Happy 2013, readers! Black Cat Bakery is back after taking a brief hiatus. Since Spring of 2012, I've started experimenting with all sorts of new recipes, most of which are vegan and a few that are raw. Adopting a much more adventuresome approach to cooking and baking has allowed me to experience more than my fair share of wonderful and terrifyingly unforgettable moments.

Around August of last year, I tried my first raw cheesecake. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had heard about creating a vegan cheesecake out of cashews but I had never attempted to make one. My boyfriend asked for a raw cheesecake for his birthday, so, begrudgingly, I obliged. I set about the process of finding a good recipe and researching more into that particular technique. As it turned out, my partner has two good friends who run a fabulous raw vegan catering business and video blog- Vegan Shortcake. One of their posts tackled a "raw vegan blackberry cheesecake." I vigilantly watched the episode and I took notes, just in case I got confused. As I soon came to realize, it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be to create a cheesecake from nuts and it was actually considerably less complicated to make than a non-vegan cheesecake. Each bite of the cheesecake was decadently smooth; it melted in my mouth and the flavor-packed crunch of the crust just solidified my opinion on the matter- I am a huge fan of raw cheesecakes.

Since making that first cheesecake, I've been working on a recipe of my own- a Strawberry, Pomegranate cheesecake. With it's ruby red color and seasonally appropriate fruit, it's the perfect treat for the coming snowy nights of winter.

(Inspired by Vegan Shortcake)

Crust-
1 cup raw Almonds
1/2 cup Freeze-dried pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp Cocoa powder
1/2 cup shredded Coconut
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
3-4 oz. Prune paste*
pinch of Salt

Filling-
3 cups raw Cashews, soaked*
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp Pomegranate concentrate
8 medium Strawberries
1/2 cup Agave nectar

 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp Pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup Almond milk
1 1/4 tsp Coconut extract
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp organic Red food coloring

Begin by lightly coating the bottom of a 9" springform pan with coconut oil or cooking spray.

Coarsely chop the almonds and chocolate chips together in a food processor. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the cocoa powder, pomegranate seeds, shredded coconut, salt and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly.

*To make the prune paste, process the prunes together with several tablespoons of water. It should be sticky and slightly watery.

Stir the prunes paste into the nut mixture. The crust will be ready to use when you squeeze it in your hands and it holds it's shape. Press the mixture down into the bottom of the springform pan.

Using a large blender or sturdy immersion blender, begin the filling by chopping up the drained cashews, milk, agave, concentrate and molasses.

*Prepare the cashews ahead of time by covering them completely with water and allowing them to soak. Cover them and refrigerate them for a minimum of 5 hours. 

Add in the extracts, strawberries and red food coloring. Blend for 5-10 minutes. You want the filling to be silky smooth. If you can feel tiny bits of nuts with your fingers, continue blending. Once you've reached the right consistency, slowly pour in the coconut oil. Mix thoroughly.

Pour the pomegranate filling into the springform pan. Smooth out the top with a spatula. Tap it several times down on the counter to allow any air bubbles to rise to the top. Smooth the top over once more. Cover the pan and let it cool for a minimum of 5 hours.

(v) Cupcakes for a dear friend.

 <3 you Jeremy.

Vegan cupcakes from the "Last Friday" event 

at Lamplighter Roasting Company.

Vegan food porn.

Over the past two weeks, I've been working on some of my vegan cupcake recipes. For the most part, I've just been making subtle tweaks- adding different kinds of flour to emphasize certain flavors, adjusting the amount of liquids to get fluffier cake, etc. but, I did end up developing one new recipe. In "A Monsterous Appetite for Cake", I included a heavenly coconut cake recipe, which is terribly delicious, but, I thought I would spruce it up a bit by adding in a couple other flavors. Below, is a picture of my newest creation- Vegan Coconut Espresso Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting.

Good Morning, readers! Already we're 3 weeks into the new year. Where does the time go? I've promised myself that this will be a year for great change and growth, oh, and, of course, tons of new recipes.

