Vegan

Name: Strawberry Balsamic Galette with Coconut Oil Crust
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or granulated sugar); 3/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup coconut oil, solid; 3-5 Tbsp cold water; 4 cups fresh, sliced strawberries; 2 tsp balsamic vinegar; 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or granulated sugar); 2 Tbsp corn starch; 2 Tbsp agave; 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice; Zest from 1 orange; Honey (or agave) to brush on baked berries

Strawberry Balsamic Galette with Coconut Oil Crust

August 6, 2019 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

Hello friends! I took a bit of an unexpected hiatus from baking and blogging the past couple of months to focus on taking care of myself (and also because the sight of food made my stomach turn). Yep, Nathan and I are expecting baby #2 this coming January! I’m finally feeling much more like myself these days, and I’m happy to be getting around to sharing this delicious Strawberry Balsamic Galette with you all! I made this galette at the beginning of the summer (or was it still Spring?), but let’s be honest, strawberries are a year-round staple for lots of us in the States. So here we are!

I’ve said this before (and I’ll never stop saying it), but I love galettes! To me, they’re like an easier, dressed up version of pie. They look gorgeous, they’re relatively easy to put together, and you 100% don’t have to worry about pinching the perfect crust. My coconut oil crust is so simple and comes together quickly in a blender or food processor. And then it’s just a matter of mixing a few ingredients together for the filling and assembling your galette! If you’re new to galettes, don’t worry. You basically roll the crust into a circle, dump your filling, and then fold the edges up and over. Pop it the oven, and you’ve got a beautiful, scrumptious dessert that pairs perfectly with your favorite vanilla bean ice cream.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is my favorite, go-to sweetener. It’s unrefined and low glycemic index. It tastes nothing like coconut and makes for a great 1:1 substitute for white sugar.

Coconut oil makes for a great butter/shortening replacement for pie crust. I find that the crust still comes out flakey and delicious. For me, the taste is unnoticeable, but you can use refined coconut oil to make sure there is absolutely no coconut taste.

Corn starch thickens the fruit filling, so you’ll get clean slices.

Agave brings moisture and sweetness to this galette. If you prefer to use maple syrup or honey, go for it!

Yield: 8 servings

Strawberry Balsamic Galette with Coconut Oil Crust

An easy and delicious, lightly sweetened galette made with fresh strawberries and a splash of balsamic vinegar. With a flaky coconut oil crust, this recipe can easily be made vegan!

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
3-5 Tbsp cold water

Filling

4 cups fresh, sliced strawberries
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp agave
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
Zest from 1 orange
Honey (or agave) to brush on baked berries

Instructions

Prepare your crust by adding the flour, coconut sugar, and salt to a blender or food processor. Pulse until combined. Spoon in the solid coconut oil and blend. Add cold water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough begins to come together - slightly wet is better than dry when it comes to coconut oil crusts. Dump crust onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disc, and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes (or until firm enough to roll out).
Meanwhile, prepare your filling. Slice your strawberries and place them in a large bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, coconut sugar, corn starch, agave, orange juice, and orange zest. Mix until combined. Pour mixture over strawberries and gently mix.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Take your crust out of the refrigerator, remove plastic, and place between two pieces of parchment paper (the size of a baking sheet). Roll into a large circle - don't worry about getting the shape perfect!
Pour strawberry mixture onto the middle of your rolled out crust, evenly distributing the berries - be sure to leave at least a 1" border of plain crust to fold over. If your edges are really uneven or jagged, feel free to trim your galette to a more circular shape. Brush almond milk or egg wash (whisked egg) around the border. Gently fold the crust up and over the fruit, being careful not to tear the crust. If any tears occur, you can use a bit of water to help you pinch and smooth the dough back together. If you have any remaining liquid in your bowl, pour that over the strawberries.
Keeping your galette on the parchment paper, carefully move it to a baking sheet. Brush the crust with almond milk or egg wash. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and tender - you can use a fork to check the berries for doneness.
Once your galette is out of the oven, brush the berries with a small amount of honey (or agave, if vegan) for added shine. Allow your galette to cool before slicing up and enjoying! Or scoop your favorite ice cream on top and eat it warm, right off the pan! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318 Total Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 11g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 222mg Carbohydrates: 44g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 15g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 4g

Nutrition information may not be accurate.

