Veganuary is an annual challenge promoting veganism and its benefits by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle throughout January, in order to help end animal farming and protect the environment.
If you're a coffee-lover who is taking part in Veganuary 2024, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to get your apron on and experiment with some tasty vegan recipes. But what recipes go best with coffee?
We take a look.
Vegan courgette cake.
Perfect for a coffee morning, this tangy delight is guaranteed to brighten your day!
Ingredients.
To make vegan courgette cake, you will need:
80g vegan butter block, softened, plus extra for the tin
175g golden caster sugar
2 lemons, zested, 1 juiced
100ml oat milk
100g ground almonds
175g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
175g courgettes, coarsely grated
200g icing sugar
Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then butter and line a 900g loaf tin. Beat together the vegan butter block, sugar and lemon zest until combined. Add the plant milk and beat slowly to combine, then add the ground almonds, flour and baking powder, along with the grated courgette, and stir to combine.
Next, spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake for 55-60 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely in the tin.
To make the icing, sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and add 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and stir to combine. Add a little more lemon juice if needed, ½ tsp at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Finally, remove the cake from the tin and drizzle over the icing, allowing it to drip down the sides. Leave to set for 20-30 mins, then cut into slices and serve.
Chocolate vegan biscuits.
This rich, indulgent recipe does exactly what it says on the tin!
Ingredients.
To make 12-16 chocolate vegan biscuits, you will need:
150g vegan margarine
75g golden caster sugar
225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g vegan chocolate chips
100g icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp citrus juice, plus 1 tsp
Begin by using an electric whisk to cream together the vegan margarine and sugar for 2 minutes. Mix in the flour along with 1 tbsp water and the chocolate chips, then bring together into a disc using your hands. Cover and put in the fridge to chill for 30 mins.
Next, line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour, then roll out the biscuits to around 1cm thick and use a cutter to stamp out 12-16 biscuits. Arrange on the lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 mins until golden. Leave on the baking sheet until cool to touch, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the icing, mix together the icing sugar and 1 tbsp and 1 tsp of citrus juice. Drizzle over the cooled biscuits and leave to set.
Vegan cookies and cream cake.
Ideal as an afternoon treat or for special occasions, this cake recipe is seriously luxurious!
Ingredients.
To make vegan cookies and cream cake, you will need:
150ml sunflower oil, plus extra for the tin
200ml oat milk
1 ½ tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
120g dairy-free yoghurt
225g light brown soft sugar
200g self-raising flour
70g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g crème-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
150g vegan spread
1 tsp vanilla extract
275g icing sugar
Oil a 20 x 20cm baking tin and line the base and sides with parchment paper, then heat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Combine the oil, milk, vinegar, vanilla and yoghurt in a jug, then mix the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb and a pinch of salt together in a bowl.
Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until there are no pockets of flour remaining. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with a spatula. Bake for 35 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.
Bash half of the sandwich cookies with the end of a rolling pin or blitz in a food processor. Beat the spread, vanilla and icing sugar together using an electric whisk until fluffy, then gently fold in the crushed cookies until combined.
Finally, put the cake on a board and spread over the icing, then halve or crumble the rest of the cookies on top. Cut into squares and serve.
Happy Veganuary from Cafe2U!
As big fans of vegan bakes, you won't be surprised to hear that Cafe2U also offers a range of vegan-friendly alternative milks. Contact your nearest van and find out more here.