VEGAN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT WHIPPED CARAMEL CAKE

Some dessert combinations are rightfully classic in nature, like chocolate and orange, pistachio and rose, and to me, chocolate and hazelnuts. Especially when melded into a wonderfully smooth cream.

Tender chocolate layers, rich chocolate hazelnut filling, and a wonderfully sticky whipped caramel; a beautiful trio to accompany any brunch, lunch, or celebration. While it might look complicated to make with a lot of steps, I promise it is quite a straightforward process, and the cake rewards on every bite. A truly timeless combination of flavours, just perfect for a cup of strong coffee.

If you do not feel like making your own hazelnut paste, using hazelnut butter (made only from hazelnuts) is also fine. As is blending your own paste a bit more coarsely, for a bit of texture.

On a few final technical notes; I always make the caramel sauce one day in advance. To be precise, the evening before making the rest of the cake. That way, it has a chance to cool down nicely and the flavour can develop well. If you enjoy salted caramel, do add a bit of flaky salt once it's cooked.

Its colour will greatly depend on how you cooked the sugar. If you like your caramel on the sweeter and lighter side, and you cook it to a lighter amber colour, your whipped caramel will be almost white, like mine. If you like your caramel intense, and cooked to a dark amber colours, once you whip it, it will be more tan in colour.

As for the whipped cream stabiliser - I find that this topping definitely needs it, as it needs to bear the weight of the whole second set of cake and filling. It is called differently in different countries - Kremfix, Sahnesteif, pannafix, Whip It, etc; but any cream stabiliser made for 200-250 millilitres of cream will work perfectly.

Ingredients
For the chocolate cake layers
150 grams plain flour
25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
150 grams granulated sugar
100 grams applesauce
150 millilitres water
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
45 millilitres oil
1 heaping teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon vinegar
For the whipped caramel topping
60 millilitres water
120 grams granulated sugar
200 millilitres plant double cream, divided
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 sachet of cream stabiliser, 10 grams
For the filling and frosting
400 millilitres soy milk, cold
60 grams cornflour
25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
75 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
200 grams vegan block butter, softened; divided
100 grams hazelnut paste (or shop-bought hazelnut butter with no additions)
100 grams dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa solids)
150 grams vegan white chocolate
food colouring, optional

Preparation

Start by making the caramel sauce, as it needs a bit of time to cool down completely. Take a large saucepan, and add in the sugar and water. Place it over medium-high heat, and let it come to a boil. Without stirring, let it boil and cook until it starts to turn caramelise. Be patient with this part, as it needs a bit of time to cook off the water.

One the sugar syrup turns amber colour, add in half of the cream and the vanilla, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking until everything is blended and uniform in colour, about 2-3 more minutes, and remove from the heat. Let it cool down in the pan slightly, and then transfer it to a suitable container and place it into the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 6 hours.

The next day, start by making the cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C. Take a large bowl and sift in the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the sugar and mix well. Line three small round baking pans (15 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set them aside.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add in the hot water, oil, vanilla, applesauce, coffee granules, and the vinegar, and whisk until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, and immediately bake in a preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 8-10 minutes, or until done. Check the doneness with a toothpick, making sure the cakes stay fudgy, and not dry. Let them cool in the pans completely.

Once the cakes are done, proceed to make the filling and frosting base. Pour the cold soy milk into a large saucepan, add in the sugar, and sift in the cocoa powder and cornflour. Whisk it very well so there are no lumps of starch or cocoa in the milk. Place it over medium-high heat, and let it come to a boil.

Once it starts to simmer, start whisking constantly, so it does not burn. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes, whisking the entire time, until it cooks into a glossy custard. Remove from heat, add in 30 grams of vegan block butter, and mix it through. Cover the top with cling film or a piece of baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.

Once the cakes are cool to the touch and the filling base is ready, place the vegan block butter into a large bowl and whip it with the vanilla until light and fluffy. This is best done with an electric mixer on the highest setting. Mix the cooked custard base to soften it up slightly, and then combine it with the whipped butter. If the filling seems a bit soft once combined, that is fine. Take 250 grams of the filling and place it into another large bowl.

