Celebrating 12 years with an Epic Cup Cake Recipe (yep gluten free!)

It’s celebration week this week for Veet’s Vegan Cooking School. On the 19th May 2008 I first started my business. Wow that feels so long ago, much longer than twelve years. It was huge for me to go out on my own and create a business as I had always been in paid employment and came from a family who were in paid employment.

I took the leap and started a home cooked organic meal service, delivering all over the shire up steep and windy roads. The day I cooked was on a Monday and it always seemed to rain on a Monday. I was tested in many ways.

I envisioned on the first week of offering meals maybe two people would order but I actually got thirty six meals ordered. I went into overwhelm. Cut my finger on a can of coconut cream and lay down on the floor saying ‘I can’t do this’ my beloved said get up, you can do it. So I shot back up and continued.

He had to help me deliver taking some meals on his motorbike up to Upper Main Arm and we both arrived home at 6 pm in the dark and he asked what was for dinner. I hadn’t even thought of our own dinner so off he went out and ordered Pizza. I was too exhausted to eat.

As many know my business moved on, after doing home delivered meals for two years I moved into town and started working more on retreats and then on the 17th May 2015 I opened up Veet’s Vegan Cooking School. What an incredible journey it has been even to this year where the school has temporarily closed and now I am back cooking for people and Makrand and I go out and deliver a few meals. He drives me and I sit back and enjoy the scenery after a big day of cooking.

Feeling very blessed to all the people who have been a part of this business. From customers, to people who have worked with me, to Makrand, to 218 people who have come through the 3 day vegan foundation course, to the 24 people who have graduated as vegan chefs and out there cooking epic vegan food for people, to the 8 people who are waiting to become vegan chefs, 3 of them who are half way through, to all the farmers and producers. Wow what a journey – and I am so grateful for this experience.

For people ordering food from me this week, I have a celebration gift (chocolate) for you so don’t forget to put your order in. And for people not local I have this delicious recipe to share with you. A beautiful friend, Navanita, a few weeks back asked for a cup cake recipe and here it is. It’s decadent and well worth the effort and its Gluten free.

Chocolate Raspberry Cup Cakes with Cashew Cream and Chocolate Mousse icing (gluten free)

Makes 8 to 12 cup cakes

Be warned don’t overfill the cupcakes like I did the first time. I had to remake them as I was selling them and they just didn’t look right as an oversized muffin.

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup soy milk

¼ cup sunflower oil (unrefined organic)

1/3 cup sugar (I used rapadura – you can use any organic sugar)

2½ tsp vanilla paste

2 tbsp flax seeds

¼ tapioca flour

¼ cup brown rice flour

½ cup hazelnut meal

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1/3 to ½ cup raw cacao powder

Cashew cream

2/3 cup soaked cashews

¼ cup maple syrup

1/3 cup water

Raspberries

4 raspberries per cup cake plus 1 for the top

Chocolate Mousse Icing

190g silken tofu

200g vegan chocolate

2 tbsp agave (or maple syrup)

Method

Place all the wet cake ingredients into a bowl and mix. Then place all the dry cake ingredients into another bowl. Using a whisk, whisk gently the dry ingredients to remove any lumps.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold gently.
Make the cashew cream by placing everything in a blender and blend until smooth.
Set the oven to 165°C.
Scoop the cake mixture into lined cup cake molds (cup cake tin). Use ¾ of the cake mixture only and make sure the cake mixture comes up just a third of the way in the mold as you have more to add.
Then add 4 raspberries to each cup cake and then a scoop of the cashew cream and then a scoop of the cake mixture. Make sure the mixture only comes to the top of the cup cake mold, not more than that.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
While the cup cakes are baking make the icing by melting the chocolate in a Bain Marie (bowl over a saucepan of boiling water). Blitz the silken tofu and agave in a food processor and when smooth add the melted chocolate and whizz for 20 seconds or until chocolate is all mixed in. Decant into a container and put in the fridge until the cakes have cooled down and are ready to be iced.
When the cup cakes are cooked place them on a wire cooling rack and let cool.
Once cakes are cool place the chocolate mousse icing in an icing bag and pipe it on the cupcakes and garnish with a raspberry.

# If you make this recipe please share on facebook or instagram to #veetsvegancookingschool

Cooking School News

Wow I can’t believe I will be able to offer the 3 day Vegan Foundation Course again. It is so exciting. The dates are below and the first one back I will only be taking four people and three people are already booked in so if you are wanting to come and join in this course please book soon.

I am offering a discount for any courses booked and paid for before the 31st July. It’s a 10% discount. How cool is that?

So here are the new dates