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Other fruit recipes you might like:

Blueberry Hazelnut Galette

Cherry Galette with Walnut Cacao Crust

Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars

Vegan Olive Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies

May 25, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

A delicious, plant-based cookie loaded with dark chocolate chunks? I’m so in. These cookies are undetectably vegan, which means they’re good. It took me a few attempts to nail a vegan cookie that is thick, soft, and delicious. I found vegan butter to lend too much of a flavor I wasn’t fond of, and a cookie with all coconut oil was a little crispier than I wanted. But with a mix of olive oil and a bit of coconut oil, the texture of these cookies is perfect!

This recipe calls for two kinds of sugar to make them a little on the healthier side (as coconut sugar is less likely to spike your blood sugar as high as white sugar, honey, or maple syrup). I added a bit of brown sugar to add moisture and flavor to these cookies. The molasses in the brown sugar adds so much to these cookies!

The dough requires no refrigeration (hello, quick cookies!!), but I found that it was best to let the dough balls rest for a few minutes after hand rolling them. This allowed the coconut oil (which melts in our hands) to re-solidify a bit before baking, creating a more even bake amongst all the cookies. But if you’re using a cookie scoop instead of the scoop and roll method, you can bake these babies right away! Just preheat your oven at the start of your mixing.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is my favorite, go-to sweetener. It’s unrefined and low glycemic index. It tastes nothing like coconut and makes for a great 1:1 substitute for white sugar.

Brown sugar brings moisture (through the molasses) and flavor to these cookies. I highly recommend using light or dark brown sugar. Brown sugar has more molasses, which means more moisture.

Flaxseed meal mixed with water creates a great egg substitute.

Olive oil adds moisture and softness to these cookies. For a lighter taste, feel free to use light olive oil.

Coconut oil adds moisture and a bit of crunch to the outside of the baked cookies. Since there is so little in this recipe, the taste is unnoticeable, but you can use refined coconut oil to make sure there is absolutely no coconut taste.

Arrowroot starch adds to the chew factor in these cookies. Feel free to use corn starch instead.

Yield: 12 cookies

Vegan Olive Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Classic Chocolate Chunk Cookies made vegan using a blend of olive and coconut oil and flaxseed meal. Delicious and packed with lots of chocolate, these cookies will please both vegans and non vegans alike!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 Tbsp coconut oil, liquid (*measured as a liquid)
6 Tbsp olive oil or light olive oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp lukewarm water)
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup dairy-free chopped chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Maldon salt to sprinkle

Instructions

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare your flax egg using lukewarm water and allow to thicken for around 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the liquid coconut oil and olive oil. Whisk in the coconut sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Finally, whisk in the flax egg until all ingredients are totally combined - it may take a minute for the oil and water to mix together; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, arrowroot starch, and salt. Add in the liquid ingredients and use a large wooden spoon or spatula to mix until nearly combined. Add 1/2 cup of the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and mix. The dough will be oily, so it's normal for the chocolate to fall away from the dough.
Scoop dough balls 2 Tbsp in size. Press and roll each dough ball smooth, placing pieces of extra chocolate into the tops of each one and reshaping as necessary. Place all of the dough balls onto one parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to rest at room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350°F. This gives the coconut oil a chance to solidify a bit (evenly) across all dough balls.
Bake dough balls 6 at a time at 350°F for 7 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake them! Remove from the oven, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Let your baking sheet cool to room temperature before baking another batch.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

If you prefer to use only a cookie scoop instead of the scoop and roll method, your cookie dough balls won't need to rest as long. Feel free to bake them right away!

Spiced Zucchini Cake with Vegan Buttercream Frosting

April 27, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Earlier this week, I noticed we had a few wrinkly zucchinis lurking in our vegetable drawer. I really wanted to make some zucchini muffins, but I wasn’t in the mood for chocolate (which is odd for me). I started to think about what else I could make and decided to set out on making a spiced zucchini cake! And I’m so glad I did.

