Orange and chocolate chips cake

The dessert from our second vegan cooking workshop in Skövde, Sweden.

Makes 1 cake (big):
All-purpose flour (225 g)

Rice flour (225g)

Baking powder (2 tsp)
Extra virgin olive oil (125g)
Orange (juice of one big orange)
Muscovado Sugar (200g)
Water (100 ml)
Lemon (1 tsp)

Vegan chocolate chips (75g)

1) Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
2) Line a large cake pan.
3) Mix together all ingredients, in a large bowl.
4) Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting

Healthy, indulgent... delicious!

Makes 1 cake (medium):  
Oat Flour (100g) 
All-purposes flour (100g)
Muscovado Sugar (125g)
Coconut oil (room temperature - 50 ml) 
Baking Soda (2 tsp) 
Raw Cocoa powder (80g) 
Water (200 ml - boiling)

Frosting: 
Semi-sweet chocolate (50g)
Coconut oil (1 tsp)
Soya milk (or other vegetable milk - 1 tbsp)

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. 
2) Line one cake tin with parchment paper. Set aside. 
3) In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. 
4) Add coconut oil and mix. 
5) Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). 
6) Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
7) Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool. 
8) Prepare the frosting. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil. 
9) Pour over the chocolate frosting.

Banana and Persimmon Vegan Cake

Moist, sweet, flavourful and easy to bake :)

Serves 6 to 8:
Banana (2 - ripe)
Persimmons (1 - ripe, pulp)
Muscovado Sugar (1 cup)
Wheat flour (3 cups)
Baking powder (2 tsp)
Water (1 cup)
Olive oil (1/2 cup)
Lemon (juice of half)

1) Preheat the oven to 170 º.
2) Mix banana, sugar, persimmon pulp.
3) Gradually add the flour, baking powder, water, olive oil.
4) Add the lemon juice and mix well.
5) Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Autumn pudding

In Sweden, we have autumn... wind that freezes our smile in the face, leaves of all colors making a constantly shifting tapestry of autumnal tones :)

Really bad photo but I assure you that it tastes great!

Serves 2:
Strawberries and blueberries (frozen - 1 cup)
Water (3 tbsp+1 tbsp)
Dark muscovado sugar (1 tbsp)
Cornstarch (1 tbsp)

1) Simmer berries, sugar, and 3 tbsp water in a saucepan over medium heat.
2) Cook until berries begin to break down, about 5 minutes.
3) Mix cornstarch and 1 tbsp water in a bowl until combined.
4) Whisk into the fruit mixture; cook, whisking constantly, until a thick pudding forms ( 5 minutes).
5) Transfer into serving bowls and eat warm or at room temperature.

Kanelbulle

And... it's Kanelbullens Dag!

Makes about 20 rolls:

For the dough:
Margarine (vegan, non-hydrogenated - 50g)
Vegetable milk (300 ml)
Dry yeast(1/2 packet, equivalent to 25g fresh yeast)
Muscovado sugar (50g)
Cardamom (ground - 1 tsp)
Flour (640g)


For the filling:
Margarine (vegan, non-hydrogenated - 40g)
Muscovado sugar (40g)
Cinnamon (2 tbsp)

For the top:

Vegetable milk
Pearl sugar (or muscovado sugar)

1) In a small saucepan, melt the margarine over medium-low heat. Pour in the milk and heat gently to about 37C.
2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast with a little of the warm milk-margarine mixture and a sprinkle of the sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
3) Add the remaining milk mixture, sugar, cardamom, and about 2/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until you have a smooth, soft dough, adding more flour as necessary if it’s too sticky.
4) The dough is ready when it comes away from the sides of the bowl.
5) Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
6) Knead the dough in the bowl and then turn onto a floured work surface and knead in the rest of the flour, for a couple of minutes.
7) Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a thin, large rectangle. Spread with butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up tightly along the longer edge and slice into even pieces.
8) Place each piece, sliced side up, into baking cups. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
9) Preheat oven to 225C.
10) Brush the tops with milk, and sprinkle with sugar.
11) Bake on the center rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes.
12) Cool and enjoy!

