-
Vegans Deserve Better Than A Fruit Salad
Black Forest Gateaux
Preparation notes
Makes : 6 cakes 6cm height, 7cm diameter
Preparation time : 40 mins + extra time to set
Cooking time : 20 mins.
1. CHOCOLATE SPONGE
Ø 150g golden caster sugar
Ø 130g gluten-free self raising flour
Ø 20g unsweetened vegan cocoa powder
Ø 1 tsp baking powder
Ø 50g rapeseed oil
Ø 150g water
Method
1. Preheat the oven 175C/Gas 4.2. In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients together.
3. Pour the sponge mix in a pre-lined baking tray, spread evenly - 8mm thick - with a palette knife and bake at 175 C for 20 mins.
4. Check if a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool down.
5. Cut 12 circles, same size as the rings. Keep aside.
2. CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Ø 220g vegan dark chocolate
Ø 6 Tbsp thick full fat coconut milk
Ø 1 ripe crushed avocado
Ø 8 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
Ø 30g plant based cream
Ø 60g reduced aquafaba or OGGS (ready to use aquafaba)
Method
1. Chill the coconut milk in the fridge overnight.The next day, open the coconut milk tin, taking care not to shake it. After thorough chilling, the coconut cream will solidify and separate from the milk. Scoop out the solid coconut cream.
2. Reduce the aquafaba: Pour the water of a chickpea can in a saucepan, gently simmer on medium heat till it has reduced for about 40%.( If the water of a chickpea can has an average weight of 180g, it should be reduced till +/- 100g).
Reduced aquafaba can be stored in the fridge or the freezer.
3. Melt the chocolate slowly in a microwave, 15 sec at a time (temperature should not exceed 45 degrees). Add the cream and stir until velvety consistency.
4. In a food processor, whizz together the melted chocolate, the coconut milk, the crushed avocado and the syrup. Blend until smooth, making sure the mix doesn’t go lumpy.
5. Beat the reduced aquafaba until stiff peaks. Delicately, with a spatula, fold in the chocolate mix.
3. CHERRY WHIPPED CREAM
Ø 360g plant-based whipped cream
Ø 6 tsp corn syrup
Ø 120g agar agar mix
Ø 3 tsp kirsch (optional)
Ø 100g fresh cherries
Method
1. Prepare the agar mix: Dissolve 1tsp of agar powder in 240ml of water. Bring to the boil whisking continuously, keep it boiling for another 20 sec. Store in the fridge.2. Cut the cherries in small pieces.
3. Melt the agar agar mix in the microwave. Add the kirsch and the corn syrup. Gently incorporate to the whipped cream with a spatula. Finally fold in the pieces of cherries.
4. ASSEMBLING
1. Place your rings on a parchment paper. They will be easier to transfer to a plate.2. In the bottom of each ring, start with a layer of chocolate sponge, then pipe about 70g of chocolate mousse on top of the sponge. Press with a second sponge layer, and finish with the cherry cream and flatten with a palette knife. Transfer to the freezer for &12; h at least.
3. Unmould the cakes.
With a sharp knife scrape some chocolate flakes from a chocolate bar. Sprinkle over the cake. Pipe a dot of whipped cream using a star nozzle, 10mm diam. Dust some icing sugar and finish with a cherry on top.
Enjoy!
Opera Cake
Preparation notes
Makes 5 cakes 3 x 3 x 8 cm
Preparation time: 40 mins + 2 extra hours to set
Cooking time: 15 mins
1. PISTACHIO SPONGE
Ø 25g ground almonds
Ø 25g ground pistachios
Ø 25g gluten-free plain flour
Ø ¼ tsp baking soda
Ø 15g cornflour
Ø 40g golden caster sugar
Ø 65g milk alternative
Ø 1 ½ Tbsp rapeseed oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C / gas mark 5.2. Grind the pistachios in a food processor.
3. In a mixing bowl, using the paddle attachment, mix all the ingredients together until smooth consistency, with no remaining lumps.
4. Pour the sponge in a pre-lined baking tray. Spread evenly - 8mm thick - with a palette knife and bake at 190C for 15mins.