This cake is moist, fluffy, spicy, and perfectly sweetened. With a thin(ish) layer of Vegan Buttercream on top, it’s like a little slice of dairy-free heaven. This cake tastes like a regular, dairy-filled cake, and I promise you that this buttercream frosting will win anyone over. You won’t be able to tell it’s vegan!

The cake itself is easy to get together – no special instructions required! I even made it extra easy by baking it in a 9×13″ dish. You can let it cool in the dish if you’d like, frost it in there, and serve it. Easy! If you want to serve it like I did, then just remove it from the dish like any other cake and once it’s cool, you can frost it out of the baking dish.

The vegan buttercream is also pretty easy. You’ll beat together some vegan butter (I recommend Earth Balance Buttery Sticks) and vegetable shortening. Add in a bit of vanilla. Beat in your powdered sugar and spices (to taste). And then add your favorite dairy-free milk until you get a nice, spreadable consistency. I’ve found that using the buttery sticks, along with a bit of vegetable shortening, is key to getting the right consistency. The frosting will hold its shape and be less likely to melt.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Zucchini adds so much moisture (plus a tasteless veggie kick!) to cakes and quick breads! It’s usually paired with spices or chocolate, and I love the texture in brings to this cake.

White whole wheat flour is a whole wheat flour that’s lighter in color and sweeter in taste. It’s milled from the whole hard white wheat berry, so it has more naturally occurring nutrients than all-purpose flour.

All-purpose flour helps keep this cake soft. It balances out the white whole wheat flour.

Coconut Sugar is my all-time favorite sugar because it’s unrefined and low GI, which means it’s less likely to spike your blood sugar than other sugars (like regular, granulated sugar or honey). It doesn’t taste like coconut, either!

Cardamom & Cinnamon are two of my favorite spices. If you haven’t tried cardamom before, I highly recommend getting some. It’s delicious and pairs perfectly with this cake and frosting!

Vegetable Shortening helps stabilize the vegan buttercream. You’ll use it along with vegan butter to create an amazing frosting that resembles a regular, dairy-filled buttercream!

Yield: 18-24 servings

Spiced Zucchini Cake with Vegan Buttercream Frosting

A soft and tender sheet cake with finely shredded zucchini and ground spices, all complete with a delicious vegan buttercream frosting flavored with ground cardamom and pure vanilla extract.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

Spiced Zucchini Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
3/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cups finely shredded zucchini (~3 medium zucchinis)

Spiced Vegan Buttercream

1/2 cup vegan butter, room temp (I recommend Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
~1-2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13" baking dish. Spray with olive oil and (if you'd like to frost/serve your cake out of the pan) line the bottom with parchment paper. I cut one long, thin piece of parchment - enough to cover the bottom and the short sides.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside. Shred the zucchini until you have two cups. Place on a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out and discard the juice.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the oil and almond milk. Finally, use a fork to whisk in the shredded zucchini, making sure to break up any chunks.
Add the liquid ingredients to dry, using a large spatula to gently mix until no flour pockets remain. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and use your spatula to smooth out the top. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Allow your cake to cool. If you chose to line your baking dish with parchment paper, wait 10 minutes, invert a cooling rack over the cake, and gently flip over. Your cake should easily fall out of the dish. Remove the parchment paper and throw away. Allow your cake to cool totally. Alternatively, you can let your cake cool in the baking dish if you plan to frost it in the dish.
Once your cake has cooled, you can make your frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the softened vegan butter and vegetable shortening. Beat in the vanilla extract. Sift in the powdered sugar and spices and beat. Slowly add almond milk 1-2 tsp at a time until your frosting reaches a consistency that's thick enough to hold shape and thin enough to spread (I ended up adding 6 tsp to mine).
If your cake is on a cooling rack, use another rack (or a serving platter) to flip it right side up. Frost your cake, being careful not to pick up the top crumby layer with your icing spatula. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until 30 minutes before you're ready to serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if your home is warm.

Notes

Flours: you can use all all-purpose flour or 1/2 AP + 1/2 regular whole wheat flour.

