vegan rhubarb bakewell cake

I like Bakewell Tart, but I usually want something a bit fruitier, and after having something similar in a cafe in Germany a few months ago, I had wanted to experiment with a vegan version of a fruity bakewell. And here we are. I should think the rhubarb can be replaced with apricots, apples and other fruit, and the jam can be any flavour that goes with the choice of fruit.

For the pastry:
250g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
125g margarine
a little cold water

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Rub the marge into the flour and baking powder. Add a splash of cold water to make a dough.
Roll out to about 3mm thickness and line a greased baking dish (rectangular works well) with the dough, letting it come up the sides a bit, there will be enough. Prick randomly with a fork.
Bake for about 10mins.
While it is baking, wash and trim 500-750g rhubarb and cut into small pieces.

Spread a generous amount of strawberry jam over the pastry. Distribute the rhubarb over the jam.

Mix the sponge:
175g plain flour
175g ground almonds (I ground them freshly using non-skinned ones, which turned out very nicely)
175g sugar
2 tsp baking powder
150ml oil
200ml water
1 tsp almond essence

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl or jug. Pour into dry ingredients, mix briefly to combine, spread over pastry and fruit.
Sprinkle with flaked almonds.
Bake for about 30mins at 175 degrees.
I don't think this needs icing at all but you could drizzle a little over it.

vegan banana chocolate-chip cake/cupcakes

I did have a huge bunch of bananas to use up, so I made these both as a cake in a square tin, and as cupcakes (doubling the recipe), and the banana flapjacks from the previous post. yum!

1/2 very ripe banana, mashed
1 1/4 cup plain white flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup veg oil
2/3 cup soy milk or rice milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius. Line your square tin or muffin pan. Sift flour, baking soda, powder, salt and sugar together into a large bowl and mix.
In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, "milk", vanilla, almond extract and banana.
Pour wet into dry ingredients and mix to just combine, folding in the choc chips.
Bake cupcakes for 20 to 22 mins, cake for about 30, until toothpick comes out clean.
Nice as is, but also good with a little melted chocolate drizzled over the top.

popular banana flapjacks

here's to my Manushi girls...

150g margarine (or butter if you're not vegan)
300g porridge oats
150g sugar
2 bananas
3 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
2 handfuls pecans, walnuts, other nuts (optional)

Melt sugar and margarine over lowest heat possible until the surface is covered in bubbles. While it is heating up, mash the bananas with a fork or blend in a blender.
Stir maple syrup and bananas into the warm mix, then add oats and nuts, taking off the heat. Mix well.
Pour into square or rectangular tin and bake at 190 degrees for 15 to 20 mins until surface looks dry and edges are beginning to turn brownish.
Mark into whatever shapes you want to cut into, cool in the tin, then cut.