A friend and coworker of mine recently mentioned that his significant other is putting together a Richmond-based vegan and non-vegan cookbook. How could I pass up the opportunity to submit something? I've been meaning to work on a new vegan cake filling for a while now. When I was compiling recipes for my zine, I didn't get a chance to experiment with tofu that much. The world of soy-based products is extensive. There are about a dozen different varieties of tofu alone. It can be quite intimidating if you don't know even where to start. As always, I suggest you take things slow and make sure to do a little research before buying anything, after all, there's nothing worse than wanting to make a tofu scramble only to find out you bought the wrong type of firmness.

Below is my recipe for vegan Dark Chocolate cupcakes, taken from "A Monsterous Appetite for Cake", my Pomegranate Orange Mousse filling and my Killer Dark Chocolate frosting, tweaked, but also from AMAC. When I was trying to think of a seasonally appropriate dish, my mind gravitated towards pomegranates. Pomegranates really are a winter fruit. They're typically in season between September and February. The ruby-colored seeds of the pomegranate make it particularly festive, especially around Christmas. Pom juice is exceptionally high in antioxidants, so, do yourself a favor this year- start eating right by first baking yourself a cake.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Pomegranate Orange Custard & Dark Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup Molasses

1/3 cup unsweet. Applesauce

3/4 cup + 1/2 tsp Sugar

4 oz. unsweet. Baker's Chocolate

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar

1 cup hot Water

1 1/2 cups Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 cup unsweet. Cocoa Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Custard-

1 pkg (12.3 oz) Silken Tofu (Extra Firm)

1 Tbsp Grand Marnier

3 Tbsp Pomegranate Concentrate

1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
4 1/2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Natural Red Food dye

Orange Zest

Begin by melting the chocolate either in a double boiler or the microwave. Make sure to stir constantly to avoiding clumping and burning.

Combine the molasses, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the melted chocolate. Mix again. Add the vinegar. Mix a third time. Add the water. Mix once more. Sift together the flour, soda, cocoa and salt. Stir until just combined. 

Divide the batter evenly among the cups. (Tip- use an ice cream scoop to ensure uniform cupcake size). This recipe makes 14-15 cupcakes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before you core them.

While you're waiting, start preparing the filling. Pour the first six ingredients into a blender. Pulse thoroughly. You want the filling to be satiny smooth- think yogurt consistency. Scoop the mousse into a small bowl and manually stir in the last two ingredients. Let the filling firm up a bit- refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

To fill the cupcakes, simply load a zip-loc baggy with some of the mousse and cut off one of the tips. Pipe until the mousse reaches just the top of the cupcake.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

4 oz. unsweet. Baker's Chocolate
3 Tbsp Vegetable-based Shortening
4 cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup unsweet. Cocoa Powder
Warm non-dairy milk
Pinch of orange Zest

Begin by melting the chocolate either in a double-boiler or the microwave. Stir constantly to avoid clumping and burning. Add the shortening (it should melt completely). Beat in the powdered sugar and cocoa.

Heat up the non-dairy milk. Add milk to desired taste and consistency. Beat until smooth. You want the frosting to be stiff but spreadable. Finish by adding in some orange zest. You want just a hint, to pick up the zest in the filling.

Pipe your cupcakes and enjoy! You can garnish your cupcakes in a variety of different ways, here are just a few ideas: dot the tops with fresh or chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds, drizzle with a pomegranate red wine reduction, candy or dehydrate orange slices or create caramelized sugar decorations.

If you would like to create your own sugar decorations, this is a simple recipe I picked up from Fine Cooking. I switched out the lemon juice for orange juice but, next time, I'll probably also add 1/2 tsp Orange extract. 

With the holidays looming close on the horizon, I find myself fighting the urge to lock myself in my house and just bake for days on end. If you remember last year's post around this time, then you know how much I love to bake for my friends and family members. Since Thanksgiving is next week, I thought I would quickly whip up something to give out to a couple of my besties before leaving for California.

