add moisture to this tummy loving from the oven cake?

Photo By: S. Duquet

Typically I would consider this a failure to launch when recipe testing, but this one is too good to give up on so hastily and I am confident you can help.

Please share your vegan baking wisdom. Here is the recipe and how to make it happen.

Mixed Nut Brittle Cake

By S. Duquet

Inspired By: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1 1/3 C Buckwheat flour

2/3 C sugar

2 Tsp baking powder

2/3 C non dairy milk of your choice ( I used unsweetened Hemp milk)

1/4 C vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

1 Tsp vanilla

Egg replacer for one egg ( I used Ener-G)

Topping Ingredients

3 Tbsp melted vegan butter (I Used Earth Balance)

1/3 C packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

Pinch of coarse sea salt

1 1/2 C Mixed nuts of your choice ( I used whole pecans, cashews and pistachios)

Make It Happen

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees

~Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl

~Add milk, melted but not hot butter, vanilla and egg and beat with and electric mixer until very smooth and creamy, approx one and a half minutes

~Sprinkle nuts into the bottom of a 9 inch round pan

~In a separate bowl make your topping by mixing the melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla until the sugar is melted

~Pour mixture evenly over the nuts

~Spoon the cake batter over the nutty layer until it is completely covered, being careful not to disturb the layer of nuts and sugar.

~Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes then run a knife around the edges several times to unleash the cake from its caramelly goodness.

Photo By: S. Duquet

Invert on a platter to the oohs and aaahs of the crowd. It really is a looker. Serve warm with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. We used Purely Decadent Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice cream and they have hit the mark because it is  purely decadent.

Thank you for sharing your vegan baking wisdom. I look forward to creating this cake again with your tips and suggestions on how to make it more moist.

Have a delicious day.

Tags: Betty Crocker cookbook, compassionate eating, dairy free, going veg, trying vegan, trying vegetarian, vegan, vegan breakfast, vegan brunch, vegan challenge, vegan dessert, vegan experience, vegan Mixed Nut Brittle Cake, vegan recipe, vegan wannabe, veganize Betty Crocker