5. Check if a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool down.
6. Transfer to the freezer for &12; hour, they will be easier to cut.
2. PASSION FRUIT MOUSSELINE
Ø 125g passion fruit juice or purée
Ø 30g golden caster sugar
Ø 15g cornflour
Ø ½ Tbsp cashew butter
Ø 50g hard vegan block
Method
1. In a mixer whisk together the cashew butter, sugar, cornflour and about 25 ml of the liquid.Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom saucepan, bring the remaining juice to the boil.
Out of the heat, pour the previous mix into the boiling liquid, continue to whisk until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
Bring back to a low heat and stir continuously until the mixture starts bubbling and thickens.
Transfer to the fridge.
2. Keep the vegan block at room temperature, place in a bowl. Slowly add the passion fruit cream and, with an electric hand mixer, whisk until fluffy.
Keep refrigerated.
3. RASPBERRY JELLY
Ø 125g raspberry purée
Ø 30g golden caster sugar
Ø ¾ tsp agar agar powder
Method
1. In a heavy bottom saucepan, bring all the ingredients to the boil, stirring continuously.When the jelly reaches the boiling point, continue to whisk for another 20 sec, then take off the heat. Allow to cool.
4. ASSEMBLING
1. The refinement of this cake resides in its apparent simplicity, for it is important the layers are regular and neat. Therefore, I suggest to assemble the cakes in these individual rectangle moulds.2. Cut 10 pistachio sponges 3 x 8 cm. Place the first one in the bottom of the mould. Pipe a layer of passion fruit mousseline (about 3 mm thick) on top of the sponge and let it set for &12; h at least in the freezer.
3. Melt the jelly gently in the microwave 15 sec at a time, temperature should not exceed 45C. Pour over the passion fruit cream, same thickness.
Return to the freezer for another ½ h.
4.Repeat these steps a second time and let the cake definitively set in the freezer.
5. DECORATION
1. Decorate with a fresh raspberry, and a small golden leaf.Enjoy!
Le Frasier, Class French Strawberry Cake
Preparation notes
Makes: 6 cakes 8cm diam, 3,5cm height
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
1.FRENCH SABLE PASTRY
Ø 50g hard vegan block (Violife, Naturli…)
Ø 75g sifted icing sugar
Ø 25g vegan milk alternative (coconut,soya,almond,rice…)
Ø 125g plain gluten-free flour
Ø ¼ tsp xanthan gum
Ø ¼ tsp. baking powder
Ø pinch of salt
Method
1. In a mixing bowl, using the paddle, at medium speed, beat the spread and the sugar until fluffy consistency. Reduce the speed and incorporate the milk. Add the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. Work on a low speed till all the ingredients are combined. Do not overwork the pastry.Cling film the pastry and allow to rest for 2 h. at least in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven at 190C. / gas 5.
3.On a lightly floured worktop, roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of parchment paper, 2mm thick. Cut 6 circles same size as the rings and transfer on a pre-lined baking tray or a silicone mat. Bake for 15 mins at 190C.
2.MOUSSELINE CREAM
Ø 250g milk alternative
Ø 1 Tbsp cashew butter
Ø 25g cornflour
Ø ½tsp vanilla essence
Ø 50g unrefined caster sugar
Ø 80g hard vegan block
Ø 250g fresh strawberries medium size
Method
1. Pour the milk alternative in a heavy bottom saucepan. Reserve 3 Tbsp to be added to the dry ingredients. Bring to the boil.2. Meanwhile, in a mixer, whisk together the cashew butter, sugar, cornflour, vanilla essence and the reserved liquid.
Out of the heat, pour this mix over the boiling milk and whisk until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
Bring back to a low heat and stir continuously until the mixture starts bubbling and thickens. Allow to cool down.
3. Soften the vegan spread in the microwave for 10 secs. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Using the whisk attachment, at medium speed, slowly add the custard- about ¼ at a time -making sure the cream remains smooth. Scrape the bowl 1-2 times.
Keep refrigerated.
3. VICTORIA SPONGE
Ø 75g gluten-free self raising flour
Ø 45g unrefined caster sugar
Ø ¼ tsp baking powder
Ø 75g milk alternative
Ø 30g rapeseed oil
Ø 1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
1. Preheat the oven 190C / gas 52. Whizz all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth, with no remaining lumps.