Melt and cool both types of chocolate separately. Add the melted dark chocolate to the smaller portion of the filling that you placed into a separate bowl, alongside the hazelnut butter. Blend, with an electric mixer on high, until complexly creamy. Add the melted vegan white chocolate to the larger portion of the filling, and blend it through. If using food colouring, add it now and blend. Place both bowls into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so the filling and frosting have a chance to firm up.

While the filling is cooling down, whip the reserved 100 millilitres of the plant double cream until soft peaks form. Blend the caramel to loosen it up slightly, add it to the whipped cream, and blend everything together. Finally, sprinkle in the cream stabiliser and combine well.

To assemble, level the cake layers and place the first one onto the serving platter. Top with half of the chocolate hazelnut filling, and then with half of the whipped caramel. Repeat this once more, and top with the final cake layer. Because the fillings are firm, there is no need for an acetate sheet and a cake frame, but if you want, you can most definitely use them. Place the platter into the refrigerator for at least two hours, until the cake firms up.

By that time, the frosting should be thick and smooth. If needed, fold it through a bit with a rubber spatula, and frost the cake entirely, making sure any gaps are filled. Decorate the cake further as desired, and place it back into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Serve well chilled. Yields 16 servings. © Tina Vesić 2024

SWEET VEGAN BUTTER ROLLS

When I was in primary school, rolls quite similar to these were a breakfast staple. You could always get them in the school bakery, along with Danish braids filled with vanilla pastry cream. With a glass of chocolate milk, those were pretty amazing sweet breakfasts at the time, I must admit.

Although I am more of a savoury breakfast type of a person now, every now and then I like a sweet pastry with a cup of strong black coffee. And these gems are really what I want. Soft, fluffy, delightfully sweet, with the tiniest crunch from the flaked almonds. Simply perfect.

When it comes to butter, I add it cold, straight from the refrigerator, in one piece. I simply squeeze it with my fingers through the dough, as I knead, until all is absorbed, and it works perfectly. By all means, it can be added diced and slightly softened, but this is what I find works best for me.

And on a final note, to fill them with your favourite jam, use a nozzle that you would use to fill doughnuts or carefully insert a knife through each pastry and then fill them with just a piping bag with a tip cut off. Of course, they will be equally delicious split in half and filled with jam that way, it is up to your preference.

Ingredients
200 grams strong bread flour
225 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
270 millilitres warm water
30 millilitres sunflower oil
30 grams fresh yeast
25 grams granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
75 grams vegan block butter
45 grams vegan honey
50 grams flaked almonds
100 grams jam
icing sugar, for serving

Preparation

Take a large bowl, sift in both types of flour, add in the salt, and blend well. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the warm water, oil, sugar, and crumbled fresh yeast. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast activates and becomes bubbly. Make a well in the centre of the sifted flours, pour in the yeast and the vanilla, and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.

Add the butter to the dough, either diced or simply squish it with your fingers, and knead it into the dough. It may take some time for the dough to absorb all the butter, but be patient, and it will. Knead the dough until it becomes soft, but not sticky, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled. Keep in mind that the dough might resemble thick batter at this point, and that is fine.

Once risen and ready, turn the soft dough onto a nicely floured surface and make a long rope shape out of it, without any kneading. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal parts, and arrange them on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Generously mist the dough pieces with cold water, and let them rise until the oven preheats to 200˚C.

As soon as the oven is ready, brush them generously with vegan honey and sprinkle them with flaked almonds. Bake immediately in a nicely preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 12-15 minutes, or until evenly golden. Let them cool down slightly, fill each one abundantly with your favourite jam, dust with some icing sugar, and serve. Yields 12 sweet butter rolls.

VEGAN SOURDOUGH DOUGHNUTS

Sourdough starter is a fantastic ingredient in so many ways, although golden, crusty loaves are still a pretty strong association many have with sourdough. And for a good reason, of course, not many things can compare to a slice of toasted homemade sourdough with a cup of tea in the morning.

The truth is, that humble starter can be added to a plethora of different recipes, including cakes and cookies. Adding a unique depth of flavour, beautifully balancing the sweetness, I find it simply perfect for dough desserts, such as doughnuts and pastries.

On an important note, I keep my starter at 100% hydration, which means it contains equal parts by weight of water and flour. If your starter is at a different hydration or uses a different type of flour, you might need slightly more or slightly less flour to shape these doughnuts. The secret is to add the flour gradually and stop once the dough takes form, because you can always add a bit more, if needed.