Skillet Cake with Açaí Frosting

This week has kept me very busy, the days seemed to have 48 hours ...
the dinners had to be simple, quick and nutritious. And so açai powder and coconut oil played a main role at dessert time.

High Tech Scandinavia products are tastefull and you can order them online.

Serves 4:
Muscovado Sugar (50g)
Vegetable milk (200 ml)
Coconut oil (1 tbsp + 1 tsp)
All purpose flour (150g)
Baking powder (1 tsp)

For the frosting:
Cashews (raw - 50g - soaked for 2 hours) 
Lemon juice (fresh - 1 tbsp) 
Agave (1 tbsp) 
Açaí Powder (1 tbsp)

1) In a bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined.
2) Melt one teaspoon of coconut oil in a woven proof skillet, add the dough, smoothing with a spatula. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
3) Put in the oven, under the grill and cook for another 5 minutes, until golden brown.
4) Rinse and drain the cashews. Add them to a blender with the lemon juice and agave. Blend until super smooth and creamy with no texture at all. Once you have achieved that you can add the açaí powder and give it another quick blend.
5) Spoon into the cake and enjoy.

Açaí Pudding

In my search for health food products in Sweden I found High Tech Scandinavia and what caught my attention was their vast range of powdered superfoods.

I've contacted them and last Friday I received this amazing gift from them:

The first one I've tried was the Açaí powder (organic, freeze dried):

"Acai is a superfood for real, it contains lots of vitamin E, vitamin B1, B2, B3, antioxidants, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, fiber, proteins, amino acids and fatty acids.

Acai powder has natural essential fatty acids, fiber and amino acids that work together to help your body burn fat, process food more quickly and lose unwanted pounds you want to lose. Acai powder will improve your immune system and digestive system so fat is not stored in the body."

It cloudy and a bit cold outside and a dessert idea for lunch time popped up...

Açaí Pudding

Serves 2:

Cornstarch (40g)

Muscovado Sugar (20g)

Açaí powder (1 tbsp)

Rice Drink (400 ml)

1) In a saucepan stir together sugar, cornstarch and stir in rice drink.

2) Place over medium heat.

3) Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.

4) Remove from heat, add the Açaí powder and whisk until combined.

5) Let cool briefly, and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving.

It smells good and it tastes even better, soft, rich and nutritious... 

In the next days I will continue to post about this amazing products.

Havregurt Cake with Apple Topping

Oatly has this natural oatgurt: "We make our oatgurt on a fermented oat base that will remind you of yoghurt but it doesn’t contain the work of animals which puts it in a league all by itself."

So I've tried it... with granola like this one.

It's not a yogurt has they say but it's really much better... but while I as eating breakfast and tasting the oatgurt I had the idea to try it on a cake...

Havregurt cake with apple topping

Makes 1 cake:
All-purpose flour (2 cups)
Baking powder (2 tsp)
Muscovado Sugar (1/2 cup)
Natural Oatgurt (1 cup)
Extra virgin olive oil (1/2 cup)
Water (1/2 cup)
Lemon (juice of 1)

Topping:
Apple (1-chopped)
Coconut oil (1 tbsp)
Muscovado Sugar (1 tbsp)

1) Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
2) Line a small cake pan.
3) Mix together all ingredients, except the lemon juice, in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
4) Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake at 180ºC.
5) Melt the coconut oil, add the apple, sugar and cinnamon over low heat. Cook the apples until tender.
6) Take the cake from the oven (it should be tender in the top) and add the apples. Return the cake to the oven.
7) Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Oat Cookies

Oaty, chewy and delicious!

