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A Wee December Update, Christmas Hampers, and Candles!

So things have been really happening here at Cakes By Carrie-Anne and over at Donut Eat Bakery. Orders have been coming in thick and fast and it’s been exciting! I would usually use the word ‘overwhelming’ here but I’m not!! I started my new ADHD meds last week and it’s like I’m a different woman. The first couple of days were incredibly intense, I was like the energiser bunny! I couldn’t sit down. I powered through cake and candle orders. I deep cleaned my cake room and sorted out and reorganised my cake tool cupboard. I cleaned my house from top to bottom. I was exhausted physically but mentally I couldn’t stop.

A couple of nights ago it was my good friends 40th surprise party so I baked her a cake, plus 3 other orders I had, while Kyle worked on the Horsebox conversion 😍😍😍. These meds have really suppressed my appetite so I hadn’t realised that I hadn’t eaten all day. Maybe a slice of toast…I think. I made the mistake of having a couple of glasses of wine. (Not even!! I left half of the second on the table).Bad move! By 11pm I was at home trying to sleep but the room was spinning. There’s a reason you’re not meant to drink while taking these meds. Lesson learned my loves. Lesson learned 🙈. I’m even on decaf coffee now just to be on the safe side 😜

I’ve deleted my personal Facebook app, (which has helped immensely in terms of the overthinking and honestly it’s just great for my mental health overall. My mind although still all over the place…it’s just more manageable. All the things I overthought or just invested in way too much emotionally and mentally before…it’s like there’s this ‘I just don’t care’ button. But in a good way. Not a numb feeling per se..just a ‘if that’s how it’s/you’re going to be…I don’t care’ the universe has my back. I guess I’m just feeling the self love more. The whole, you can treat me like that..but I have the power to not let it affect me. It’s a pretty wonderful feeling. I’m still busy…but also. In a good way. I hate being busy when there’s no time for me. But lately. It’s been enjoyable. I’m getting goals done that generally take months, because now the ADHD paralysis is almost non existent. I feel like this diagnosis and the meds have saved my life. I’m not worried about the future, my finances, my goals and dreams. Because now. I feel like I can take on the world. And it’s nice. I’m content. And I’m super hopeful that this will last.

So all that being said 😜 I’m offering Christmas Treat boxes for collection on Christmas Eve. The hampers are £30 and will include 2 each of Stollen Bars, Brownies, Shortbread Cookies, Ginger Molasses Cookies, Biscoff Stuffed Cookies, Mince Pies, Sticky Toffee Cupcakes, Rocky Road, Hot Chocolate Bombs, and a wee jar of caramel sauce. I’m also offering my GORGEOUS Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Boxes for £10 for a box of 6. These are a favourite with my coworkers and they’ve all agreed that I absolutely need to add these to my list of Christmas treats! So I just did 😝 All vegan too of course! If you’re not local, I also have lots of candles available over at Donut Eat Bakery or on my Etsy Shop . If you are local, give me a shout if you prefer to collect and avoid postage charges! There’s a scent for everyone and they make great wee stocking fillers, and secret Santa pressies! Not long now my guys. So get those orders in.

Pumpkin Spice cinnamon rolls with a luscious vegan cream cheese icing!
My most popular candle by far! I can’t keep them in stock! Milk and Cookies Candle with 3 wax melt cookies 🍪

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Easy Fluffy Vegan Vanilla Cake

You guys, baking vegan is not difficult…at all…until you need to bake a vanilla cake. I can’t tell you how many recipes I’ve tested and they’ve ALL failed. I finally thought I figured one out using chickpea water or aquafaba and the flavour was beautiful…but the consistently was so temperamental. It crumbled, it became too soggy, too dense…other times it was perfect. For the amount of vanilla cakes that are requested. This just wasn’t going to cut it. And my goodness the amount of chickpeas I was going through was CRAZY! And I’m not gonna lie. I have a slight (I’m being kind to myself here) intolerance to chickpeas. I mean it’s BAD. It causes me to bloat like no body’s business as well. My husband was not too appreciative of this little fact. Neither was I to be honest…or the kids. Let’s just say the WHOLE family have been much more thankful for the lack of chickpeas in my life 💨😬🙈 oh the absolute shame!!

