Vegan Quinoa Pancakes

What a perfect way to spend the weekend.

A morning run in the fresh air followed by a plate of gorgeous vegan pancakes smothered in maple syrup and tart fresh berries. I feel like I have fallen straight out of the Cosmo lifestyle section...

These pancakes are vegan-friendly, gluten and dairy free but still keep that familiar light fluffiness of their traditional counterparts. Win-win right?!

Now I decided to use quinoa flour in my batch purely because I hadn't tried it in a pancake batter before and I'm going to be honest, if you aren't used to the taste you may want to swap in some buckwheat, oat or other type of flour or use a blend to ease yourself in. Its not a bad taste necessarily but it does retain a more earthy/grainy flavour that is more subtle in other types of flours out there and if you are jumping straight from the processed wheat flour to a gluten free option it might be a bit of a palette shock. But hey, if you try it out and aren't such a fan, there is nothing a good dousing of maple syrup or honey and a fist full of fresh berries can't fix!

I also used mild EVOO as the fatty component but you could use grape seed, canola, coconut or whatever other oil you like. Usually I would go for a flavourless oil in this sort of a batter but I couldn't detect any olive-y taste so as long as it isn't a strong flavoured oil you should be fine whichever way you go.

**ALSO! I did a quick little recipe video down below the recipe so check it out and let me know what you think! **

Vegan Quinoa Pancakes

Serves ~2


1 cup quinoa flour (or another variety if you prefer)
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract/essence)
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large tbsp applesauce
 

Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine until the batter is smooth and there are no lumps. 

Heat a fry pan over a medium heat with a little oil and cook your pancakes for about a minute each side or until lightly browned. 

Finish with your favourite choice of toppings! I went with a squirt of fresh lemon, a generous drizzle of maple syrup and some fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. A nice dollop of whipped coconut cream would have been great though... maybe next time!  

 

Every now and then you just get the craving for something rich, decadent and possibly swimming in alcohol or chocolate.

Then there are those other times when you simply want something light and sweet which won't leave you feeling like an elephant has taken refuge in your stomach cavity!

This cake is perfect for such instances and hence I decided to artfully name it the "Almond Cloud Cake". Incredibly cryptic name right?!

Almond: 

Well, you may notice the bunch of nuts stuck around the outside....

Cloud:  

Just like those pillows of the sky, everything about this cake screams light and fluffy, from the delicate sponge to the aerated cream coating!

Cake: 

Umm... yeah that one is just too self-explanatory.

Almond Cloud Cake

 

 

 

For the Sponge:

 

2 tsp plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Cornflour
4 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the Custard Filling:

4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
25 plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
350ml milk (whole fat)

300ml whipping cream

3 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract 

230g flaked almonds 

To Make the Sponge

 

Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced) and grease two 20cm round cake tins with spray oil. Line the bottom and sides of each tin with baking paper. 

In a one cup measuring cup place the flour, bicarb soda and cream of tartar. Fill the remainder of the cup with cornflour (so you have a total of 1 cup of dry ingredients!)

In an electric mixer whisk the eggs and sugar for 10min. It will become incredibly aerated,creamy looking and at least doubled in volume. Add the vanilla and beat for a further minute.

Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, being careful not to knock the air from the mixture, until smooth.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until sponge springs back when touched.

 Place baking paper on wire cake racks to cover and turn the sponges onto the wire racks but don't  lift off the cake tin!  (this will allow the resulting trapped steam to keep the cake moist!). Leave the  sponges to cool completely. 

To Make the Filling

 

Whisk the yolks and sugar until light in colour and thick then add the flour, whisking to incorporate.

Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan (or microwave) and then slowly pour into the egg/sugar mix, whisking continually to make sure the eggs don't scramble. 

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over med-low heat, whisking constantly to prevent the mixture sticking to the bottom until the mixture starts to boil. Continue cooking and whisking for a further two minutes until the mixture is thick and remove from the heat.

Stir in the vanilla and pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl and cover with clingfilm (so it is actually in contact with the custard) to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate until completely cool. 

 

To Assemble

Spread the almonds evenly over a baking tray and toast under an oven grill until lightly browned. Set aside to cool completely.

Whisk the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until firm peaks start to form and then set aside.

Place one of the cakes on your serving plate and, if necessary, trim the top with a serrated knife to ensure it is flat and level. Spread the the top with the chilled custard filling and place your remaining cake on top and press down gently to sandwich the cakes and filling together. 

Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream all around the cake, both top and sides, and use your hands to press the cooled almonds around the sides of the cake. 

You can leave the cake as it is or decorate the top with your choice of chocolate, fresh fruits or wherever your imagination takes you!  

 

 

The Queen of Victoria (Sponges!)

A couple of weeks ago it was my Nanna's birthday (Happy birthday Nanna!) and naturally the role of cake-maker was fell to yours truly!

I decided to have a(nother!) try at a classic vanilla sponge cake, partly because I am a sucker for punishment and also because I had some strawberries and cream in the fridge... sometimes my own logic baffles me!

I have made sponge cakes in the past but have never been truly happy with the results, they have never seemed quite light enough or haven't risen to my liking. However, as luck would have it I stumbled across a recipe from Women's Weekly Online of all places and it was an absolute winner! Other recipes I had found called for almost a dozen eggs, were time consuming and very fiddly. Not this one! It was quick, simple and turned out the most delicious light and fluffy cake! Add some jam, strawberries and cream to the mix and you have a recipe for the perfect afternoon tea treat or birthday surprise!

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly


2 tsp plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Cornflour
4 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence


Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced) and grease two 20cm round cake tins with spray oil. Line the bottom and sides of each tin with baking paper. 

In a one cup measuring cup place the flour, bicarb soda and cream of tartar. Fill the remainder of the cup with cornflour (so you have a total of 1 cup of dry ingredients!) 

In an electric mixer whisk the eggs and sugar for 10min. It will become incredibly aerated,creamy looking and at least doubled in volume. Add the vanilla and beat for a further minute.

Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, being careful not to knock the air from the mixture, until smooth.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until sponge springs back when touched. 

 Place baking paper on wire cake racks to cover and turn the sponges onto the wire racks but don't  lift off the cake tin!  (this will allow the resulting trapped steam to keep the cake moist!). Leave the  sponges to cool completely.   


Once cooled, decorate the sponges as desired with cream, jam, fruit, whatever tickles your fancy!