Vegan Cake

[Talent Search]

Hi guys,

Having to make a vegan cake for my Goddaughter!

Have no idea where to start - help me please!

Thanks

 

[thefab444]

Bake normal cake and just pretend it's vegan, then act suprised when they tell you how good it is?

 

[Talent Search]

She's 1 years old and lactose intolerant! Not sure they'd be best pleased with me.

 

[thefab444]

Ah, fair enough then if there's a genuine reason.

 

[Zoe]

Not believing in exploiting animals is also a genuine reason.

 

[Geezertronic]

Not believing in exploiting animals is also a genuine reason.

I've never seen an animal exploited over a cake before?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I've never seen an animal exploited over a cake before?

Where do eggs come from then? Yes, hens, which happen to be animals

 

[thefab444]

Not believing in exploiting animals is also a genuine reason.

If the animal product makes you ill then you have a genuine reason not to eat it, otherwise it's just an "ethical" choice. Besides, most of our consumer goods, including clothes, are made through exploitation of animals i.e. humans.

Surely eating fruit from trees is exploiting them? The reason why trees have fruit is to reproduce, but we are exploiting these poor plants by eating their fruit but not passing on the seeds. They're also forced to live in nasty greenhouses, and are sprayed with all manner of pesticides and the like.

The whole concept of vegetarianism stinks of hypocrisy I'm afraid. However, seeing as the true purpose of this thread has nothing to do with vegetarianism (I originally thought it did), I shall refrain from making further comments in this thread.

 

[Pumbaa]

I've never seen an animal exploited over a cake before?

My fifth birthday cake was a caterpillar cake

 

[Oswyntail]

Ingredients

3 cups flour (680 grams)
2 cups sugar (450 grams)
6 tablespoons cocoa (100 grams)
2 teaspoons baking soda (10 cc's = 10 ml)
1 teaspoon salt (5 cc's = 5 ml)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (200 cc's)
2 tablespoon vinegar (30 cc's)
2 teaspoon vanilla (10 cc's)
2 cup cold water (480 cc's)

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth. Bake two greased, floured tins at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes two layers of a two-layer 9-inch or 8-inch round cake, or one small sheet cake. When cool, ice it.

Enjoy!

 

[Talent Search]

You're a star, thanks!

 

[flymo]

Vegans?? wasn't Mr. Spock one of them......?

Anyway just off to the cake forum to ask about split ticketing..

 

[Geezertronic]

Where do eggs come from then? Yes, hens, which happen to be animals

So the Free Range eggs I buy from the shop for my kids to make cakes means I am exploiting hens? That must mean that my cousin who has hens roaming in her back garden for the eggs they lay must also be exploiting hens too. The list of animals I personally "exploit" must be quite considerable then

 

[ralphchadkirk]

So the Free Range eggs I buy from the shop for my kids to make cakes means I am exploiting hens? That must mean that my cousin who has hens roaming in her back garden for the eggs they lay must also be exploiting hens too. The list of animals I personally "exploit" must be quite considerable then

Not everyone uses or can afford free range or to keep their own hens :roll: I remember reading somewhere about how even free range is bad for hens - I'll see if I can dig it out when I get home.

 

[90019]

Not everyone uses or can afford free range or to keep their own hens :roll: I remember reading somewhere about how even free range is bad for hens - I'll see if I can dig it out when I get home.

Free range only means they've been kept outside for a certain amount of time, 12 weeks I think it is. After that time, they're still free range regardless of how they're kept.

 

[Geezertronic]

Not everyone uses or can afford free range or to keep their own hens :roll: I remember reading somewhere about how even free range is bad for hens - I'll see if I can dig it out when I get home.

You'll be saying that laying eggs is bad for hens next

 

[ralphchadkirk]

You'll be saying that laying eggs is bad for hens next

No need to be sarcastic.

http://www.upc-online.org/freerange.html

 

[Zoe]

Also many male chickens, since they can't produce eggs are killed at birth so by using egg you are contributing to that industry.

 

[142094]

Guessing the veggies on the forum eat products made from soya? How about the detrimental environmental effects of soya production?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Guessing the veggies on the forum eat products made from soya? How about the detrimental environmental effects of soya production?

I'd like to point out here that I'm not a veggie or a vegan, but I (somewhat) sympathise with veggies and vegans.

 

[142094]

I'd like to point out here that I'm not a veggie or a vegan, but I (somewhat) sympathise with veggies and vegans.

Fair enough, however when vegetarians make claims about how their diet is better for the environment there are cases to show it isn't.

 

[Dennis]

I'd like to point out here that I'm not a veggie or a vegan, but I (somewhat) sympathise with veggies and vegans.

So do I.....they are missing out on loads of fantastic meaty foods which humans have evolved to eat. lovely juicy steak

I've often wondered how 'ethically inclined' veggies feel when they walk past a McDonalds or sit on leather seats.

Also, do you know any vegetarians who won't eat meat because 'its cruel to animals' yet happily murder innocent insects in the homes and gardens and maim to deatch thousands of flies and other small animals driving around in their cars? Or perhaps their concscience only extends as far as farmyard animals and fish and it's OK for lower lifeforms to suffer at their hands.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

So do I.....they are missing out on loads of fantastic meaty foods which humans have evolved to eat. lovely juicy steak

I've often wondered how 'ethically inclined' veggies feel when they walk past a McDonalds or sit on leather seats.

