Lemon Cake Bars

Featured thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

250g Self raising flour
150g Caster sugar (plus 2 tablespoons for glaze)
Zest and Juice of 2 lemons
1tsp Baking powder
70ml Sunflower or vegetable oil
200ml Oat milk (or any milk you fancy)

Method

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5/180c.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, lemon zest and juice of 1 of the lemons, baking powder, oil and milk.
Beat until smooth. I use a whisk but you can use a wooden spoon.
Line 2 loaf tins (or use the same tin twice!) with baking paper.
Pour half the mixture in to each tin. You can pour it all in to 1 tin if you want a thicker bar.
Place into the hot oven for 25- 30 minutes until golden brown on top.
Whilst the cake cooks mix 2 tbsp of caster sugar with the juice of 1 lemon.
Once the cakes come out of the oven, whilst still in their tins, prick all over the top with a cocktail stick (about 20 times).
Drizzle over the glaze (half over each cake or all over 1 cake).
Leave to cool in the tin and then remove and slice in to bars. You should get about 6 bar from each tin.

Tips and Cheats

You can make this mix any flavour you want. If you want chocolate remove 30g of flour and add in 30g of cocoa. Just mix the cocoa to a paste with some of the milk before adding to the cake and remove the lemon! You can swap the lemons out for 1 orange or you can use vanilla or almond essence instead of the lemon. You want about 1-2tsp of essence! I wrap the cakes in a little baking paper and pop them in the children’s lunch boxes. Enjoy!

Cake · Little treats · Sweets

Dandelion Shortbread

April 7, 2021 thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

200g dairy free spread (I use Vitalite)
1tsp vanilla
30g dandelion honey (if you haven’t made the honey then just use 30g more of sugar)
70g caster sugar
300g plain flour
20 dandelions – you just want the yellow petals.

Method

In a bowl cream together the butter, vanilla, dandelion honey and sugar.
Then add in the flour and dandelion petals.
Stir it together, you might need to get your hands in! Until it forms a soft dough.
Pop in to a covered dish in the fridge for an hour.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 7 / 200c.
Take the dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured surface roll out until is is 5mm thick.
Cut our your biscuits, we like them small but you can make larger ones!
Pop on to a baking sheet and into the oven for 8-10 minutes until they start to turn a light brown.
Take them from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack until cool.
Store in an air tight container.

Tips and cheats

My children love to make these. They love to pull out the yellow petals into the bowl. They love to dip them into the dandelion honey to eat them too! (Sugar overload!). They keep for a few days but are best fresh and they are just so buttery and light. They look so pretty on the plate too.

Cake · Recipes · Sweets

Chocolate Cake

Featured thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

220g self raising flour
30g cocoa powder
150g caster sugar
1tsp baking powder
70ml vegetable oil
200ml oat milk (or any dairy free milk)
1tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp white or cider vinegar

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/180c
Put all of the ingredients in to a large bowl and beat to a smooth batter. I always do this by hand.
If making cupcakes place 12 paper cases into a cupcake tin.
Split the mixture equally between the 12 cases.
Pop into the oven for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool before topping with chocolate buttercream!

Tips and Cheats

If you don’t fancy cute cupcakes you can split the mix between two 7inch cake tins and cook at the same temperature for 25 minutes. or you can pop in to a tray for a tray bake and cook for 40 minutes. It is so versatile! I like to chuck in cherries sometimes or nuts or even dark chocolate chips! As with all cake it is best served fresh!

Cake · Sweets

Cherry and Marzipan Cake

Featured thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

250g self raising flour
150g sugar
1tsp baking powder
70ml vegetable oil
200ml oat milk (or other dairy free milk)
1tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp white or cider vinegar
200g marzipan
200g glace cherries

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/160c
In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla, and vinegar and beat into a smooth batter. It doesn’t take long so it is super easy by hand,
In an 8 inch tin add a layer of baking parchment to the bottom. The tin will need fairly deep sides.
Pour in about 1/2 of the cake batter.
Roll out the marzipan in a disc the size of your tin and lay over the cake batter .
Chop the cherries in half and add on top of the marzipan in an even layer.
Pour over the rest of the cake batter making sure all the cherries are covered.
Pop the cake into the oven and cook for 50 minutes. It may need a little longer if a skewer doesn’t come out clean.

