This year is a special year for us as a family. The last time I was making a birthday spread for my little girl we weren’t vegan. In fact, my little girls birthday cake was the last non-vegan thing I ate. So this year is my daughters 8th birthday but her 1st vegan anniversary. I wanted to celebrate this special day with some of her favourite treats yet keeping it simple so I could still enjoy the day with her and not be tied to the kitchen. She asked me for a grown-up girls cake with her most favourite strawberries as the decoration. This small party feast is ideal for both young and old, vegan and non-vegan alike. It is a very simple set of recipes set to wow even the hardest of critics. I hope you all enjoy sampling some of our delicious vegan menu. 

Cake ( serves 12-14)

  • 330g plain flour
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk (I used soya)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 120 ml olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar

For the icing

  • 900g icing sugar
  • 6 tbsp vegan butter
  • 8 tbsp dairy- free milk
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • Fresh strawberries and blueberries for decoration
  • I used an offset spatula and a bench scraper to achieve the icing effect

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 / 375f
  2. Sieve the flour and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the sugar and salt and stir through.
  4. Mix the milk, vanilla, oil, and vinegar in a jug and gently pour into your dry bowl.
  5. Grease and flour 3 x 7 inch round cake tins and divide the mixture evenly between the tins. (It will be a very small amount so make sure you roll the mixture all the way to the edges.)
  6. Make a slight dip in the center of each of your cake mixtures so the cake batter doesn’t rise with a curved top.
  7. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. (Until the top is springy to touch.)
  8. Allow to cool on a cooling rack before turning out. (If any of your cakes have risen unevenly then level them off before icing.)
  9. In the meantime make the icing.
  10. Sift the icing into a large bowl.
  11. Cream in the butter.
  12. Add in the vanilla.
  13. Stir in the milk and mix thoroughly until you have a creamy frosting.
  14. Pop into the fridge to cool until you are ready to use. 
  15. When your cakes are fully cooled and turned out take your chilled icing and begin to sandwich the layers together. 
  16. Spread an even layer on your bottom tier and place the middle one on top. 
  17. Then repeat the process with the top layer. 
  18. Starting on the top add icing onto your cake. I did this with the spatula but some people prefer to pipe the icing on. Smooth out using your offset spatula. 
  19. Then add icing to the sides and smooth out with the bench scraper making sure not to make the icing too thick if you would like to see the sponge layers inside. 
  20. Then freeze your cake for 10 minutes before putting on the second layer of icing.
  21. With the second layer, you want to make the top fully covered but still allow some of the sponge to show through on the sides. Follow the same process you did the first time you iced and adjust the amount of icing you need accordingly.
  22. Then let your cake chill and decorate with fruit right before serving. 

Sandwiches

  • Your preference of white or brown bread
  • Hummus
  • Cucumber
  • Tomatoes
  • Cookie cutters

Method

  1. Make up sandwiches of your desired filling. 
  2. Cut out shapes from your sandwiches with your cookie cutters.
  3. You can create windows in your sandwiches by cutting a smaller shape out of a larger one on one half of your sandwich. 

Pinwheels (makes 12)

  • 1 pack ready roll pastry
  • 1/2 jar vegan pesto
  • 6 sundried tomatoes
  • 50g chopped walnuts

Method

  1. Preheat the oven gas mark 375f
  2. Unroll your pastry. 
  3. Spread the pesto on to cover fully in an even layer.
  4. Sprinkle on the chopped walnuts. 
  5. Chop up the tomatoes and sprinkle on in an even layer. 
  6. Then roll up your pastry into a sausage shape. 
  7. Slice into 12 rounds. 
  8. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake in the center of the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Pina Colada (serves 4)

  • Flesh and juice of one baby coconut
  • 2 cups of pineapple juice
  • Chunks of fresh pineapple to serve
  • 1 cup of ice

Method

  1. Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. 
  2. Serve straight away.
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