These little gems are beautifully light and filled with tangy fruit jam; a fantastic everyday dessert, particularly with a cup of coffee, and will stay wonderfully fresh even the next day. And if you don’t fill them, you can even toast them lightly for a tiny little crunch, and use them as a breakfast toast with a sweet topping of your choice.

Ingredients
700 grams plain flour
60 grams granulated sugar
10 grams salt
350 millilitres soy or almond milk
60 grams sunflower oil
60 grams apple sauce, at room temperature
90 grams sourdough starter (100% hydration)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
250-300 grams jam for filling
about 750 millilitres to 1 litre of oil, for frying

Preparation

Add the oil into a small saucepan, pour in the milk, and add in the sugar and salt. Place the pan over low to medium heat until completely melted and blended. Remove it from the heat and let it cool down slightly, and then add in the applesauce, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix until completely combined, and then add in the starter.

Whisk vigorously with a wooden spoon or a wire whisk until it all comes together, and then start adding in the flour. If using a whisk, switch to a wooden spoon, and start stirring as you add. Depending on the type of flour you use and your starter, you may not need all of the flour, so add gradually.

Keep mixing and pressing the dough with the wooden spoon until the dough starts to pull away from the sides. Turn it out onto a nicely floured surface, and continue kneading with your hands, adding a bit more flour if needed, for about 5 minutes, or until a smooth and supple dough forms.

Place it into an oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let it stand at room temperature until doubled in size. Depending on the room temperature and how active your starter was, it can take up to 6-8 hours, so it is good to make it in the evening, and proceed with making the doughnuts in the morning.

Once risen and ready, place the dough onto a floured surface without any kneading, and roll it out to about 1.5 centimetre thickness. Using a pastry cutter or just a regular glass, cut out doughnuts of desired size, and place them onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Keep kneading and rolling out the dough scraps until everything is used up. However, if the dough starts to feel tight or it will not roll out, let it rest for about 10 minutes, and roll it out again.

Cover the doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise once again for about an hour. Meanwhile, towards the end of rising time, pour the oil into a large pot and let it heat up to about 185-190°C, being mindful while working with hot oil.

Pick up the doughnuts gently and place them into the hot oil, bottom-side up, and let them cook through, about a minute or so per side. Do not overcrowd the pot, otherwise the temperature will drop and they will not fry as nicely.

Set the cooked doughnuts onto paper towels to absorb any oil excess, fill them with your favourite jam, dust with some icing sugar, and serve immediately. Yields 16 large doughnuts.

VEGAN CARROT LAYER CAKE

When it comes to spring classics, Carrot cake is the first choice of many. Paired with a wonderfully bright and tangy combination of dried apricots and mandarin oranges, together with a wonderfully smooth white chocolate mousse filling, it is simply perfect for gatherings of all types.

One of my favourite ingredients for delightfully moist cakes is applesauce. Simple and straightforward, yet amazing in pretty much all layer cakes. However, just like the apples are puréed, other fruits and even vegetables can be. It is quite easy to make a carrot purée; simply boil or steam the carrots, let them cool down slightly, and add them to a blender.

The result is a lovely little cake, soft and moist, even slightly sticky, full of aromatic fruit, as well as that signature carrot cake undertones. If desired, you can add some roughly chopped walnuts to the cake batter, for an additional layer of texture.

Ingredients
For the carrot cake layers
150 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons salt
180 grams granulated sugar
60 millilitres vegetable oil
250 grams carrots, peeled and chopped
30 grams dandelion or apple honey
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
75 millilitres boiling water
For the dried apricot and mandarin orange filling
100 grams dried apricots
300 grams mandarin oranges
50 grams granulated sugar
4 teaspoons cornflour
1 tablespoon cold water
For the white chocolate mousse filling
200 grams vegan white chocolate
200 grams plant-based double cream
120 grams vegan block butter, cubed
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
small pinch of flaky salt

Preparation

Start by making the fillings. Soak the dried apricots in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes, or until they become soft. This will make the blending much easier.

