My First Plant-based Cake!

I told all of you I would update you when I made my daughters cake. So I bring to you my very first vegan cake! My daughter requested a watermelon cake but she wanted it to taste like peanut butter. I so badly wanted to challenge myself to make is watermelon flavoured somehow.

The cake tasted delicious! We did find it rather heavy though. Like I said I will definately keep looking for the perfect recipe. I was pretty impressed with the way it turned out. It wasn't the best but there was a lot of new techniques I tried with thus cake. Overall it turned out pretty decent.

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**Cake 1:** Found [here](https://minimalistbaker.com/one-bowl-vegan-funfetti-cupcakes/)

• 1 cup almond milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, softened
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pink food colouring
• vegan chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and parchment line a cake pan.

2. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out non-dairy milk and add vinegar or lemon juice. Let set to curdle/activate.

3. Add softened peanut butter to a large mixing bowl and cream with a mixer. Then add sugar and vanilla and beat until combined and fluffy - about 2 minutes.

4. Add dry ingredients to a sifter in this order: 1 cup flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and then remaining 1/2 cup flour.

5. Sift over butter/sugar mixture alternating with the almond milk mixture. Blend until until well incorporated and no large lumps remain. Add in food colouring and chocolate chips. Pour in pan.

6.Bake on a center rack for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. They will only have a very, very slight golden brown color.

Cake 2:
Found here

• 1 and 3/4 cups spelt Flour
• 1 cup cane Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 cup almond Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• pink food colouring
• vegan chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees celsius)

2. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.

3. Add the sugar, baking soda and salt and mix together.

4. Add the soy milk, vanilla, olive oil and vinegar and whisk it in. Add in the food colouring and chocolate chips.

5. Grease two 7 inch round cake tins with coconut oil and cut parchment paper into circles to fit the bottoms and then divide the mixture evenly between them.

6. Bake for 30 minutes.

Buttercream Icing:
Found here

• 4Tablespoons vegan buttery spread
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
• green and red food colouring

1. Place the vegan buttery spread and peanut butter in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract.

2. Sift the powdered sugar in a little at a time, alternating with drizzling in a little bit of the non-dairy milk. Continue to do this until all the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is a smooth, creamy, consistency.

3. If the frosting gets too thick, add a little more non-dairy milk. If it gets too runny, add more powdered sugar.

4. Spread the frosting on your cake or cupcakes with an offset spatula, or pipe it on using a decorating bag and an icing tip.

Edible cake paint:

• juice from 1 lemon
• Gel Food coloring of choice

1. Use 1/2 tsp of lemon juice and gel coloring. Mix until smooth.

2. Paint on using paint brush.

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Assembly

1. Put layers together using pink icing.

1. Put a crumb layer around the sides of the cake using green icing and pink on the top. Put in freezer for a few minutes.

1. Smooth out crumb layer. Add another layer of icing and put back in freezer for a couple min. Smooth out and add chocolate chips to top. Put back in freezer for 2 min.

1. sponge on dark green paint in pattern of watermelon. Sponge on yellow paint in between green!

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