I can't remember when I first started cooking chutney but ever since that fateful day, people have been requesting my cranberry chutney for their parties and dinner tables. What's so great about this recipe is that it's incredibly versatile- serve it as a side with some turkey, slather it on some cinnamon bread with some butter as a quick breakfast or serve it with some cream cheese and crackers as an hors d'oeuvre. This scrumptious, crimson-colored spread is incredibly easy to make but immensely satisfying. When you're putting together your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving feast this year, keep this recipe in mind- I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Cranberry Chutney

12 oz. frozen or fresh Cranberries
1 1/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Water
1 large Apple (preferably Granny Smith)
2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground Ginger
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1-2 Tbsp Orange zest

Begin by chopping up the apple into tiny bite-size pieces.

In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil; stir constantly.

Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15-17 minutes. This will allow the mixture to thicken. (Tip- Want a chunkier chutney? Stir the mixture only once or twice while it's simmering. The more you stir the chutney, the gooier the cranberries will become.)

Remove from the stove. Let cool to room-temperature. Transfer to another container. Refrigerate several hours before using.

My life the last couple of weeks has been downright crazy and that's not about to change anytime soon.

Luckily, I find myself enjoying a bit of a respite this week. I've been meaning to create a few new fall cookie recipes, so, today, I actually sat down and devoted some time to working on them.

Below, is just one of those recipes- it's my take on a pumpkin spice cookie. The scrumptious pumpkin flavor and the fluffy, soft texture of this cookie is perfectly accented by the occasional crunch of a pecan and gentle but robust balance of spices. The cranberries, though tart, really pop with the crunchy, sugary topping. It's a simple recipe but these cookies are addictive. After just one bite, you'll find it hard to stop!

Vegan Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp packed Brown Sugar

1 cup Pumpkin purée

1/3 cup Vegetable oil

1 tsp Vanilla

1/8 tsp Salt

2 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Baking powder

3 1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground Cloves

1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground Ginger

1/2 cup ground Nuts

3/4 cup dried Cranberries

Granulated sugar

Beat the brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, vanilla and salt together in a bowl.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Beat until smooth. Fold in the nuts and cranberries.

Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough into a bowl of sugar. Coat completely. Form into a ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. This recipe makes about 2 dozen.

The time has come. This Saturday is the 4th annual Richmond Zine Fest. I will be there, along with my partner-in-crime, Mark Delboy selling our zine, "Monsterous Appetite for Cake." As I mentioned in a previous post, see here, it's a vegan cookbook with recipes for frostings, fillings, garnishes and, of course, cakes. In my last post, I posted a picture of the cover. I was in the beginning stages of design.

With the zine completely finished, I thought you might appreciate a sneak-peek of some of my favorite pages and illustrations. Enjoy.

Remember, Zine Fest starts this Saturday, October 8th and runs 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. I hope to see you there! If you can't make it to Zine Fest, you can purchase a copy, here, on Etsy.

Zine Fest 2011 is quickly approaching. I've been working non-stop to come up with some fantastic new recipes for the zine. The zine is laid out in such a way, that, essentially you can mix and match anything. By throwing in a few more ingredients, you can change a basic cake recipe into an entirely new creation. Below, is one of the "variation recipes" for my vegan Dark Chocolate cake. This cake is dark, spicy and hella tart. It would pair best with a simple, sweet frosting like my "Baker's Frosting" (below) or my Cream Cheese Frosting, if you're looking for more of a kick in the pants.

Make sure to stop by the RVA Zine Fest, Saturday, October 8, to pick up a copy of my zine, "Monsterous Appetite for Cake." If you get there early enough, there just might be some cupcakes left!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes w/ "Cream Cheese" Frosting

1/4 cup Molasses
1/3 cup unsweet. Applesauce
3/4 cup + 1/2 tsp Sugar
4 oz. unsweet. Baker's Chocolate
3 tsp Bourbon-flavored vanilla
1 Tbsp Distilled white vinegar
1 cup hot Water
1 1/2 cups Flour
2 tsp Baking soda
1/4 cup unsweet. Cocoa powder
3 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cornstarch
1/2 the zest of a Lemon
3/4 cup Cranberries

Begin by melting the chocolate either in a double boiler or the microwave. Make sure to stir constantly to avoiding clumping and burning.