Makes 6-10 cookies:
Semolina (1 tbsp)
Rolled oats (100g)
Non-hydrogenated margarine (50g)
Muscovado Sugar (50g)

1) Preheat the oven to 160C.
2) In a bowl mix oats, semolina, margarine and sugar.
3) Spoon onto a baking tray and shape into rounds.
4) Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Blueberry and Apple Pie

When summer and autumn are together, the flavours mix into this delicious pie!

Serves 6:
Apples (4 - peeled, cored, sliced)
Blueberries (75g)
Margarine (2 tbsp)
Muscovado Sugar (60g)
Cinnamon (½ tsp)
Cornstarch (¼ tsp)
Vegan puff pastry (250g)

1) Preheat the oven to 180C.
2) Place the apples and blueberries in a bowl add the sugar, cinnamon, margarine and cornstarch. Mix well.
4) Line a baking pan with the dough and garnish with the apples and blueberries.
5) Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Apple "Boleima"

A tradicional portuguese recipe from alentejo, "veganized" :)

Plain flour (2 cups)
Whole wheat flour (1 cup)
Rice Milk (1 cup - or any other vegetable milk)
Coconut oil (1/2 cup)
Apples (4 - cut into quarters and laminated)
Muscovado Sugar (1/2 cup) 
Cinnamon (1 tbsp)

1) Preheat oven to 180C.
1) Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and make a hole in the center, place the milk and the oil into it and mix until smooth.
2) Knead by hand adding more flour if necessary. Divide the dough into two roughly equal parts.
3) Place one portion of dough on vegetable parchment and flatten with a roll pin until gets thin. Do the same with the other and reserve.
4) Cut the apples into quarters, peel and cut them into thin slices. 
5) Place the vegetable parchment with one part of the dough in the baking pan, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and distribute the apple slices and sprinkle again with sugar and cinnamon.
6) Turn the second dough over the apples. 
7) Slightly close the ends of the dough squeezing them between your fingers.
8) Bake until golden brown (about 25 minutes).

Vegan Cake

Makes 1 cake:
Vegan margarine (150g)
Muscovado sugar (100g)
Flaxseed (powder - 1 tbsp)
Apple puré (240g)
Wheat flour (240g)
Baking powder (1 tbsp)

1) Preheat oven to 180C.
2) Cream together vegan margarine and muscovado sugar. Add flaxseed and apple puré.
3) Work in flour and baking powder.

4) Pour in the batter in a prepared cake tin.
5) Bake for 40 minutes or until done.

Honey and Olive Oil Biscuits

Makes 30:
Olive oil (125 ml)
Cinamon (1 tbsp)
Honey (50g)
Muscovado sugar (175g)
Cereal Coffee (2 tbsp)
Water (250 ml)
Plain flour (250g)

1) In a saucepan combine all the ingredients, except the flour, and cook until everything is mixed and boiling.
2) Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. 3) Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes).
3) Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
4) Once the dough is lukewarm, shape the biscuits.
5) Bake them for about 15'.

Lemon Cake

Serves 4 to 6:
Plain flour (200 g)
Baking powder (2 tsp)
Muscovado Sugar (140g)
Eggs (2 - organic or free range)
Soy margarine (100g)
Lemon (1 - juice)

1) Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and flour a cake tin.
2) Mix flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the sugar, eggs, margarine and lemon juice. Using electric beaters, beat until smooth.
3) Pour the cake batter in the tin.
4) Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven and leave to cool slightly; turn out onto a wire rack.

