These days, access to vegan baked goods isn’t difficult at all. In Cape Town, we are lucky enough to have entire shops dedicated to serving 100% vegan treats, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a local café that doesn’t have a slice (or two) of vegan cake on their menu. But what if you’re more of a home baker or live outside of the city? Is it possible to vegan-ise any bake?
Vegan-ising traditional bakes is relatively simple, but equipping yourself with enough knowledge of basic baking principles will definitely help you choose the best substitutes.
There are two key ingredients you need to replace: eggs and fat. We’ll show you some handy tips on how to choose the best substitute for each of these ingredients, so that you can enjoy your favourite sweet treats without harming any animals in the process.
Before you start, understand your recipe
This is an important step when baking anything, but if you’re vegan-ising a recipe, you’ll have to choose one that is realistic enough. For example, avoid recipes like flourless chocolate cake or crème brûlée… these desserts both require a lot of eggs and, as you’ll learn, eggs are a tricky one to replace as they offer a very specific texture in recipes like the ones mentioned above. That’s not to say you’ll never be able to have a flourless chocolate cake as a vegan, but it might just be a bit tricky to replicate as a home cook.
Simpler recipes like brownies, muffins, traditional cakes and loaves are a great place to start when first learning about baking with substitutions. The more you practice, the more you’ll understand just how each substitution works in the recipe, which will allow you to experiment a bit more.
Choose your egg replacement
The function of an egg when baking changes depending on the recipe. In brownies, eggs are largely a leavening agent, while in cookies, they are a binding agent. In challah and brioche, they add texture and flavour. You’ll need to use a different substitute depending on what you’re baking, for example…
Dairy-free yoghurt is a great substitute for eggs in cakes, muffins, loaf cakes and cheesecakes. Basically, anything that relies on a creamy foundation. If a recipe requires fluffy eggs, then try using a dairy-free yoghurt like coconut or soy to yield the same effect.
Ratio: ¼ cup (60 ml) yoghurt to 1 egg
Flax ‘egg’ is a good binding agent, especially for chewy cookies or crackers.
Ratio: 1 Tbsp (15 ml) ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water = 1 egg. Whisk together and let sit for a few minutes until it coagulates.
Applesauce/mashed banana will add moisture to cakes, breads, and even brownies.
Ratio: ¼ cup (60 ml) to 1 egg
Aquafaba is chickpea brine, and by some miracle, when whisked, it behaves exactly like an egg white. A great substitute for egg whites, and you can make vegan meringue! It also can be used as a substitute for egg yolks – don’t ask how, we don’t know.
Ratio: 2 Tbsp (30 ml) aquafaba = 1 egg white | 1 Tbsp (15 ml) aquafaba = 1 egg yolk
Try it in this aquafaba vegan mayonnaise
Silken tofu: Try silken tofu if you’re wanting something a bit heavier, like a cheesecake.
Ratio: ¼ cup (60 ml) to 1 egg
Starch slurry: Corn, tapioca or arrowroot starch are essential when you need eggs as a thickening agent. Much like a cornstarch slurry will thicken a sauce, it serves a similar purpose here and is perfect for curds and custards.
Ratio: 2 Tbsp (30 ml) starch + 3 Tbsp (45 ml) water = 1 egg
Vinegar & baking soda: A miracle concoction if you need a strong leavening agent. This mixture will give your cake a good rise. Use it in this Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake with Avocado Oil. Ratio: 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda to 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vinegar = 1 egg
Choose your fat replacement
There are many plant-based fat alternatives; most are readily available and relatively cost-effective. Oil-based cakes are very popular, even in non-vegan baking, as they are lighter and fluffier, so if you’re into baking cakes, your substitution for fat may already be done for you. For other fat replacements, we suggest:
Neutral oils (canola, grapeseed, avocado): These are used in many different cakes and bakes and truly work well. Olive oil can also be used, but it does have a flavour, so make sure the main flavour of the bake is complemented. Try these Vegan Flapjacks with Whipped Coconut Cream & Berry Coulis.
Coconut oil: A great substitute for butter in pastries and scones. It needs to be used like butter in these circumstances, so solid at room temperature.
Coconut cream/milk: A pretty much identical match to heavy cream or whole milk. Try it in this Vegan Passion Fruit & Coconut Tart.
Nut butter: This substitute obviously affects the texture and flavour of the bake, but adds a delicious nuttiness and density to the final product. It’s great in brownies and muffins and also banana bread.
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