Chop up the cranberries. I prefer larger chunks, so, I only split them in half.

Combine the molasses, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the melted chocolate. Mix again. Add the vinegar. Mix a third time. Add the water. Mix once more. Sift together the flour, soda, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Zest in the lemon. Stir until just combined. Finish by quickly folding in the cranberries.

If you’re making cupcakes, divide the batter evenly among the cups. This recipe makes 15. If you’re making a cake, this will make one 9 inch.

Bake at 350 degrees
18-19 minutes for cupcakes
30-35 minutes for cakes

When your cake or cupcakes are almost completely cool, begin making the frosting. 

Baker's Frosting

4 cups Powdered sugar
1/3 cup Vegetable-based shortening
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Salt
Warm Soymilk

Beat the shortening until it is light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until well combined.

Heat up the non-dairy milk. Add milk to desired taste and consistency. You want the frosting to be stiff but spreadable.

Summer is here and with it- thunderstorms, mosquitos, fireworks, gut-busting temperatures, water-gun fights, ice cream cones and tons of fresh, seasonal fruit. When I think of Summer, I think of berries, particularly strawberries and raspberries, I also think of pie, but, I digress.

Today, I was tasked with making a dessert for the Wingnut's annual Memorial Day Cookout. Most of the people who live/hang out around The Wingnut are vegan or at the very least sympathetic to a cruelty-free, animal product-free lifestyle. To avoid excluding people, I usually tend to bake entirely vegan. Why not if you can't tell the difference? Below is a lemon cake recipe I've been working on for quite awhile. Every time I make it, I tweak it just a little bit. This time around, I added some fresh raspberries and I think it added another level of complexity to the over-all flavor. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it and I hope, if anything, it helps open up your mind to veganism.

Vegan Lemon Raspberry Cake

1 cup Non-dairy Butter (e.g. Earth Balance)
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 cup Sugar
5 1/4 cup Flour
5 1/4 Tbsp Cornstarch
3 3/4 tsp  Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 1/4 cup Non-dairy milk
3/4 cup Lemon juice
Zest from 1 1/2 Lemons
3/4 cup fresh Raspberries

Frosting-
6 cups Powdered Sugar

3/4 cup Vegetable-based Shortening

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp Salt

Warm non-dairy milk

Begin by "buttering" two 9 inch cake pans. (Tip- a sure-fire way to guarantee that your cakes won't get stuck to the bottom of your pans, is to simply cut up 2 wax paper circles and add them to the pans before you pour in the batter.)

Mix the soymilk and lemon juice together in a big bowl or cup. Set aside to curdle (yes, curdle).

Cream the non-dairy butter together with the sugar in a large bowl until white and fluffy.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, soda and salt.

Add half the milk and all of the oil to the "butter" mixture. Mix well. Slowly rotate between adding in the milk and dry ingredients. Mix until just blended.

Use a spatula to stir in the raspberries. (Tip- make sure they are completely dry before adding them to the batter.) Pour into the baking pans and level out with the spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Remove and let cool before frosting.

When your cakes are almost completely cool, start making the frosting. Cream together the powdered sugar and shortening. Add in the salt and vanilla.

Heat up the non-dairy milk. Add milk to desired taste and spreading consistency. (Tip- if you frosting is too thick it will rip the top off your cake)

Saturday marked a huge moment in my life. For the better part of a month, I was working on putting together the event known as "Party in the Park".  It was a very important day for the Monroe Park Campaign and due to the incredible amount of hard work from my teammates and several dedicated volunteers, we were able to pull it off without any major hitches. It's amazing how many people came out to celebrate with us. It was a genuinely good day, full of smiles and laughs and, of course, plenty of dancing. 