Tips and Cheats

This cake is so good warm from the oven. It is also good a day old with lashings of custard! (Birds custard powder is vegan!) If you want a more almond taste, or don’t have marzipan you can either add almond essence in place of the vanilla, or you can swap out 1/2 of the flour for ground almonds. This does result in a heavier cake! However, you eat it enjoy it!

Recipes · Sweets

Victoria Sponge

March 16, 2021 thelittleredpinny1 Comment

Ingredients

250g self raising flour
150g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp white wine or cider vinegar
70ml vegetable or sunflower oil
200ml dairy free milk (I use oat milk)

Method

Pre heat the oven to gas mark 5 or 180c.
Put all of your ingredients in to a mixing bowl and beat together. I like to use a Norwegian flat whisk but a wooden spoon or regular hand whisk will be fine too! You need a smooth-ish batter (no lumps of flour thank you!)
I then line two 7 inch cake tins (just the bottom) and split the mixture evenly between them.
Pop the tins in to the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes.
Take the cake out of the oven and leave it in the tin for a couple of minutes then transfer out to a cooling rack.
Once the cakes are cooled you can fill with jam. I love strawberry or raspberry jam! If you are feeling luxurious you could even add cream or buttercream!

Tips and cheats

This cake can’t really get any easier! It is a chuck it all in give it a beat and bake kind of cake. I am sure Mary Berry wouldn’t approve but it works and the kids love it too. It keeps for a couple of days in a tin too (if there is any left!) Enjoy!

Christmas · Sweets

Mince Pies

December 16, 2020 thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

300g Plain Flour
2 Tbs Icing Sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
150g Vegan spread (I like the Pure Baking one for this.)
3 Tbs Ice cold water
3 Tbs Vegetable Oil
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (or mixed spice)
Jar of mincemeat (The Aldi one is vegan!)

Method

Heat the oven to GM 7/ 200c
In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients and give them a light mix together.
Add in the butter and rub it in. This means rubbing the butter and flour together between your fingers until it looks a bit like soggy bread crumbs!
Then add in the water and oil and mix together until it forms a dough.
Flour the surface and then roll out your dough to about 5mm thick.
Using a circular cutter the size suitable for your yorkie tin cut out 12 discs.
Pop the discs of pastry in the tin (one in each hole!) and fill them with a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat.
I like to put stars on the top but you can do full lids or any shape you like.
Once finished pop them into the hot oven for about 10 minutes or until they are a gentle golden brown.
You will probably get about 18 mince pies from this mix.

Tips and Cheats

I often make this and freeze some of the pastry or keep it in the fridge for a couple of days as nothing beats fresh mince pies.

You can also not put in the spice and sugar and use the pastry for savoury dishes.

Sweets

Lemon Drizzle Cake

March 5, 2020 thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

250g self raising flour
150g sugar
70ml vegetable oil
210ml dairy free milk
Rind of 2 lemons
5 tsp lemon juice (I use the bottled stuff)

Juice of 2 lemons
100g icing sugar

Method

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5/ 180c
Put the flour, sugar, oil, milk, lemon rind and 5 tsp of lemon juice into a mix bowl and beat to a smooth batter.
Pour in to a lined and greased round tin, I use a 7 inch loose bottomed tin but to be honest any tin will do!
Put the cake into the oven for 50 minutes. (If you use a bigger tin cook for less time) when you prick with a knife the knife should come out clean.
Whilst the cake cooks mix the juice of the two lemons with the icing sugar.
Once the cake comes out of the oven pour over half of the lemon and sugar mix. Wait five minutes then pour on the other half.
Allow it to cool in the tin.