Melt together the white chocolate, plant double cream, and vegan block butter, either over low heat or in the microwave. Gently stir until blended, remove from the heat, and add in vanilla and a bit of salt, mix well, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap or baking parchment. Let it cool down to room temperature, and then place it into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

Drain the apricots well, and add them to a blender, along with the mandarin orange segments. Blend on high until a smooth purée forms, and tip it into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add in the sugar, place it over medium heat, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until thickened. While the mixture is simmering, whisk together the cold water and the cornflour and set it aside.

After boiling for 10 minutes, the orange and apricot puree should be thickened, so add the cornflour and water, and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring constantly, until a thick and glossy custard forms. Remove it from the heat, cover the top with plastic wrap or a piece of baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.

To make the cake layers, start by boiling or steaming the carrots until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Set them aside to cool down, turn the oven to preheat to 180°C and line a rectangular cake pan (20x30 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides.

Strain the cooked carrots well and weigh 200 grams. Place them into a blender along with the dandelion honey, vanilla, oil, and water, and let it run until a completely smooth purée forms. Sift the flour with the baking powder into a large bowl, add in the flour, and whisk very well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add in the carrot purée, and whisk until just combined, to make sure the cake is soft and tender. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 15-18 minutes. Check the cake for doneness after about 15 minutes in the oven, to make sure it does not dry out. Take it out of the oven, let it cool down in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then invert it onto a wire rack to cool down completely.

Once both fillings are ready and the cake is cool to the touch, proceed to assemble the cake.

Take the white chocolate filling out of the refrigerator and whip it with an electric mixer on the highest setting until very stiff peaks form. This may take a bit of time, so do have patience for it. Stir the cooked apricot and mandarin jam with a spoon or a spatula until it becomes smooth and easily spreadable, and transfer it to a piping bag with the tip snipped off. Level the cake, if needed, and slice it in half crosswise and lengthwise, to create four thin square layers. They will not be perfectly square, but that is fine.

Place the first cake layer onto the serving platter. Close a small cake form around it, and add a tall sheet of acetate. Add a heaping tablespoon of the white chocolate filling on top, spread it nicely, and pipe one-third of the jam. Add another heaping tablespoon of the mousse, covering the jam completely, and top it with another cake layer. Continue stacking in this fashion two more times, and then top with the final cake layer. Cover it with a piece of baking parchment to prevent drying out, and place the cake into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, along with the remaining white chocolate mousse.

Once the cake is firm and ready, remove it from the refrigerator, take off the cake form, and decorate with the remaining mousse. Keep it refrigerated until serving time, as it tastes the best when it's nicely chilled. Yields 12 servings.

VEGAN NEAPOLITAN LAYER CAKE

I believe I have spoken about this before, but one of my earliest memories is of me, just sitting on my bedroom floor, putting torn paper pieces into a tiny pink bowl, making lunch. I've always loved being in the kitchen or around it, so it really is no wonder that baking truly is my greatest love. It is a channel for my creativity and a beautiful way to express myself, and I am truly grateful for persisting in what makes me happy.

This cake is something I have thought about making for a long time, but somehow always got pushed further down the "to make" list; until now. Three striking layers of cake, and two gorgeous fudgy layers of frosting, all in the signature Neapolitan flavours; vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.

It is as stunning as it is delicious. It does require a bit of planning and it is a touch more complicated than a regular cake, but everyone should indulge in a creative challenge now and then.

It is best kept refrigerated until serving, because that way the frosting magically transforms into an ice cream like layer. So serve it well chilled, with a cup of espresso or freshly brewed coffee, and in good company.

Ingredients
For the vanilla cake layers
60 grams plain flour
15 grams cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60 grams granulated sugar
75 grams carbonated water
15 grams vegetable oil
5 grams vanilla bean paste
For the chocolate cake layers
60 grams plain flour
15 grams cornflour
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
75 grams light brown sugar
100 grams warm water
20 grams vegetable oil
5 grams vanilla bean paste
For the strawberry cake layers
60 grams plain flour
15 grams cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60 grams granulated sugar
50 grams strawberry purée
25 grams carbonated water
15 grams vegetable oil
5 grams vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon strawberry essence or extract, optional
For the filling and frosting
550 grams soy milk
100 grams granulated sugar
80 grams cornflour
200 grams vegan block butter, at room temperature
250 grams strawberries, fresh or defrosted
50 grams dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids), melted and cooled
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Preparation

Start by making the filling and frosting. Pour the cold soy milk into a large pot or a deep saucepan, add in the sugar and the sifted cornflour, and place it over medium heat. Let it slowly heat up and come to a boil. As soon as it starts to simmer, start stirring occasionally, so it does not catch on the bottom. Once it starts to boil, switch to a whisk, and whisk vigorously for 2-3 minutes, until it thickens into a smooth and shiny custard. Remove from the heat, cover with a piece of plastic wrap or baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.

