LEFTOVERS FOR LUNCH, MAKING A VEGAN WEDDING CAKE, AND GETTING BACK TO NORMAL

Leftovers from entertaining made up my lunch today: my Soy and Seitan "Pork" (watch for my new seitan eBook on my website) with Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, and baby organic greens topped with a new couscous salad (which will be in the next Vegan Feast newsletter) that we really like. All within the Weight Watcher's Core Food Plan guidelines! Gotta get back on track today after all the company dinners!


A tart I made last night for our last company potluck get-together, with an oatmeal and nut crust, tofu "mascarpone" (from my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen", topped with some leftover Vegan Lemon Curd from the wedding cake (recipe below), and organic berries we were gifted with(I didn't have very many, as you can see!).

The last company has departed the island and I have to a.) get back on track with the WW Core Food Plan; b.) finish the Vegan Feast newsletter; c.) and generally get back to normal! It was really fun, but I have alot of catching up to do!

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I promised to tell you all about the wedding cake, so here it is-- recipe and directions. It is a version of my standard vegan "genoise" cake from my vegan cookbook "Nonna's Italian Kitchen". The bride wanted a lemon cake, which I love myself, so here it is!



THE WEDDING CAKE(S)

BRYANNA’S TRIPLE LEMON VEGAN WEDDING CAKE (for about 50)

A light and delectable wedding cake made with lemon “genoise” cake, lemon curd filling and a lemon-scented “buttercream” frosting--all vegan. Since I’m not a skilled cake decorator, I use fresh flowers.

Cakes 101

Wedding Cakes (including transportation)

Baking times for large layers, plus other baking data

Leveling, trimming and splitting cake layers

Decorating 101

How much icing do you need?

Storage


TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

Have your layers cooled and trimmed. Have cardboard cake separators ready, cut to fit each tier. I use plastic drinking straws cut to fit to strengthen the layers so that they don’t sink under the weight of the layers above (see photo just below). Sandwich each of two matching layers together with a generous layer of the Lemon Curd. (Make sure to carefully wipe off any lemon curd that oozes out between the layers. Assemble the cake as instructed here.


Inserting straws


The straws in place and cut level with cake

Make a thin layer of the Vegan Lemon Buttercream icing on the whole cake. Allow that to dry in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.


"Crumb Coat" almost done, with lemon curd filling showing between layers

Then ice again with the final, thicker layer and decorate as desired.

Here is some info on icing cakes:

Decorating cakes

Frosting problems

How much icing do you need?

THE COMPONENTS:

For a 3-layer cake to feed about 50 people, I made 3 x the recipe (that’s 3 double layers). I made square layers, 4”, 6” and 8”. Each layer was made of two smaller layers, with lemon curd (below) sandwiched between them. Since I only had one set of pans, I made 1 1/2 times the recipe at a time and made the three layers, then I repeated that procedure once again.)

Baking times for large layers, plus other baking data you might need to make different sizes and pan shapes


A round 12" double-layer extra cake.

BRYANNA'S VEGAN LEMON GENOISE CAKE (make 3 times this recipe for the cake I made)
Makes two 9" round or 8” square layers (5 c. batter)

2 and 1/2 c. plus 2 T. pastry or cake flour (this should be white flour, organic if possible) NOTE: To measure the flour, stir the flour in the bag or container, then spoon it out into the cup measure and level off with a knife. Do not sift or pack down.

1 and 1/2 c. granulated vegan white sugar (organic, if possible)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. plus 2 T. Earth Balance
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. water
grated zest of 1 large organic lemon
3/4 c. soy or rice milk
1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. pure lemon extract

NOTE: Use shiny pans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the pans by greasing with Pan Coating (see below for recipe and resources for learning how to prepare cake pans).

Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk in a large mixing bowl. Add the Earth Balance, water, and the juice and beat with an electric mixer for a minute. Add the remaining ingredients and beat one more minute. Divide equally between the cake pans. Bake 25 minutes, or until cakes test done. (A SQUARE 4” PAN NEEDED 30 MINUTES; A SQUARE 6” PAN NEEDED 40 MINUTES; AND A SQUARE 8” PAN NEEDED 50 MINUTES.)

Cool on racks for 10 minutes, then loosen cakes and remove from pans to finish cooling, otherwise it might crack and fall apart from being too warm. To remove from pans, first, run a thin knife to loosen the edge of the cake layer from the pan. Then, place a wire rack over the top of it and with a hand on each side of the baking pan and rack, quickly invert. Gently shake or tap the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon handle to help remove the cake layer. Carefully peel off the liner and turn cake layer right-side-up to cool on a wire cake rack.


FOR SPECIAL OCCASION CAKES:

Cutting a wedding cake

To bake even layers, wrap the outside of the cake pans with Magic-Cake Strips or Magi-Cake Baking Strips. This insulates the cake pan and allows the cake batter to bake evenly, resulting in a nice evenly baked cake.

PAN COATING OR PROFESSIONAL OR BAKER'S GREASE:

Mix equal parts shortening, oil, and unbleached flour. (For a large amount, use 1 cup each.) I use a hand immersion blender.

NOTE: You can use organic ingredients, though not much of it is going to get into the cake itself. You can use palm oil shortening such as Spectrum, or a non-hydrogenated one like Smart Balance, if you like, though this coating will not contribute much in the way of trans fats to the cake itself.

Use a pastry brush to apply the coating on the inside of your pan and no need to flour after applying.

How to prepare baking pans.



BRYANNA’S VEGAN LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
This is a creamy vegan “buttercream” with a lower percentage of fat than most “buttercreams”. This recipe makes a large amount for a big cake—you can cut in half or even by 4 for smaller cakes. It is plenty for the small 3-layer tiered cake I made. Chill until it’s time to ice the cake.

1 c. Earth Balance
1 c. non-hydrogenated shortening (OR more Earth Balance)
3 lbs. organic powdered sugar (such as Hains, Wholesome Foods or Florida Crystals), sifted (have a bit more on hand in case the icing needs thickening-up)
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. PLUS 3 T. water
2 T. grated organic lemon zest
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. pure lemon extract

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the Earth Balance and shortening until smooth. Add 4 c. of the sugar, the water and lemon juice, the zest, lemon extract andvanilla. Beat until creamy. It may look curdled—don’t worry! Add the remaining sugar, a little at a time, as you beat it, until it holds it shape well and you can see “trails” in it from the beaters. Refrigerate, covered, until it’s time to ice the cake.


BRYANNA’S VEGAN LEMON CURD
Makes 2 c.
This makes a lovely cake filling—not too sweet, so it contrasts with the icing. It’s important to use freshly-squeezed juice in this recipe. (Use leftovers on scones or as a tart filling.)

1 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. water
1 and 1/2 c. granulated vegan white sugar (organic, if possible)
4 T. cornstarch (you can get organic cornstarch now)
1/8 tsp. salt
grated zest of 2 organic lemons
6 T. full fat soymilk, nut milk, or organic nondairy creamer
2 T. Earth Balance

In a blender, whiz together the juice, water, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Pour into a heavy saucepan with the zest. Whisk over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a full boil. Boil 1 minute, not stirring. ( OR microwave in a Pyrex bowl 2 minutes, whisk, then 2 minutes more.) It should be thickened and turning clear. Remove from heat. Add soymilk or alternate and Earth Balance. Blend well with the whisk. Cool the curd, then refrigerate in a covered container. It thickens as it cools.

You can do this!