Tips and Cheats

Don’t worry if you have no lemons and just a bottle of juice. You can omit the rind! I like the flavour and texture it gives but it works without it. You can make it as cupcakes (cook for 15 minutes) or you can cook as a tray bake (30 minutes). It is lovely warm with some plant based cream on top too!

Recipes · Sweets

Poached Pear Tart

February 16, 2020 thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

3 large conference pears
1/2 cup maple syrup
6 Vegan Caramel/toffee sweets
1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry

Method

Pre heat the oven to Gm 6 or 200c
Peel the pears and slice them in half. scoop out the core leaving enough room for the caramel.
Pop the pears in to a pan with the maple syrup and cover with boiling water.
Cook the pears until they just start to soften, this should take less than 5 minutes but will vary depending on how ripe the pears are.
Remove from the heat and drain from the liquid.
Roll out the pastry and lay the pears on top leaving enough room to cut them out.
Cut around each pear leaving a 1cm edge.
Pop the caramel in the hole where the core was.
Lay the pastry pears on a baking tray
With the scraps of pastry cut out leaf shapes and adore the pears (get as fancy as you like!)
Place into the hot oven for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is puffy and golden.
Serve warm with either vegan cream or vegan ice cream!

Tips and Cheats

If you can’t get hold of vegan caramels you can either make your own caramel sauce and spoon that in (Just melted brown sugar, vanilla and coconut cream!) or you can swap out for a spoon of vegan chocolate spread or lotus biscoff! My mum made me these as a child after seeing the recipe in a mother and baby magazine and they are still a firm favourite with my own children! They look so fancy yet are so easy to make. If you have ripe pears you don’t need to poach them first!

Recipes · Sweets

Lemon Cheese Cake

February 16, 2020 thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

1 1/2 pack of plain hobnob biscuits (I use Aldi ones)
1/2 cup melted vegan butter
2 packs of vegan cream cheese at room temperature (I use Sainsbury’s which is 170g each pack)
2/3 cup of icing sugar (check it is vegan!)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 bag of frozen forest fruits – defrosted (Aldi)
7 inch tin – ideally spring form or with a pop out bottom

Method

Crush the biscuits in a food processor and add the melted butter
Use this to line your tin, a spring form tin is best as it makes getting it out a the end easier. work the mix up the sides pressing hard.
Put it in the fridge to set.
In a clean food processor add the cream cheese, icing sugar and coconut oil and blend until smooth.
Slowly add in the lemon juice.
Pour the batter into the tin with the base in it and leave it for 5 hours in the fridge to set.
Once it is set drain the defrosted fruit and adorn the top. Serve immediately.

Tips and Cheats

I used to make this dish when I wasn’t vegan and it was always a winner. If you can’t get forest or frozen fruit you can use fresh raspberries or any soft fruit. I like the tartness of the fruit against the richness of the cheese cake. You can swap the lemon juice for lime too if you want a key lime pie type flavour!

Cake · Recipes · Sweets

Scones

February 16, 2020 thelittleredpinnyLeave a comment

Ingredients

500g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
80g caster sugar
pinch salt
80g dairy free butter (I like the Pure sunflower or Vitalite for these)
240 ml dairy free milk (Oat works like a dream)
Strawberry jam and vegan cream to serve (Food Heaven squirty or Elmlea plant based double. )

Method

Pre- heat the oven to GM 6 or 200c
Put all the ingredients in a bowl or food processor and mix into a dough.
Flour your hands and the work surface
Tip out the dough and bring it together to a smooth dough
Using a cutter cut out your scones.
Put on to a lined baking sheet and pop in the oven for 12 minutes.
Eat warm straight from the oven or allow to cool if you have the patience!

Tips and Cheats

If you want an even rise on your scones don’t twist the cutter as you cut them out. You can add sultanas to the mix, about 100g for fruit scones too, or cranberries, apricots, dates etc what ever takes your fancy! If you don’t eat them all at once the scones will keep for about 3 days in an air tight container, although I wouldn’t know because they never last that long!