Good Day,
Before I get to the subject of today’s post, please allow me to rant for a bit. I would tell the kittens about my troubles, but they have just eaten and are having their afternoon naps, plus they don’t really care.
Exhibit ASo, bear with me. I think, no I actually believe, that my computer (all computers) and the relationship between it (them), me and my blog is going to drive me demented.
I like to think that I know a fair bit about computers, how they function, how they can help us and so on…I definitely need to use one to get these posts published-an old typewriter and liquid paper is just not going to pass muster.
But since this morning, I have tried three times to publish a post on https://www.thedodo.com/ without success. The last time was looking promising until I deleted it. Grrr!! I must say that I took it all in stride and said to myself that I would come back to it later.
Fast forward to creating my post. I did the legwork in the kitchen, took photos, cleaned up the kitchen and sat down to all of this.
Sometimes this keyboard feels like the enemy. And it hasn’t been pretty-everything keeps freezing when I try to upload my pictures to my blog. For a while, it looked like all my pictures were gone, but after rebooting the computer, they magically reappeared.
Whew, I am starting to feel better, energized, ready to tackle formatting. I will spare you the rest of the sordid details. And by the way, thanks a bunch for listening!
So as you may remember, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the look of EMILY DICKINSON’S VEGANIZED COCOANUT CAKE. It didn’t seem to be browned enough on the top, even though it was very tasty.
Attempt number 1So, I decided that a redo was warranted. Just for fun…
I decided to swap out the Egg Replacer for Flaxseed Meal. It is another substitute for chickens’ eggs, and is actually my number one choice when baking. But, I don’t use it for all things. It has a nutty flavour and is dark in colour, so it does not suit things like shortbread, sugar cookies and cocoanut cake. Or so I thought.
I also turned the oven to the regular setting, not convection, hoping this would result in a darker cake.
I added 1/2 tsp. pure coconut essence to add a little more defined flavour. I think that 3/4 to 1 tsp. would be even better. Be careful though, it is easy to overdo it with pure coconut essence.
This is the end result. No, it is still not as dark as the original photo I found of the cake. But it is a teensy bit darker than the first time I baked it on the convection setting.
Attempt number 2 (I am stopping there.)The flaxseed meal lent a lovely texture and colour to the batter and the cake itself. The cake is fluffier, moister and a has pretty little flecks in it.
Batter with flaxseed mealI am happy with the finished result and recommend that you try it (if you do try it) this way.
Tea and cake, anyone?Vegan Grammie Annie’s Handy Baking Tips
Use Flaxseed meal whenever you are looking for a fluffier, nuttier and more golden result.
Buy Organic Whole Flaxseed, store in the freezer and grind as you go.
Grind flaxseed in a coffee grinder and store in fridge or freezer for easy use
Whole Flaxseed and coffee grinder
Flaxseed meal ready for the fridgeOne chicken’s egg is equal to 1tbsp. flaxseed meal and 3 tbsp. water.
Pour water into beaker of immersion blender (whisking by hand will also work).
Add flaxseed and let sit for about five minutes.
Whir with whisk attachment for about three minutes until mixture is thick
Set aside until ready to use.
Whirred up flaxseed and waterTea Breads like this one are tastier if you let them cure for one day before slicing.
They freeze well for later use or keep well in the fridge for about one week.
They are tasty served with plant based butter, jams, dried fruit and nuts and seeds.
Until next time,
May all beings be happy and free.
Anne
EMILY DICKINSON’S VEGANIZED COCOANUT CAKE-TAKE TWO!
Hi Anne
Enjoyed reading this. I love coconut cake and I agree the flax seed method is better than egg replacer for these kinds of recipes. Egg replacer is expensive but still good for lots of other things. I am still learning about all this but your tips on buying flaxseed meal, storing in the freezer and grinding in a coffee grinder and putting in fridge or freezer when made are very valuable to me. Thank you so much