hudson valley specialty home baker
Today’s recipe is one I make time and time again: stir fry! By no means is this recipe authentic or rooted in tradition, but it is easily customizable and one of my favorites to incorporate a lot of veggies in a flavorful way. read more
So… I tried Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi for the first time. Admittedly, my expectations were initially low. I have heard rave reviews about the cauliflower gnocchi for years. As someone who’s never been a huge fan of cauliflower, I wasn’t sure how I read more
They easily come together in a food processor and require fewer than 10 ingredients!
Brownies are one of the best desserts in my opinion. This vegan version satisfies with a gooey, under baked bite. They are just incredible. I think I’m starting to prefer vegan brownies to regular!
I originally found this recipe from From My Bowl, but I had issues with the batter being entirely too thick. I implemented a few of my own changes to perfect this recipe and now I’m totally hooked!
These guys are the star of the show. Measure out a loose cup of dates. In other words, no need to pack them down in the measuring cup. Soak them until softened in some warm water, about 10 minutes.
I also recommend using a mix of cacao and cocoa powders. They help balance some of the bitterness.
Next, make a flax egg. Just combine ground flax with some water. Nice and simple. Feel free to substitute a chia egg. Let sit for several minutes until it thickens.
Mix the dates first with some water, then add the wet ingredients. Blend in the dry, then mix in the chocolate chips by hand. Spread the batter in a prepared pan and bake.
Once they’ve baked for about 15 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool completely. My most favorite way to eat these is cold and straight from the refrigerator.
The dates and chocolate chips sweeten these brownies perfectly. You would never guess they’re vegan. Cacao and cocoa powder bring forth a wonderful rich flavor and the almond butter taste is subdued.
Caramelized Onion and Veggie Pasta
Easy Garlic and Broccoli Pasta
Today’s recipe is another pasta dish, but this time with caramelized onions! This two-pot dish comes together easily and tastes absolutely delicious. What I love about this recipe is how versatile and flavorful it is. Veggies often have a bad reputation for read more
Delicious, easy and no-fuss meals are some of the most enjoyable to cook. And when they involve pasta, they’re a win in my book. During trying times with limited access to foods, mastering some essentials of home cooking helps make dinner a bit read more
Chocolate, zucchini and bread are three incredible foods on their own. But combining them into something that tastes like cake and has no refined sugar is totally up my alley. The name zucchini bread is a bit misleading… seriously, this is pretty much just cake!
If you couldn’t already tell by last week’s post for chocolate babka, I’m a self-proclaimed chocolate addict. Chocolate is one of those foods I would eat every single day. I love adding it into oatmeal or other breakfast foods. Most desserts I eat will have some chocolate component. Whenever I can get away with eating chocolate, I will. This recipe is perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth. And it comes together so fast!
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl or large measuring cup. Grate the zucchini and give it a rough chop. Finer pieces blend more easily into the batter and are less noticeable texture- and color-wise. I have tried this recipe with 1 cup and 1 1/3 cup of zucchini with essentially no difference. Add more or less as you please.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, then fold until just combined. Add the zucchini, then the chocolate chips. I like to reserve a couple tablespoons to sprinkle on top before it goes in the oven. I like a mix of semisweet mini and dark Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, then bake.
And that’s it! I like to let cool and room temperature and refrigerate until the chocolate chips have solidified. Cut into slices and you’re done.
I absolutely love how chocolatey and rich this zucchini bread tastes. There is absolutely no taste of zucchini and if you chop it finely enough, you won’t even see it. Seriously, this is one of my favorite desserts (that I also will admittedly eat for breakfast). Warning: it is highly addictive!
Chocolate babka: the intersection of sweet dough, patience, and chocolatey goodness. Since quarantine began, pictures of bread are about the only thing I see on social media anymore. The internet is truly obsessed. Jumping on a similar bandwagon, I found this babka recipe read more
Decorating cookies may seem daunting, but with some simple ingredients and a little extra time and care, these iced sugar cookie are easily attainable. In this tutorial, learn my tips for making clean, colorful, and delicious cookies. To achieve beautiful results, starting read more
After finding a vegan chocolate cake recipe from Tasty, I knew I had to try it out.
Trying out vegan desserts is always a fun challenge, but oftentimes they taste completely different than the real thing. I wanted to make cake using better-for-you ingredients that did not compromise taste.
I must admit, I think I nailed it.
Before you begin, know that this cake recipe makes a ton of batter. I filled four 8-inch round cake pans and still had enough batter to fill 8 cupcakes. It’s simple to follow, but it takes pretty large amounts of ingredients, so be prepared. After they’ve baked and cooled completely, I wrap the cakes and put them in the freezer. They’re much easier to handle when chilled.
This was my first time working with vegan butter and Miyoko’s is strikingly similar to real butter. The frosting doesn’t have that true buttery flavor, but it’s sweet, rich, and chocolatey. You would never guess it’s vegan. I used the Whole Foods brand of organic powdered sugar and found it much clumpier than regular. Consequently, sifting is important to ensure a smooth final product.
Scrape the bowl very well. The chocolate can be stubborn and stick to it. Make sure your ingredients are well-incorporated or you’ll see specks and clumps of sugar throughout. The longer you beat the frosting, the lighter in color it becomes.
Once the cake layers are stacked, allow them to come to room temperature before crumb coating. Otherwise, your frosting will freeze.
I kept the decoration simple and used a fine grater to make some chocolate bits and shavings, which I pressed around the bottom. I put some swirls on top with a 1M star tip, then sprinkled cacao nibs over them. A sprinkle of edible gold dust adds nice contrast against all the chocolate.
This cake is unbelievably moist, rich and decadent. Seriously, you would never guess it’s free of dairy, eggs, and, in the cake itself, refined sugar. I served this for a family birthday and we tasted no difference. In fact, I received a couple comments that it tasted better than traditional cake.
Undoubtedly, it takes some time to make, as do all cakes, but I highly recommend you try this out. It even makes for fantastic cupcakes.
Vegan Chocolate Cake
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups Hershey’s dark cocoa powder
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch salt
3 cups soy milk
1 cup coconut oil, melted
1 ½ cups applesauce
1 ½ cups maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
I made minor changes to this Tasty recipe and did use the frosting recipe. Get the original recipe and instructions here.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
8" layer cakes
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Ingredients
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This recipe may seem large, but it made enough to comfortably fill, frost, and decorate the cake with about ½ cup extra.
