Eggless baking

BUTTERMILK CRUMPETS

Makes 12-14

500ml flour

20ml sugar

300ml buttermilk

30ml water

10ml vanilla

30g butter melted

sliced banana for serving

golden syrup for serving

Put the flour and sugar into a bowl.

Add the buttermilk, water and vanilla and mix to form a smooth batter.

Stir in the melted butter.

Drop spoonfuls of mixture into a greased frying pan and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn over and cook on the other side. Remove and keep warm.

Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve the crumpets with sliced banana and golden syrup.

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CHOCOLATE CAKE

500ml flour

5ml salt

5ml baking powder

10ml bicarbonate of soda

180ml cocoa powder

500ml sugar

250ml oil

125ml silken tofu puree

250ml milk

5ml vanilla essence

250ml hot coffee

60ml strawberry jam

GANACHE TOPPING

200ml cream

150g dark chocolate

white chocolate curls for decoration

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix.

In a blender puree the oil, tofu, milk and vanilla essence. Add to the flour with the coffee and mix to a smooth batter.

Divide the mixture between two 20cm well greased cake pans. Bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

Sandwich the two layers together with strawberry jam. Pour ganache on top and decorate with white chocolate curls.

GANACHE TOPPING: Combine cream and dark chocolate in a bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for two minutes.

Stir until smooth.

Cool until thick and pour over the cake.

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PEAR AND APPLE MUFFINS

Makes 12

250ml cake flour

125ml whole wheat flour

125ml oat bran

15ml baking powder

5ml ground cinnamon

160ml brown sugar

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 pear, peeled, cored and diced

250ml milk

10ml vinegar

Combine the flours, oat bran, baking powder, cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in the apple and pear.

Combine the milk and vinegar and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened.

Spoon the mixture into 12 paper-lined muffin cups and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Remove and cool.

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PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA LOAF

125ml milk

5ml apple cider vinegar

250ml whole wheat flour

180ml light brown sugar

5ml baking powder

3ml bicarbonate of soda

2 bananas, mashed

80ml peanut butter

5ml vanilla essence

180ml chocolate chips

ICING

80g butter

45ml peanut butter

375 icing sugar

a handful of chocolate chips for decorating

Combine the milk and the vinegar and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add the bananas, peanut butter and vanilla to the milk mixture and combine well.

Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter is formed. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon mixture into a greased and lined 10x20cm loaf pan and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and turn out on to a cooling rack. When cool, spread icing on top.

ICING: Cream butter and peanut butter together until soft and fluffy. Mix in the icing sugar and spread on to the loaf. Sprinkle with a few extra chocolate chips.

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LEMON CAKE

625ml flour

10ml baking powder

5ml bicarbonate of soda

385g can of condensed milk

250m water

30ml vinegar

10ml vanilla essence

10ml grated lemon rind

125g butter, melted

ICING

100g butter

375ml icing sugar

15ml milk

grated lemon rind for decorating

Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.

Make a well in the flour and add the condensed milk, water vinegar, vanilla essence and lemon rind.

Mix with a wire whisk to combine. Stir in the melted butter.

Spoon mixture into a well greased 22cm ring pan. Bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

When cool, spread with butter icing and decorate with lemon rind.

ICING: Cream the butter until soft. Add the icing sugar and milk and beat until fluffy.

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RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Makes 12

375ml flour

250ml icing sugar

5ml bicarbonate of soda

45ml cocoa powder

80ml oil

250ml buttermilk

30m red food colouring

15ml vinegar

10ml vanilla essence

ICING

80g butter

125g cream cheese

500ml sifted icing sugar

5ml vanilla essence

Sift the flour, icing sugar, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder into a bowl.

Combine the oil, buttermilk, food colouring, vinegar and vanilla and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Spoon the mixture into 12 paper-lined muffin cups and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Spread each cupcake with icing.

ICING: Cream butter and cream cheese. Add icing sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in vanilla.