I found the perfect vegan vanilla recipe, and to be honest…my non vegan customers…only ones to ever complain. And not all obviously, majority have come back with amazing feedback. And it’s simple. It’s because this recipe is ridiculously moist, and to be honest. I think people are so used to dry cakes, that I’ve been told a couple of times that the cake is underbaked 🙄 It ruffles my feathers guys. Not gonna lie. I’ve been baking for over 10 years. I bake in 2 tins per cake. Each cake is cooled, turned out, and then split horizontally….if it were underbaked do you HONESTLY think it would even leave my house? Absolutely not. So I torte the cakes, fill with jam and buttercream and refrigerate. I don’t even need to add any simple syrup, because it’s that moist. A customer actually sent me this photo of the inside of her cake to say it was raw and inedible…guys I was like ‘YAS Queeeen! Look at that lusciousness…no plant milk needed here to wash that down!’

Vegan vanilla cake absolutely does tend to go a wee bit dense, this particular recipe can actually be frozen, others not so much because they DO get denser …but not gummy, or heavy…it actually keeps that fluffy texture. I for one, love the flavour and texture. My good friend and her family (non vegans) agree that it’s a delicious recipe, and trust me…Kerry is the most honest person I know and she always keeps me grounded and I know for a fact that she would hundred percent let me know if my cake didn’t taste amazing! I was so so upset by this accusation that I sent this picture to another local vegan baker and she said the same thing ‘that looks exactly how mine look! Not dry at all and completely baked’

Soooo if you want a dry cake…this is just not the recipe for you. It’s not. This isn’t a Pound Cake, or a Madeira, it’s a lusciously moist cake that’s made with cake flour, and soya milk (the protein in soya milk is what creates the perfect balance of a stable cake when eggs aren’t being used). I’ve included pictures of what the cake looks like once out the oven, once cooled and sliced prior being filled, and also once cut in to. It’s beautiful. My all time favourite vegan vanilla cake that I will not change because a few people don’t understand good cake. Because I take this shit personally. I DON’T UNDERBAKE MY DAMN CAKES! I legit forgot to put baking powder in the last cake I baked and you can bet your ass it will not be leaving this house. Because it’s definitely not up to standard!

Anyhow, I’ve been upping my game completely on my Donut Eat Bakery business. I’m being really good about working on it every day. Even if it’s only a bit of research, and then applying that knowledge to get the most out of my day/product etc.

My favourite candle designs and one of my customer’s favourites too is Birthday Cake! (Which you can buy here) And because I’m photographing all my products, I’m needing props..so the best prop for this fragrance is Birthday Cake of course 🙂 so I’m sharing with you my PERFECT vegan cake recipe. In the next few weeks I’ll bring to you all my other favourite recipes, like Blueberry Cheesecake, Banana Nut Muffins, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Chocolate cake…and even a Jammie Dodger shortbread bar 🥰

So here’s the very straight forward cake recipe!

Print Recipe

Vegan Vanilla Cake

Simple, satisfying, incredibly moist vegan cake
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Vanilla, Vanilla Cake Recipe, Vegan
Servings: 20 People

Ingredients

  • 510 g Granulated Sugar
  • 250 g Flora Plant Butter
  • 80 g Trex or white vegetable fat
  • 2 Tbs Vanilla Extract
  • 360 grams Cake Flour HAS to be cake flour
  • 750 ml Soy Milk Soy milk is by far the best plant milk to use because of the protein content. This will make for a fluffier cake as well. You can substitute for oat milk, but the results will vary slighlty in texture.
  • 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)
  • 2 tsp Cider Vinegar

Instructions

  • Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature or even slightly warmer if possible.
    Measure out the Soya milk and Cider Vinegar. Give it a whisk and set aside to curdle.
  • In your mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, plant butter, vanilla extract and mix for no more than 2 minutes until the mixture is light in colour and fluffy.
  • In a separate bowl sift together the cake flour, bicarb, baking powder, and salt. Add half the flour mixture to the mixing bowl with the butter and sugar.
  • While mixing slowly add the soya milk and vinegar making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Don’t overmix or your cake will become too dense and gummy.
  • Pour into 2 8inch cake pans. The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t even need to prepare the pans. The cakes do not stick to the tins!
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King Cakes, Cinnamon Rolls and Mardi Gras

