We share the best substitutes and what ingredients to watch out for.
If you’re new to baking without the traditional ingredients of eggs and butter, it can be a little intimidating. But don’t be put off, we’ve written a mini guide to get you back to baking (and of course eating) some delicious cruelty-free cakes.
Identifying the problem ingredients.
Unfortunately the use of cows for milk, butter and cream, and hens for eggs, causes animal suffering, and the growing demand for these products due to an expanding population has led to huge welfare concerns during production.
Therefore, for those looking to cut animal products from their diets, and of course for those with allergies, it’s important to know how to replace these with other ingredients.
Replacements for eggs.
Whilst milk and butter replacements are easy (just make a straight switch to a plant-based option), egg replacement can require a little more thought. Eggs bind the mixture together, allow the cake to be a light, airy consistency, and give moisture. So it is important to provide a substitute.
The good news is that there are a few options for alternatives:
Chia/flax seeds These need to be ground (or you can buy them ground up) and mixed with water. To replace 1 egg you’ll need to mix 1 tablespoon of seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and leave to thicken for about 10 minutes.
This replacement is high in omega 3 and fibre (so you could say the cake is healthy?!) but can make cakes dense so works best with things like cookies and brownies. It also can change the colour slightly so best with darker mixes like chocolate.
spoon with chia seeds
Vinegar Before I starting vegan baking I never would’ve thought of putting vinegar in cake but it is a useful ingredient. By mixing 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar you’ll replace 1 egg with a mixture suitable for most baking.
You can also make a vegan buttermilk by mixing plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar. This is my ‘go to’ when making cupcakes and hasn’t failed me yet. Simply mix 100ml of soya milk with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and scale up depending on the recipe. OK, it does look a bit gross as it curdles, but the result is an airy, light sponge!
Commercial egg replacer You can buy these egg replacers in most supermarkets and health food shops, as well as online. Orgran is perhaps the most well known brand. They are easy to use (just follow the pack instructions) and tend to be suitable for all types of baking.
Fruit You can use mashed banana or pureed apples as a replacement, just be aware that the flavour will come through to the final result. About 65g of fruit will replace 1 egg.
With apples, you can make this by simply cooking and pureeing apples, or buy in most supermarkets. Make sure you buy unsweetened or it can affect the cake recipe.
Banana as a replacement works well, but is dense and will give a banana flavour so I think it’s great in brownies.
Aquafaba Something that a lot of people new to plant-based baking find a little odd is Aquafaba which is liquid leftover from cooking chickpeas or beans. You can use the leftover liquid in your tinned chickpeas so it’s a great way to bake whilst saving money and waste. It replicates the consistency of egg whites so it’s often used in things like meringues. Just 3 tablespoons will replace an egg.
If you're not a chickpea fan you can buy aquafaba, Oggs is a great brand for this.
Nut butter Like banana, using nut butter can cause a dense bake and add flavour so similarly this is a good substitute to use in brownies that often have nuts added anyway.
You can use peanut, cashew, or almond butter and 3 tablespoons will replace 1 egg.
Pile of Cashew nuts
Decorating your cakes
Less obvious ingredients that may appear in cake recipes, especially when decorating, are gelatin, beeswax, shellac, and cochineal, as well as royal icing sugar which contains egg whites. Keep an eye out for these when shopping for cake decorations.
You can use ‘accidentally vegan’ sweets and biscuits to decorate like Oreos, Jelly Tots, or Love Hearts.
Another great alternative is candied lemon, orange, or ginger. Most supermarket versions are vegan or you can make it yourself, especially if you’re using these ingredients for the cake anyway, as it will reduce waste. It is a bit of extra work, but the end result will keep for up to 8 weeks in an airtight container. Here’s a recipe to help you get started.
Buttercream Buttercream is so easy to make vegan! All you have to do is swap out the butter to a plant based option, and I recommend a quick splash of plant-based milk for a smooth consistency.
You can also use pre-made to help you on your way - peanut butter mixed with some icing sugar and a little plant-based milk, jam, biscoff spread, or (some types of) Betty Crocker’s icing. These are easy ways to fill or top a sponge.
Image of cupcakes with buttercream icing
If all else fails.
Buy a cake
There are some great cakes that you can buy from the shops.
Ogg is a fantastic brand that make cakes and cupcakes with Aquafaba (chickpea water). They really are delicious.
Mr Kipling’s treacle tart and apple and blackcurrant pies are ‘accidentally vegan’.
Many supermarkets have introduced own-brand vegan cakes into stores. Sainsbury's have their own cakes, Morrisons and Asda have cupcakes, and Tesco now have options under their ‘Wicked’ brand.
The 'fizzy drink method'.
This might not make the best cake but for anyone with limited baking confidence it’s a quick and easy method. Simply buy a vegan cake mix like Betty Crocker’s and add a can of fizzy drink - either coke or lemonade depending on the cake mix type. Then bake as per the packet instructions.
Most importantly...
The most important thing to remember about baking is to enjoy it! I’ve found it can be stressful, especially when I’m on a time limit or baking for others. But if I can take some time and get creative, the end result is always better, especially when it's cruelty free.
Whether you bake to relax, have fun, or to keep the kids entertained, hopefully this quick guide to vegan baking has given you some inspiration to get creating some yummy treats to share, or keep all to yourself!
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