Love & Red Velvet Cake

I know it's a bit early for Valentine's Day, but bear with me.

Love is in the air!

Thinking about Valentine's Day makes you do one of two things: groan (if you're single) or have incredibly high expectations for your significant other (if you're in a relationship). I fall into the first category - that of being single. However, this year I'm not groaning.

Because this is the first Valentine's Day in a couple years that I'll be single, you'd think I'd be a little heartbroken and disappointed that I won't be receiving chocolates and roses. Yet I'm just the opposite. Why? Because the love of friendship is in the air!

It sounds cheesy, I know. But the 2012-13 school year, even with my massive breakup, has been one of the greatest years of my life because it has allowed me to develop close friendships with people that I didn't see often before. Especially within Navigators - the people I have become close to have inspired me to grow closer in my relationship with God and with other Navs members. I've been intellectually challenged by friends and, honestly, have probably learned more this year than ever before because of the people I hang out with. As I recently read in the book Imagine by Jonah Lehrer (I highly recommend it, by the way - go read it!), we intentionally place ourselves around smart people because we become smarter by hanging around them. And it's true - I've noticed myself doing that this year, and I'm incredibly excited about the level of my intellectual growth.  

So, that brings us to three types of love in the air - a love for friendship, a love for God, and a love for knowledge.

Who cares about being in a relationship, anyways? We should be satisfied with being on our own. Spending our time hunting for a boyfriend isn't how we should be living life. We should be engaging with others, developing friendships, seeing the world, learning, and having fun. God will bring us the right person when the time is right.

With that being said - be happy to single this Valentine's Day, and go bake yourself a cake! If you want to be specific, you can make the white chocolate cherry red velvet cake recipe below. It's delicious and it's pretty - what more could you ask for?

Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate Cherry Frosting

Based on this recipe 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 Tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups oil

1 cup skim milk

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 oz. red food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.

Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.

Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.

Then make the frosting.

White Chocolate Cherry Frosting

3 T. white chocolate chips

8 oz. cream cheese

1 stick butter

6 T. cherry preserves (or more to taste)

5 c. powdered sugar

Directions

In a microwavable bowl, melt chocolate chips. Allow to cool slightly. 

Beat together cream cheese and butter until combined. 

Add melted chocolate and cherry preserves and stir. 

Slowly add powdered sugar until incorporated. 

Frost cake and enjoy!

Banana Sponge Cookies

(These don't have the frosting on them yet, but DEFINITELY

make the frosting! They taste so much better that way.)

Ingredients

• 2 cup(s) of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. of sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. of ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup(s) of Earth Balance Butter
• 1 cup(s) of sugar
• 1/4 cup(s) of applesauce
• 1 1/2 tsp. of Ener-G Egg Replacer (in powder form)
• 1/2 cup(s) of chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp. of vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup(s) of mashed banana
• 2 tbsp. of Earth Balance butter
• 2 cup(s) of powdered sugar
  

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
3. In a mixer bowl, beat 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Mix in vanilla.
5. Mix in 1/2 t. vanilla.
6. Add dry ingredients, egg replacer, applesauce and 1 cup mashed banana and mix well.
7. Stir in walnuts.
8. Drop by teaspoons onto well-greased cookie sheet.
9. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes.
10. Allow cookies to cool.
11. While cookies cool, beat together 1/2 t. vanilla, 1/4 cup mashed banana, 2 T. Earth Balance butter, and 2 cups powdered sugar until creamy.
12. After cookies have cooled, drizzle or frost with icing.
13. Sprinkle with walnuts if desired.

What is your favorite childhood recipe?

Tazo Passion Tea Cupcakes

TAZO's Passion Tea is my favorite herbal tea by far. It's fruity, delicious, and purple in color, which makes it look even better. Since I'm in the process of creating recipes for my own out-of-home vegan bakery... why not create a cupcake out of Passion Tea?! They turned out delicious; I used two tea bags, but I would suggest even using three for a bit of a stronger flavor. I used a lemon icing for this... but I think raspberry would be super delicious as well!

Also pictured- banana with peanut butter and

orange dreamsicle cupcakes. Coming soon!

(Also soon to be posted- blueberry with lemon).

TAZO Passion Tea Cupcakes

1/2 c. Earth Balance butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

3 Ener-G Egg Replacers (in powder form)

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 c. milk substitute

1/4 t. salt

The inside of 2 Passion Tea bags (Try using 3 for a stronger flavor)

Directions:

Beat Earthy B and sugar until creamy. Then add all dry ingredients, content of tea bags, and milk - combine until smooth. Scoop into cupcake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes. Let cool. (This should make 12 cupcakes). Pipe on lemon icing and garnish with raspberry flavored sugar.

Lemon Icing

8 oz. Tofutti cream cheese

1/2 c. Earth Balance

4 c. powdered sugar

Squeeze of lemon juice

Zest of 1/2 to 1 lemon, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be

Directions:

Beat together cream cheese and Earthy B until well combined; slowly add powdered sugar (so the powder doesn't fly everywhere!). Squeeze in lemon juice for moisture - not too much of the icing will be runny. Ad lemon zest and mix until well combined.

Banana Spice Cookies!

I remember making this cookies during my childhood, in our first apartment. They are one of my favorite cookies. Since then, I have veganized them, and they are still just as delicious! Make an icing out of powdered sugar and water or soymilk for a delicious topping. They are even better with the icing!

Banana Spice Cookies

You'll need:

1/2 c. Earth Balance butter

1 c. brown sugar

2 Ener-G egg replacers (in powder form)

2 mashed ripe bananas (about 1 cup)

2 c. unbleached all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. cloves

1/2 c. chopped nuts (or you can leave these out!)

Directions:

Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in mashed bananas. Add all dry ingredients and mix well; stir in nuts is using. Chill for 1 hour, or if you're impatient like I am, just place rounded tablespoons of dough on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes at 375 degrees, or until the tops are a light golden brown. Frost with cofectioner's sugar icing. Enjoy!!

Key Lime Cupcakes

I find it to be very delicious. However, I realize the lime curd has a lot of cornstarch... (and honestly, it was still a little on the runny side for me.. I'd add a bit more) but it tastes good! I've never used agar agar, but you have and you think it would work better for this, try it and let me know how it goes please!

Cupcake batter
1/2 c. Earth Balance butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
3 Ener-G Egg Replacers (equiv. of 3 eggs - in powder form)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 c. milk substitute
Zest and juice of 1 large lime
1/4 t. sea salt

Directions:
Beat Earthy B and sugar until creamy. Then add all dry ingredients, lime juice/zest and milk - combine until smooth. Scoop into cupcake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes. Let cool. (This should make 12 cupcakes) After cool, fill the center of each cupcake with lime curd by using a knife to cut a hole in the middle that does NOT go through to the bottom. After it's filled, put the cut out piece back on top. Ice with lime icing. Enjoy!

Lime Curd
1/4 c. cornstarch, plus extra to make thicker (use your judgement)
1/3 c. lime juice
1 T. lime zest
3/4 c. sugar
4 T. Earthy B
3 T. milk substitute

Directions:
In a small pan, combine sugar, lime juice and zest, milk substitute and Earthy B. Cook until sugar is dissolved, then add cornstarch and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Lime Icing:
1/2 c. Earthy B
3 c. powdered sugar
1 t. lime zest
1 T. lime juice

Directions:
In a bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar, lime juice, and lime zest and stir until combined.