Plant-based baking is the new way to make your cakes and bakes. With concerns over animal welfare, environmental issues and health, learn to create vegan alternatives. Gone are the days of hard heavy cakes that would be made with tasteless eggless replacer, and in come wholesome ingredients like gluten-free flours, natural sweeteners (from rice malt to maple syrup) with fruits and natural colours (beetroot to turmeric!) It’s also simpler, as one cake covers everyone’s preferences.
Most pastry contains palm oil, so make your own (it freezes well) with palm-oil-free vegan butter. Avoid choking hazards (nuts, cherries etc) for young children, and keep these recipes away from pets due to unsafe ingredients (chocolate, caffeine, citrus, nutmeg, dried fruits, fresh dough etc). Read more on keeping people & pets safe in the kitchen.
Simply Vegan Baking is a fresh fun book by the first vegan contestant on Great British Bake-off. This Yorkshire lass is on a mission to show how familiar recipes can be made without eggs, dairy or butter. From simple cakes and traybakes and bread to desserts and showstopping cakes, the faff-free recipes include:
- Oat cookies
- Lemon meringue pie
- Carrot cake
- Salted caramel cupcakes
- Cinnamon rolls
- Banoffee pie slices
- Black forest gateau
- White chocolate raspberry blondies
- Triple chocolate cookies
Freya Cox is a psychology student, who took a year out to pursue baking, after becoming the first vegan contestant on the Great British Bake-Off. A breath of fresh air with her North Yorkshire accent, she has partnered with Castle Howard to offer seasonal vegan cakes.
One area also to be aware of these days is what you bake with. Green bakers are moving away from non-stick Teflon sheets, aluminium foil and chemical-coated baking paper, and instead using reusable silicone baking sheets and cupcake trays, which last for years, then are easily recycled.
Vegan Baking Made Simple offers 50 recipes for incredible bakes and no-bakes that are all simple-to-make and use affordable ingredients. Learn to make:
- Banana streusel cake
- Earl Grey blackberry cupcakes
- Salted caramel & pear cake
- Almond raspberry thumbprint cookies
- Pumpkin caramel cupcakes
- Coconut pineapple layer cake
- Blueberry ‘cream cheese’ bread
- Almond chocolate cupcakes
A beautifully put-together book that will grab your attention with stunning photography. An essential addition to your baking collection. Hermine Dossou
I’m in awe of Saloni’s artful baking talent. Every photo makes me want to dive right into the page. I love that she calls for simple ingredients that are likely already in my pantry. Her cookbook is a gift to the world of baking. Michelle Cehn
Saloni Mehta is a pastry chef and food photographer. She divides her time between Chicago (US) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
recipe books for vegan celebration cakes
Decadent Vegan Cakes is a gorgeous book of plant-based baking recipes from loaf cakes to layer cakes. Recipes include:
- Apple crumble loaf cake
- Strawberry swirl cake
- Carrot cake loaf
- Pumpkin-spiced layer cake
- Lemon curd & poppyseed cake
- Gingerbread latte layer cake
- Torched lemon meringue cake
- Chocolate orange layer cake
Va Va Voom Vegan Cakes offers 50 delicious cakes and bakes for special days, yet are surprisingly simple to make. Angela Romeo’s inspired recipes include:
- Blueberry lavender cake
- Lemon meringue small treats
- Gin & tonic traybake
- Rooibos tea loaf
- Vegan vanilla thriller
- Knickerbocker glorious cake!
- Indulgent chocolate chip brownies
- Pistachio, lime & raspberry wowzer cake
Voilà Vegan is a book of 85 delicious recipes from an American who runs a Paris patisserie. Blending French favourites with American techniques, learn to make donuts, brownies, macarons and profiteroles along with recipes for:
- Cherry clafouti
- Banana tarte tatin French toast
- Pumpkin cake donuts
- Salted caramel & roasted peanut brownies
- Donut profiteroles