For vegan cake: replace the 3 large eggs with 3 flax eggs. Mix 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 9 Tbsp water. Allow to thicken for 5 minutes.

Shortening: you can replace the shortening with more vegan butter, but your frosting may be more prone to melting and losing its shape.

Dark Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups

April 25, 2019 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (and eggs!) ~~have to be~~ were one of my all-time favorite candies before I began my dairy-free journey. Now I’m talking low-key obsessed. When I lived in San Francisco I would stop by the store on my walk home and buy two King-Size packs. And eat them all (would not recommend). So I love chocolate peanut butter cups!

When Bon Appetit came out with a Gourmet Makes episode about Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, I was S-O-L-D. I had to try this better, more Reese’s-like version of peanut butter cups! I took Claire’s recipe from the video and made it with dairy-free dark chocolate and coconut sugar. The results were stellar. Soft, delicious peanut butter cups that I could store at room temperature without worrying about the peanut butter being a gooey mess.

Since these Peanut Butter Cups are created by a professional pastry chef, they’re a little different (and more time consuming) than the ‘ole melt-pour-freeze method we all know and love. For these cups, you will boil the coconut sugar with a bit of water and then slowly beat that into the peanut butter. This creates a firm and pliable peanut butter “dough” that you’ll be able to cut out and press into your melted chocolate pools. You’ll top those with more chocolate and voila! Peanut Butter Cups!

The recipe below makes quite a few candies, so feel free to halve it. And if you prefer regular size cups vs the minis then you can make that happen, too. Just trim your regular muffin liners down and be sure your peanut butter circles are slightly smaller than the liners (you’ll need a bigger circle cutter than what I used for the minis).

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Natural unsalted peanut butter is made solely from peanuts and doesn’t include any added sugars, salts, or oils.

Dark Chocolate is the easiest (and most affordable) chocolate to find without dairy. I recommend the Pound Plus bars from Trader Joe’s if you have one near you!

Coconut Sugar is an unrefined, low GI sugar. It has no coconut flavor and makes for a great better-for-you alternative to white, granulated sugar.

Yield: ~30 mini candies

Dark Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups

These Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are ultra rich and creamy! A better-for-you version of a favorite childhood candy that no one can pass up!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted, natural creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut sugar
3 Tbsp water
12oz dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

In a medium or large bowl, beat together the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt until just combined; set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring the coconut sugar and water to a boil and cook until mixture reaches 248°F (firm-ball stage). Remove from heat and slowly pour/beat into the peanut butter mixture.
Scrape the mixture out onto a piece of parchment paper and allow to cool slightly. Place another piece of parchment paper on top and roll the mixture into a slab 1/4" thick. Allow to cool completely.
Using a small cookie cutter (or other round object - I used a 1" piping tip) cut circles out of the peanut butter slab. The size of your circle cutter depends on the size of your muffin or candy liners. Keep circles on the parchment paper and freeze.
Line a mini muffin pan with muffin liners. If you don't have a mini muffin pan, you should still be able to fill mini muffin liners without one.
Melt your chocolate, along with 1/2 tsp of coconut oil, using the double boiler method or a microwave, being careful not to burn the chocolate.
Remove peanut butter cut outs from the freezer and double them up (stack 2 together). Spoon enough chocolate into each liner to cover the bottom. Add 2 stacked peanut butter cut outs to each, pressing down slightly. Add enough chocolate over each one until the peanut butter is totally covered.
Allow your peanut butter cups to set at room temperature. I recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature to keep the peanut butter from drying out.

Notes

For the double boiler method: in a medium saucepan bring 1" of water to simmer. Add your chopped chocolate and 1/2 tsp of coconut oil to a heatproof bowl - one that's big enough to sit on top of your saucepan without touching the water. Place bowl on saucepan and stir often until chocolate is melted.

Recipe loosely adapted from Bon Appetit

Hummingbird Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

April 17, 2019 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

You may know by now that I try to make desserts that are both delicious and (a bit) better for you than traditional baked goods. But when it comes to cake, I simply can’t accept any substitutes for a sugary, buttery frosting. Keep your whipped cream and coconut butter, I NEED BUTTERCREAM. Or in my case vegan buttercream.