Also, do you know any vegetarians who won't eat meat because 'its cruel to animals' yet happily murder innocent insects in the homes and gardens and maim to deatch thousands of flies and other small animals driving around in their cars? Or perhaps their concscience only extends as far as farmyard animals and fish and it's OK for lower lifeforms to suffer at their hands.

Very true that, very true. Maybe they shouldn't buy food at supermarkets, that money could go to free-range farm investments that aren't free range!

I want a steak now

 

[button_boxer]

Hi guys,

Having to make a vegan cake for my Goddaughter!

Have no idea where to start - help me please!

Thanks

Depending what sort of thing you're after, there are loads of good recipes out there. Even more so than when baking with eggs, vegan baking is a science as much as an art, the key is in getting the oven temperature and timing right and getting the cake into the oven as quick as you can once you've mixed the ingredients.

http://www.cookingforvegans.co.uk/veganrecipes/desserts/chocolatecake.html is a good simple chocolate cake recipe. There's also a (believe it or not) cheesecake recipe on there that has fooled many of my cheese-eating friends.

Just make sure you read the labels when buying ingredients - for example, most margarines contain milk, as does most dark chocolate in the UK. Feel free to PM if you need more detailed advice.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . .
The whole concept of vegetarianism stinks of hypocrisy I'm afraid. However, seeing as the true purpose of this thread has nothing to do with vegetarianism (I originally thought it did), I shall refrain from making further comments in this thread.

What a surprising remark!
I have been a vegetarian for well over 40 years now, and while I receive occasional remarks of curiosity, I don't recall my preference ever having been called hypocritical (and am rather struggling to find any grounds for thinking that). I don't actually object to being called hypocritical as it it tends to follow from expressing any idealistic view, its just that I really can't imagine what might have been thought hypocritical from my not eating meat and flesh.

Guessing the veggies on the forum eat products made from soya? How about the detrimental environmental effects of soya production?

Not if I can help it! Horrid, bland, tasteless stuff! I'd rather eat a chicken!

Fair enough, however when vegetarians make claims about how their diet is better for the environment there are cases to show it isn't.

You can count me out of that conversation too!
I love food, especially cooking (even if it involves cooking meat or fish), buut I won't eat it. But I don't recall ever trying to make any claim about 'the environment' connected to food. Its processing and distribution, perhaps, and its packaging, yes, but I struggle to find the connection between my choices of the food I eat and 'the environment'.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention - the point of this thread - I had a slice of somone's vegan cake a few weeks ago. I didn't think it tasted of anything! (Well, maybe mashed soya). And even the icing seemed a bit tasteless.

 

[button_boxer]

Guessing the veggies on the forum eat products made from soya? How about the detrimental environmental effects of soya production?

A relatively small percentage of world soya production is consumed directly by humans. The vast majority goes into feed for farmed animals, so a typical meat eater probably consumes more soya overall than a typical veggie.

I do eat a fair amount of tofu and soya milk, I try to avoid rainforest soya if I can. Alpro, for example, don't buy their beans on the open market but instead source directly from sustainable growers in France and abroad. I won't pretend it's perfect but it's a start.

 

[Deerfold]

If the animal product makes you ill then you have a genuine reason not to eat it, otherwise it's just an "ethical" choice. Besides, most of our consumer goods, including clothes, are made through exploitation of animals i.e. humans.

Surely eating fruit from trees is exploiting them? The reason why trees have fruit is to reproduce, but we are exploiting these poor plants by eating their fruit but not passing on the seeds. They're also forced to live in nasty greenhouses, and are sprayed with all manner of pesticides and the like.

The whole concept of vegetarianism stinks of hypocrisy I'm afraid. However, seeing as the true purpose of this thread has nothing to do with vegetarianism (I originally thought it did), I shall refrain from making further comments in this thread.

Disappointed to see you don't see ethical choices as genuine. I've no problem with people not having the same ethical standpoint as me but dismissing a choice because it's for ethical reasons seems odd.

You seem to have some problem with vegetarianism? Does what other people eat affect you?

Plants do (often) produce seeds for us to eat in the shape of fruit and veg. Animals don't produce offspring for the same reason.

If you want to reduce the number of plants eaten you're still best being vegetarian as you'll cause far fewer to be eaten by the animals you're not eating.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Fair enough, however when vegetarians make claims about how their diet is better for the environment there are cases to show it isn't.

Really? I'd be interested to know of any.

 

[Hydro]

Who cares what other people eat? Just live and let live. More beef for me anyway.

 

[Failed Unit]

Who cares what other people eat? Just live and let live. More beef for me anyway.

Exactly. It is when people try to force their viewpoints on others problems start. I respect other choices but if anyone told me I should stop eating meat they will be given a answer with off at the end.

 

[142094]

Really? I'd be interested to know of any.

Tofu and Quorn both are imported and require more land to be cultivated, compared to say UK meat products (reasearch commissioned by the WWF at Cranfield University).

Large numbers of vegetarians eat fish - well known that a great deal of fish stocks have been in decline for the past 100 years.

Vegetable production is mostly intensive farming with large amounts of fertiliser and pesticides needed (unless organic, but not many vegetarians I know eat only organic fruit and veg).

If you can find an article about soy bean production by Matthew J. Rales (Wise Traditions [the Weston A. Price Foundation quarterly journal]), it will be an eye opener.

A lot of land cannot be used for anything else, apart from rearing cattle or sheep.