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Gur Cake

Gur Cake is a traditional Dublin cake, popular in working class communities. The cake was made from bakery leftovers, so it was always the cheapest item in the shop. It’s a thick slab of spiced, fruity bread pudding sandwiched between two thin layers of shortcrust pastry.
Ingredients

For the pastry:

250g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cornflour (corn starch)
1 heaped tbsp suitable-for-vegans icing sugar
pinch salt
60g suitable-for-vegans baking margarine
Cold water

For the filling:
8 slices stale bread, crusts cut off (I used wholegrain)
Very strong tea, cold
35g melted suitable-for-vegans baking margarine
3 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Rind 1 orange
150g mixed dried fruit
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp mixed spice
1 tbsp molasses
90g suitable-for-vegans brown sugar
3 tbsp apple sauce

Directions:
1. Make the pastry by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the vegan baking margarine and rub in between your fingers and thumbs until the mixture is like fine breadcrumbs. Add 2-3 tbsp cold water (more if necessary) until the mixture comes together in a firm dough. Don’t overwork. Wrap in film and place in the fridge to rest while you make the filling.
2. Steep the bread and fruit in in a single layer in just enough tea to cover (you could use a large roasting tin). Leave for an hour or so.
3. Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C. When the bread and fruit are soaked, strain off the tea and give the bread a quick squeeze just to remove the excess liquid so that it is no longer dripping wet. Add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick cake batter. If it’s too dry, add a squeeze of orange juice; if it’s too wet, add a little more flour.
5. Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide in two. Line a 9 inch square baking dish with parchment. Roll the first half of the pastry thin and place it at the bottom of the baking dish (don’t line the sides of the tin; just the bottom). Flash bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and place the filling on top. Roll out the rest of the pastry and place it on top of the filling. Prick the pastry in several places with a fork.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool in the tin: the filling will set only when cold. Then remove from the tin and cut into squares.
7. Dust the squares with sifted icing sugar, or go for a more rustic feel and just sprinkle it on by hand.

Speedy Chocolate Mug Cake

Rich, spongy, sticky: this chocolate mug cake is wholewheat and free from refined sugar. However, if you’re feeling decadent, you can serve it with some suitable-for-vegans chocolate sauce and/or peanut butter. Serves 1-2, depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have.

Ingredients

Suitable-for-vegan spray oil, for greasing the mug
1/2 small banana
70g dates, pitted and soaked for 5 minutes in boiling water, then drained
4 tbsp wholewheat flour
1 tbsp fairtrade cocoa powder
3 tbsp plant milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp bread soda/bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp vinegar

1. Grease the mug with some spray oil, or a kitchen towel dipped in a little vegetable oil
2. Blend the rest of the ingredients until smooth.
3. Transfer to the mug, and microwave on full power for 2-3 minutes until cooked.

Single-serve banana walnut breakfast cake

A lightly sweet, airy breakfast cake with no added oil, sugar, gluten, or salt.

Ingredients

3T sweet sorghum flour
1T brown rice flour
1/2T cornstarch
1/2T tapioca flour
1//4t heaping baking powder
1 medium, very ripe banana (about 3/4 cup)
1/2t pure vanilla extract
2T unsweetened soy milk
1T chopped walnuts, 1t reserved for garnish
1t milled flax seed
Stevia to taste

Optional: Use shelled sunflower seeds in place of walnuts. You can use a tablespoons or so coconut sugar in place of the stevia but adjust the baking time accordingly. You can use other plant milks, but this will also affect the crumb and bake time.

Method

Mix the flours, cornstarch and baking powder. Puree the banana, vanilla, and walnuts until relatively smooth. Add the soy milk to the banana and puree.

Whisk the wet with the dry to form a smooth batter. Add the flax seed and stir to combine. Sweeten to taste with the stevia (it should be sweet to the taste). Pour the batter into a ramekin. Let rest while you preheat the oven to 450F.

When the oven is ready, bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack at 450F. Sprinkle with reserved walnuts, reduce heat to 350F, and bake another 15 – 20 minutes or so. Ovens vary; use a toothpick to determine when the cake is done.

Remove from heat. Cover with a clean tea towel and let cool. When cool, run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen and carefully remove from the ramekin. Enjoy fresh or wrap in plastic wrap to enjoy later.