If you’re moving toward vegan treats and desserts, you’re probably trying your hand at baking – but there are some significant challenges that go with this lifestyle, and cake is a big one. Have you recently attempted a vegan cake recipe, but found the finished result is rubbery and chewy?
There are a few things that can cause vegan cakes to come out rubbery, but the biggest issue usually lies in whatever you are substituting the egg with. It’s important to follow your recipe’s guidance here. Using the wrong kind of flour or dairy substitute can also be an issue.
In this article, we’re going to find out more about how you can stop your vegan cake from coming out rubbery – and what to do with a cake you’ve already made if the texture is not appealing. This will help you to ensure that your baking never goes to waste.
What Makes Vegan Cakes Rubbery?
Quite a few issues can arise when you are making a vegan cake, especially if you are trying to use a recipe that originally called for animal-based products. Mistakes you might run into while baking include:
- Mixing your cake for too long
- Skipping the dairy substitute
- Using the wrong egg substitute
- Using the wrong flour
- Taking out too much fat
We’re going to cover each of these issues in turn, so you know why they cause problems and how to avoid them.
Over-Mixing
This issue is not limited to vegan cakes, but it’s a common enough problem that it’s worth mentioning first. You might get over-enthusiastic in your first vegan cake-baking session and spend too long beating your batter. It might seem like a good idea to make sure it’s really thoroughly mixed – but this can cause problems.
Mixing activates the gluten, which forms long chains. This can be a serious problem for a cake, which you want to be light and fluffy. It makes the sponge elastic, which creates a rubbery texture.
Skipping The Dairy Substitute
Instead of substituting dairy, some people choose to omit it entirely. This will make the cake much drier, which can make the texture more noticeable and less pleasant. If your cake calls for milk or butter, use a plant-based alternative, rather than just skipping it entirely. There are plenty of good plant alternatives available today.
Wrong Egg Substitute
You should also make sure you pay attention to the egg substitute that your particular recipe calls for. There are lots of options available for vegans, but they all behave in slightly different ways – so which one you use really matters.
If your recipe calls for aquafaba, don’t swap it for baking soda and vinegar. If it calls for apple sauce, don’t switch in tofu. In some cases, a swap will work, but it will often result in poor texture. Replacing the eggs can be a delicate business, so you should try to use what the recipe calls for.
Wrong Flour
If you are able to access cake flour, using this instead of standard all-purpose flour is an excellent idea. Cake flour has less protein in it, which makes it softer and fluffier – perfect for cakes. It is also lower in gluten, which can really help to combat that rubbery texture that may otherwise develop.
If you can’t get cake flour, all-purpose flour should suffice, but if you’re struggling with rubbery cakes, try to source some cake flour. It should help.
Too Little Fat
This ties in with not leaving out the dairy but is worth mentioning as a separate point.
Many vegans omit the fat from their cakes, hoping to make them healthier – but there isn’t really much you can do to make cake healthy, and fat is key to good texture. Fat helps the ingredients to stick together, moistens the sponge, and generally makes your cake better.
What Should You Do With Rubbery Cake?
If your cake is rubbery and unappetizing, you might be looking for a way to use it up without the texture being particularly noticeable. In some cases, being generous with vegan frosting may be enough – but in others, you’ll need to be more creative.
Some vegans choose to break up their failed cakes and use the crumbs mixed with frosting to glue their next attempt at the recipe together (e.g. in between the layers). Alternatively, mix the crumbs with frosting to create cake pops. The rubbery texture won’t matter here.
Rubbery cake can also be topped with vegan cream or custard to disguise its texture.
Conclusion
It’s always disappointing and frustrating when baking doesn’t turn out the way that you hoped, and that can be particularly true if you’ve spent hours making a cake. You should therefore find well-reviewed recipes, and make sure you are not over-mixing your flour or omitting the dairy or egg substitute.