We did, however, underestimate the amount of food we needed. What do you do when you plan for a crowd of 150 and 350 show up instead? You bake what you can, and hope for the best. I caught this little blunder about a week in advance and was able to arrange for a few people to bring a couple dishes with them to the park. RVASugar Mamas were able to chip in last minute and FNB pulled through with some vegan baked goods as well. I figured I might as well bake something because, hey, who's going to say, "No" to cupcakes? Well, apparently no one could say no to my cupcakes and they were devoured before I could even get them all to the table. Since they were such a big hit, I thought I would pass on the recipe. I know there are probably a few of you readers out there that would die to try this one out.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
(Courtesy of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups Cake flour
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup and 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Distilled white vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 cups Water

Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Sift together the dry ingredients: cake flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

With an electric mixer, beat together the oil, vinegar, vanilla and water until well combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (Tip- the batter will be very thin).

Divide batter evenly among the lined cups (Tip- using an ice cream scoop is an easy and reliable way to ensure consistent cupcake size).

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cupcakes sit for 2 or 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
(Courtesy of the Joy of Vegan Baking)

1/2 cup Natural peanut butter
1/3 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup or more Nondairy milk
2 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla

Cream together the peanut butter and cocoa (Tip- it's best to use fresh peanut butter with this recipe, otherwise the oils will separate and make it more difficult to frost and harden). Slowly add in the milk. Beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Gradually pour a little more milk in at a time to reach a good spreading consistency.

Fall has finally reached RVA. It's true- yesterday was a high of 65. I can now wear a scarf outside without receiving judging glances from passing old ladies in the supermarket.

Last night one of my friends celebrated her 22nd birthday. It was a dual party- a celebration of her birthday as well as the upcoming holiday, Halloween. It was a really small, intimate get-together. We met up at her quaint Church Hill apartment and everyone
brought along a dish to share. The twist- a significant portion of the people attending the party were vegan/vegetarian.

I am not vegan or vegetarian and until recently I really only knew 2 or 3 people who would actually consider themselves "vegetarian." Over the past 6 months, however, as I've gotten to know my new friends, I've also gotten better acquainted with the vegan subculture and, of course, vegan baking.

For most bakers, the idea of working without eggs, butter or milk is daunting but, let me assure you, it is completely possible to create delicious masterpieces without the help of dairy products; it's often healthier for you anyway. Below are two very easy cookie recipes that I've recently used to bake a nice fall treat for my vegan buddies. Vegans aren't the only ones who can enjoy these cookies- share them with your nonvegan family members, friends or coworkers, I'm sure they won't be able to tell the difference!

Courtesy of Ely Rusiecki

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

(Adapted from cookiemadness.net/)

1 1 /2 cups and 3 Tbsp Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/4 and 1/8 tsp Salt

3/4 cup packed Brown sugar

6 Tbsp Vegetable oil

3 Tbsp Honey/Agave nectar
3/4 tsp Vanilla extract
3 Tbsp Unsweetened apple sauce
3/4 cup Natural peanut butter (e.g. Smart Balance)

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a second bowl, mix the brown sugar, vegetable oil, honey, vanilla, apple sauce and peanut butter. Stir until smooth. I prefer to use honey in this recipe but some vegans are strongly against honey, due to the poor treatment most bees face. A good idea is always to ask. If you're willing to spend a little money, you can always use agave nectar which has a similar taste/consistency of honey but is actually made from plants.

Add the flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture. Stir until well mixed. Form the dough into tiny balls and place them onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use a fork to create a cross-hatch pattern.

Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.

Let the cookies sit 3-5 minutes after taking them out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes 32 cookies.

Courtesy of Ely Rusiecki

Vegan Maple/Almond Cookies
(Adapated from ChooseVeg.com)

1 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
1 tsp Almond extract
Egg replacer, 1 egg
Cinnamon and Sugar

Mix the flour, sugar, soda and salt together in a bowl.

In a second bowl, mix the vegetable oil, vanilla, maple syrup, almond extract and the egg replacer. For those people new to vegan baking, egg replacer is a powder-like substance that, obviously, is used to "replace" the eggs in a recipe. A good brand is Ener-G Egg Replacer, which can be usually be found in Kroger, Whole Foods or any specialty food store.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Form the dough into tiny balls and then roll them through a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place the cookies onto greased cookie sheets. Flatten them slightly, so they can bake more evenly.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Let the cookies sit 3-5 minutes after taking them out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes 18 cookies.