3. Pour the sponge into a pre-lined baking tray, spread evenly - 1cm thick - with a spatula and bake at 190C for 15mins.
4. Check if a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool down.
4. ASSEMBLING
1. Place the sweet pastry disc in the bottom of a stainless ring. Cut the strawberries in half, flat side against the ring. Strawberries should have the same size.2. With a piping bag cover the pastry base with a layer of mousseline cream, about 30g. Make sure you fill the spaces between the half strawberries.
With a round cutter, cut 6 discs about 3cm diameter in the sponge and place on top of the mousseline. Fill the ring with the remaining cream till the top.
Flatten with a palette knife. Let it set in the fridge for 3 hours at least.
3. Remove the ring. Cover the top of the cake with a red marzipan disc, same size as the ring. Decorate with a strawberry.
Enjoy!
Danielle Maupertuis, Vegan Pastry Chef
(Extract from my cookbook “Vegans deserve better than a fruit salad”, Olympia Publishers, available on www.freefromdesserts.com/books)
www.freefromdesserts.com www.facebook.com/freefromdesserts www.instagram.com/dmaupertuis
While studying psychology at the University of Liege in Belgium Danielle Maupertuis and her colleagues opened a small store selling organic products and wholemeal breads ...
Danielle volunteered, just to help out ... and fell in love with baking:
“The smell, the heat of the bakehouse, the cocoon, the feeling of well-being, of harmony ... This love has never left me.”
Danielle signed up for a 2-year-bakery-pastry course – and the only female the classroom, however she had the full support from her teacher.
“I worked early in the morning as an apprentice in a bakery. The Chef was a terror! I was earning £ 2.00 an hour at that time. When after a year I asked for a pay raise, I got fired with these words "Get out, this is not a job for you"! Ignoring his kind words, I continued, always with the support of my teacher and very quickly, I opened my first bakery and pastry workshop In Brussels.”
Danielle was famous for creating personalized cakes (children's birthdays, advertising support for companies ...)
Everything was fine however she is an adventurer and one day read an ad in the newspaper "Looking for an experienced Pastry Chef to open the First Brussels Pastry Shop in Athens, Greece.”
Danielle stayed in Greece for 6 years. In addition to her own stores, she also supplied the Greek Islands with frozen cakes.
However during a holiday in Lebanon, Danielle meet the manager of the Bristol Hotel in Beirut who was looking for a Head Pastry Chef to open a pastry shop in the hotel, and renew the existing range of desserts- what we now call "give them a modern twist".
Danielle got the role and managed a team of about fifteen pastry chefs. She took part in the opening of the first Marriott Hotel International after the civil war.
“Located near the airport, Israeli planes flew over us regularly, and we had to take refuge in the cinema located in the basement of the hotel complex!”
Regular power cuts, we had our first wedding banquet under candlelight.
Danielle then become the Executive Pastry Chef for the most famous hotel located in the Christian part of Beirut, for 3 years: catering from morning to night, fabulous banquets and weddings - 700 people - plated desserts, buffets, and, above all, competitions with an International jury.
“I won several gold and silver medals. This is where I really rose to the top of my creativity and skills. This is why Lebanon keeps a unique place in my heart.”
Next was a 1 year contract in the Azores (Portugal), creating a central kitchen for the 5 biggest hotels on the island, and once again, revisit and refresh the classics of Portuguese pastry. After the exhausting days in Lebanon, 40 hours of work per week were really welcome!
And after 1 year of research, Danielle became Executive Pastry Chef at the Marriott Hanbury Manor, 5 * hotel.
“And I take on a new lease of my professional life: another 6 years exploring all areas of pastry: buffets, afternoon teas, plated desserts, chocolate, showpieces…
In the hotel business you regularly move to another challenge, so I went to the Red Carnation Hotels, a group of luxury hotels spread over 5 continents.
Creative time and enthusiastic management support, what more could I ask for? The Group awarded me “Best Pastry Chef of the Year”, I felt so proud my work was recognised, respected and appreciated.”
And then the vegan movement seeped in and Danielle realised there were no vegan desserts for her guests. So She started to develop a range of vegan desserts based on taste and presentation.
This led to her book: "Vegans deserve better than a fruit salad" in which she presents over sixty recipes covering the main areas of pastry - parties, birthdays, buffets, party cakes, petits fours and more ...