I’ve attempted vegan buttercream frostings in the past, and this one is by far my favorite. It’s devilishly sweet, buttery tasting, and stable enough to frost a 3-layer cake in an 80°F apartment. The secret? Add a bit of vegetable shortening. Yes. I know. Maybe you think it’s gross or too unhealthy. But the shortening really helps to stabilize this frosting. You could leave the shortening out and replace it with vegan butter, but I can’t vouch for the results.

As for making the vegan buttercream, it really is so simple. You’ll need vegan butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks), vegan cream cheese (I used Trader Joe’s brand), vegetable shortening, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Lots of powdered sugar. You’ll want the vegan butter to soften to room temperature, but you’ll keep the vegan cream cheese in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make your frosting. Before you add the cream cheese to your mixing bowl, pour out any liquid that has pooled at the top.

The cake itself is pretty straight-forward. I made an 8″ 3-layer cake, but this amount of batter will work for a 9″ 2-layer cake or even a thick 6″ 3-layer cake. For 8″ or 9″ pans, the cake layers will be thin and flat enough that you won’t need to trim the tops off. For a totally vegan cake, check the “notes” section below.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Banana and pineapple make up a classic Hummingbird Cake. I like my bananas mashed and my pineapple crushed but feel free to chop your banana or use pineapple chunks!

Toasted pecans have a more prominent flavor than non toasted pecans, and it takes so little time to pop them in the oven and let them toast.

Extra light olive oil gives this cake moisture while maintaining a low flavor profile.

All-purpose flour helps keep this cake soft. It balances out the white whole wheat flour.

Cinnamon and nutmeg add a bit of cozy spice. Feel free to play with your spices, adding more or less to suit your tastes.

Yield: 12 servings

Hummingbird Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

A Classic Hummingbird cake made dairy-free! With bananas, pineapple, toasted pecans, and thick layers of you-can't-tell-it's-vegan Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, this cake will not disappoint!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

Hummingbird Cake

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup coconut sugar
5 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
6 Tbsp extra light olive oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana (~2-3 bananas)
1 cup (8oz) crushed pineapple (with juice)
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup vegan butter, softened to room temp (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
1/4 cup shortening
8oz vegan cream cheese, straight from the refrigerator (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2-2 lbs powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your cake pans. Spray each pan with olive oil and then line the bottoms with a parchment paper circle. If your pecans aren't already toasted, now would be a good time to toast them - spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for around 10 minutes or until toasted. If you plan to frost your cake the same day, you can set out your vegan butter.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut sugar. Stir in the toasted chopped pecans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add in the mashed banana and pineapple. Add liquid ingredients to dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.
Divide the batter equally into your pans. For three 8" pans, bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs, being sure to rotate your pans halfway through baking.
Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Run a butter knife around the edges, invert a cooling rack over the top, and then flip over. Your cakes should all come out easily. Gently remove the parchment paper circles and throw away.
Once your cakes have cooled completely, you can make your frosting. Drain liquid from the vegan cream cheese, and then, in a large bowl, beat together the vegan butter, shortening, and vegan cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add 16oz of the powdered sugar and beat. Continue adding powdered sugar until you've reached the desired consistency. If you end up adding too much sugar, you can add water or nut milk 1 tsp at a time to thin the frosting out.
Now you can begin frosting your cake! I added 3/4 cup of frosting between each layer and then smoothed the rest onto the sides and top of the cake. Decorate your cake with pecans and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if your home is warm.

Notes

For vegan cake: use 3 flax eggs in place of the eggs. 1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water. Let thicken for 5 minutes.
For 2-layer cake: this recipe will also work for two 9" cakes. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, check cakes, and continue baking until done.
To make ahead: Cakes can be made in advance. Once totally cool, wrap each cake in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil, being sure to seal totally. Refrigerate until ready to frost.
For less sugar: you can use less frosting between the layers and make a "naked" cake.

Vegan

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Ingredients

Crust

Filling

Instructions