While the filling cools, make the strawberry reduction. Purée 250 grams of strawberries and add them to a heavy bottomed saucepan. Place it over medium heat, and let it simmer until reduced to one-fifth of the quantity, roughly 50 grams. This is best done by weight, but estimation will work fine, as well. Make sure to stir it constantly, scraping the bottom and sides with a rubber spatula, so the fruit does not burn. Once all the liquid has evaporated, remove from the heat, transfer to a small bowl, and let it cool down completely.

Next, make the cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line three small round cake pans (15 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides. Set them aside for the time being.

For the vanilla cake layers, sift together the plain flour, cornflour, and baking powder, and tip them into a medium bowl. Add in the sugar, and whisk it well. Finally, pour in the carbonated water, vegetable oil, and the vanilla, and whisk everything together until just combined. Pour it into one of the prepared pans.

For the chocolate cake, the preparation method is quite similar. Sift together the flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, and add them to a medium bowl. Add in the brown sugar, and whisk to combine. Pour in the warm water, oil, and the vanilla, and gently mix until just combined. Just as before, pour the batter into one of the prepared cake pans.

And finally, for the strawberry cake, sift together the flour, cornflour, and baking powder, and add them to a medium bowl. Add in the sugar, and whisk together. Next, add in the blended strawberries, carbonated water, oil, vanilla, and the strawberry essence, if using, and mix to combine. Pour into the remaining cake pan, and place all three of them into the nicely preheated oven. Bake, at 180°C, for about 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the very centre of each of them comes out clean. Take them out of the oven, and let them cool completely in their pans.

When the base of the filling is at room temperature, take an electric mixer on high, and blend it for a few minutes, until smooth and creamy. Place the softened vegan block butter into another bowl, and whip it on the highest setting until lighter in colour, about 4-5 minutes. Once light and fluffy, add half of the custard to the butter, and blend well. Repeat this once more, whipping on the highest setting until everything is combined and smooth.

Once the base of the filling is blended nicely with the butter, divide it into three parts, by weight. Put 300 grams of it in a medium bowl, and add in the additional vanilla bean paste. Put 200 grams of the filling in another bowl, and add in the melted chocolate and the sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. And finally, add 265 grams of the filling into a third bowl, and add in the strawberry reduction. Fill three large pastry bags with each of the fillings separately, and cut off the tips, as there is no need for a piping nozzle. There is plenty of filling for all the layers and for decorating the cake.

Take the cake layers out of the pans and, using a set of cake or pastry rings, cookie cutters, or a round template, cut each of them into three concentric circles. There should be one 15-centimetre outer ring, an inner, 10-centimetre, ring, and a small, 5-centimetre circle in the very centre. Take your time with this step, as the cakes can, and will break, if not handled gently. Once all three layers have been cut into circles, it is time to assemble.

Place the strawberry outer cake ring on a cake platter, fit a white cake inner ring inside of it, and add in the chocolate cake centre. This is the first full cake layer. Pipe a thick layer of chocolate frosting on the strawberry pink part, strawberry frosting on the white cake layer, and vanilla bean frosting on the chocolate centre.

For the next cake layer, gently lift a white cake outer ring and place it on top of the frosting. Fit a chocolate inner circle, and the strawberry centre in the middle. Using the pastry bag, pipe a thick layer of strawberry frosting on the white outer layer, vanilla bean frosting on the inner chocolate circle, and chocolate frosting on the strawberry pink centre.

And finally, very carefully place the chocolate outer layer on top, fit a strawberry pink inner circle, and the white cake layer centre. Here is the illustration of the came assembly, if you want a visual guide while you work. With this, the cake is assembled, and you can safely decorate with the remaining frosting, as you desire. The cake is firm, so it can be decorated immediately.

Once happy with your decoration, place the cake into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and keep it refrigerated until serving, as it is more delicious served that way. Yields 16 rich servings. © Tina Vesić 2024