Finally it’s February!!! That seemed to take a lifetime…and this year Mardi Gras or Pancake Day comes a wee bit early on February 16th! In New Orleans Mardi Gras is celebrated with King Cake! They’re a gorgeous yeast bread filled with cinnamon and sugar, shaped in to a wreath, drizzled with icing and decorated with green, yellow, and purple sugar. There is generally a tiny baby Jesus baked in or hidden in the cake. Whoever gets the piece of sweet bread with the baby in it is traditionally meant to provide the next King Cake or host Mardi Gras the following year.
It’s available in New Orleans all year round but a MUST have during Mardi Gras! The traditional cake is make with cinnamon and sugar, but less traditional cakes are filled with cream cheese.


I never had the honour of trying King Cake when I was in NOLA, but I’m so delighted to bring it to you here. It’s so delicious and so fabulously New Orleans! And EASY!!! There’s no reason not to make it.
So I’ve included the recipe for King cake but veganised. Because when animals aren’t harmed…it tastes 10 times better….
It tastes very much like a cinnamon roll (because…umm it’s IS a cinnamon roll…same recipe shhhhh) sooo if you love them…you’re sure to love these, so what are you waiting for, give them a go 🥰

I’ve also created a gorgeous scented King Cake candle that you can purchase here!! It’s decorated with a ‘buttercream swirl’ and topped with all the coloured ‘sugar’ and even a wee baby Jesus. It’s pretty damn cute and festive if I do say so myself!!

Stay safe my friends, and let me know how your King Cakes turn out!! If you prefer Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, I’ve got you covered! Try out this super simple and delicious recipe🥰

 

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Nanaimo Bars…anyone?! 🇨🇦🍁😋

If you’re Canadian….you’ll know exactly what a Nanaimo Bar is. For the rest of you, you’ll need a lesson! The good ‘ol Nanaimo Bar is a no bake dessert or as the Brits call them ‘traybake’ featuring a chocolate, coconut and nutty, graham cracker biscuit base, with a rich custard buttercream centre, topped with dark chocolate and perhaps another sprinkling of nuts. They’re very sweet, but that’s offset by the saltiness of the base. So it’s just dessert perfection. You can’t have too much at one time. Well I certainly can’t and I have some sweet tooth!

The last few years I’ve really been missing home, and how much of my heart belongs there…in more ways than one 💕🔥 😞 And I’ve noticed I’ve been becoming that little bit extra Canadian lately. Like really getting even more patriotic than I usually have about it. Anyway.

I initially signed up to a Facebook group called Canadians in the UK, in order to get a bit of advice on my immigration etc. Then I started noticing posts about all the Canadian treats that people were really missing, so I decided to put that to rights! So I’m delighted to showcase my gorgeous Nanaimo Bars, presented in bite sized pieces, and ready to ship ALL over the UK. Better yet…they’re vegan!

And for the non Canadians..

Nanaimo (pronounced Na-nye-mo) Bars are named after a city on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It’s a beautiful little place, and if you ever get a chance to find yourself on the West Coast, you should take a trip across. I’m pretty sure there is some debate as to who actually invented the treat, or if it really came from there, but the general consensus is ‘who cares?!’ They’ve become a national point of pride and gosh darn it every Canadian knows exactly what it is, regardless of the variations. Every time I have made these for my British/Scottish friends. They’ve always gone down a treat!

So I introduce to you, my gloriously vegan version of this Canadian classic. Because when I have the opportunity to save an animals life and contribute to saving our planet, I’m there! And what’s even better, making it vegan does NOT compromise on taste and authenticity. And did I mention I bake my own graham crackers? Yup. You got to give them a try. Order yours today!!! Here!

🍁🇨🇦

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Chocolate Brownies

Brownies UK post

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a weakness for chocolate brownies…that’s a bit redundant isn’t it? Aren’t all brownies chocolate?! 🤷🏻‍♀️ Brownies seem to be the quintessential North American treat so growing up in South Africa, we never really had Brownies. I grew up with Chocolate Crunchies (an Oats and golden syrup type concoction) which are to DIE FOR… *making a mental note to add these to my list of postables* Coconut Ice, Sugary Tablet, Stormjaers (fried doughnuts with raisins, rolled in sugar), oh hell, now I’m having an oil flashback from my youth and I’m gonna share with y’all.

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