Making amazing vegan food can be really easy, but it often does come with a learning curve. You’re bound to have a few disasters along the way as you adapt your favorite recipes to get rid of the animal-based ingredients so you can enjoy a cruelty-free treat.
Vegan cakes may struggle to rise because they don’t have any egg in them. Eggs in traditional cakes help to create that soft, spongy texture, so when you cook without them, there’s a risk that your cake simply won’t rise as it should. Other issues, such as over-mixing or leaving your batter on the side for too long can also cause denseness in a vegan cake.
We’ll use this article to talk about the top things that can cause your vegan cake to be too dense, and how you can ensure that it has a fantastic texture. We’ll also look briefly at what to do with a cake that is unpleasantly dense!
What Stops Vegan Cakes From Rising?
The top problem that vegan cakes encounter when it comes to rising relates to the lack of egg. Eggs are key in many cake recipes, and replacing them with the correct ingredient can be challenging. If you don’t use the right replacement, you’ll find your cake does not rise properly.
As mentioned above, there are other things that can stop your cake from rising, including things like:
- Not getting your oven hot enough before adding the cake
- Mixing the batter for too long
- Leaving the batter on your counter for too long
- Not aerating the flour properly before mixing it in
However, egg replacements are the most likely cause of the problem, so they are what we will focus on in this article. Check the other issues as well, but it’s most likely to be the eggs that are at fault.
What Does The Egg Replacer Do?
Eggs are among the most important ingredients in a cake, and they are pretty challenging to replace – but for a vegan, it’s necessary to take them out.
Eggs are not a vegan-friendly option, and that means you will have to try one of the alternatives. Ideally, you should use the specific replacement your recipe calls for, as this gives you the best chances of success.
There are many different kinds of egg replacers, and they all work in slightly different ways. That means finding the right one for a recipe is critical – which is why you should use the recommended one if possible. However, there may be times when you’re adapting another recipe so you don’t have a recommendation, and in these moments, you may have to experiment.
Fortunately, you have quite a few options when it comes to egg replacements, including:
- Aquafaba
- Soy Yogurt
- Silken tofu
- Banana
- Applesauce
- Vinegar and baking soda
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Pumpkin
- Tapioca starch
- Chickpea flour
- Commercial egg substitutes
Of course, not all of those are ideal for every kind of cake, although you might be surprised by how flavors such as vinegar can disappear in a cake. However, if you’re going to make a good cake, it’s important to figure out which one will work best, and this often requires some trial and error.
How Do You Fix A Cake That Didn’t Rise?
Unfortunately, there isn’t much that you can do with a cake that has failed to rise. Sometimes, putting it back in the oven (if it’s not fully cooked) will help it to rise, but usually, it’s too late to find a fix. You will have to make notes on changing the recipe next time, and try a different egg replacement instead.
However, there are things you can do to make your unrisen cake more appetizing, and there are many clever methods for using up flat cakes. For example, you might wish to crumble the cake up and mix it with frosting to make cake balls. Add a few sprinkles, and you’ve got gorgeous sweet treats, ready to be devoured.
Alternatively, flat cakes can be used in a trifle, using vegan jello and vegan cream – both of which are getting increasingly easy to purchase. Some people like to adapt theirs into sweet pies, topping them with fruit and vegan cream to stop them from being too dry.
You might also want to try warming a slice of your cake in the microwave and serving it with vegan ice cream. The warmth will help to soften and moisten the cake, making it more appetizing in spite of its density.
Conclusion
Vegan cakes can be a challenge, and it’s important to use the right egg replacer when you’re baking one. If you’ve got a few failed cakes, simply use the ideas above to enjoy them in other ways, and try a different substitute for your next attempt.