Quinoa, Carob and Apple Bread

For 1 loaf or 10 buns:
Water (250 ml - warm)
Strong Wheat flour (300g)
Quinoa flour (100g)
Carob flour (50g)
Fast-action Dried Yeast (3g)
Apple (1 large or 1 1/2 small - diced)
Muscovado Sugar (1 tbsp)
Cinnamon (1 tsp)

1) Stir the flours and salt together in a large bowl, then make a well in the centre and add the water, salt, sugar and yeast and stir.
2) Mix with until the mixture comes together.
3) Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Fill the dough with the apple and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
4) Shape it in one loaf or 10 small buns and leave it in a warm place for at least two hours or until it has doubled in size.
5) Preheat the oven to 180C.
6) Bake the loaf for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crusty. The base should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Lemon and Corn Cake

Serves 4 to 6:
Plain flour (200 g)
Cornflour (40g)
Baking powder (2 tsp)
Muscovado Sugar (140g)
Eggs (2 - organic or free range)
Soy margarine (50g)
Olive oil (50 ml)
Lemon (1 - juice)

To serve (opcional):
Soy whipped cream


1) Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and flour a round pie tin.
2) Mix flour, cornflour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the sugar, eggs, margarine, olive oil and lemon juice. Using electric beaters, beat until smooth.
3) Pour the cake batter in the tin and smooth the top.
4) Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven and leave to cool slightly; turn out onto a wire rack.

Chocolate Muffins with Cocoa Frosting

Makes 18 (small):
Eggs (3 - organic or free range)
Flour (250g)
Muscovado Sugar (200g)
Olive oil (125 ml)
Baking Soda (2 tsp)
Baking Cocoa (80g)
Water (200 ml - boiling)

Frosting:
Semi-sweet chocolate (100g)
Non-hydrogenated margarine (1 tsp)
Water (2 tbsp)

1) Preheat the oven to 180C.
2) Line muffin cups with paper or foil liners. Set aside.
3) In large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
4) Add eggs and oil, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
5) Stir in boiling water by hand (batter will be thin).
6) Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
7) Prepare the frosting. Melt the chocolate with the margarine.
8) Slowly add the water.
9) Cover the muffins and enjoy.

Carrot and Orange Cake

Carrots (2 - peeled and shredded)
Orange (1 - juice)
Muscovado Sugar (1 cup)
Eggs (2 - organic or free range)
Non hydrogenated margarine (100g)
Plain flour (1 cup)
Baking powder (1 tsp)
Cinnamon (1 tsp)

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.
2) In a bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined.
3) Pour the mixture in a lined cake tin.
4) Bake for about 35 minutes or until the cake has risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

Cassava Cake

Makes 1 cake:
Non-hydrogenated margarine (100g)
Muscovado sugar (100g)
Rice flour (150g)
Cassava flour (80g)
Coconut (20g - grated)
Baking powder (2 tsp)
Soy cream (100 ml)
Egg (1 - organic or free range)
Cinnamon (1 tsp)
Vanilla extract (1 tsp)

1) Preheat oven to 175C/350F.
2) Lightly oil a baking pan and set aside.
3) In a large bowl, combine margarine and sugar.
4) Add the egg, flours, coconut, baking powder, soy, vanilla and cinnamon and beat for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to let cool for 15 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely.

Panforte di Siena

Makes 1 cake:
All purpose flour (85g)
Black pepper (1/4 tsp)
Cinnamon (1/2 tsp)
Nutmeg (1/2 tsp - ground)
Cloves (1/4 tsp - ground)
Ginger (1/4 tsp - ground)
Corianders (1/4 tsp - ground)
Cacao ( 2 tbsp - powder)
Hazelnuts (1 cup - coarsely chopped)
Almonds (1/2 cup - coarsely chopped)
Candied orange peel (1 tbsp - chopped)
Honey (2/3 cup)
Muscovado Sugar (2/3 cup)
Dried Figs (1 cup - chopped)

1) Preheat oven to 150C/300F. Line a baking tin with baking paper and margarine.
2) In a bowl, mix nuts, chopped dried or candied fruit, flour and spices.
3) Melt honey and sugar over low heat. Stir the melted sugar and honey into the fruit and nuts. The dough is so firm it can be mixed and formed by hand.
4) Place the dough in the baking tin and bake for 40 minutes.
5) Leave the Panforte to cool on a wire rack.