Grandmother's Crazy Cake: One-Pan Vegan Chocolate Cake

I am so excited to give you one of my grandmother's recipes as is! Her "Crazy Cake" contains no animal products, and it only dirties one pan. It is also fluffy and delicious. What more could a baker want?

As July winds down and we have more of this year's summer BBQs behind us than ahead, I find myself reflecting on how nice it is to have summer get-togethers. The holidays are the time we more traditionally think about reuniting with loved ones, but those are so few and precious that we don't get to see everyone. The weather can be so unpredictable, and many times a holiday is about sheltering in place with one faction of our family.

Summer, on the other hand, is practically a word meaning "much more time to do things." Sure, we fill that time up pretty quickly, especially as adults; but there seem to be more possibilities shining in with the summer sun. The days are longer, the weather is more forgiving for travel, and the sunshine allows us to gather more people into backyards than we could ever fit into houses.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending one such backyard gathering of a community I have been part of for over a decade now. It was wonderful to see old friends and to even make new ones. Sure, vegans attending omnivore BBQs cannot always expect much for food (though the hosts at this event do always provide some delicious plant-based fare); but the food isn't really the point. Sometimes it's nice to fill up one's plate and giggle about what so-and-so's baby just did rather than discuss the food. It's also good to see people in person, even if Facebook tells us their every move. We see their faces and their expressions, hear their laughs and (ever more commonly in my life) hold their babies. I am very grateful for summer and for my friends who take the effort to bring friends together.

So, to friends, BBQs, veggie burgers and, of course, to cake!

Vegan Chocolate-Ginger Brownies

Say what you will about Martha Stewart. She did bad things, she did her time, and there is still something creepy about her empire. But her empire also produces really amazing recipes. When I went vegan, there were plenty of baking books I chucked; there was just no reason to keep generic non-vegan recipes when I could buy tried and true vegan ones that are just as good, if not better.

Martha's books are special, though. I knew I had to keep them. Besides containing creative recipes, I find her approach to baking both similar to my own and easy to veganize. I used to halve the amount of eggs in most cookie recipes, instead adding more sugar. I found Martha already did this. Now, with fewer eggs comes easier substitution. Her recipes also lean on the moist side, so apple sauce fits right into the makeup of her cookies.

Here, I have veganized her Chocolate-Ginger Brownies in honor of my friend, Ginger's birthday. They came out moist, flavorful and delicate. Be careful handling them-- if you can stave off eating them all before they are served.

And happy birthday, Ginger!

Jason's Soul Vegan Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream

My man, Jason, eats both peanut butter and bananas like it's his only chance at survival. He eats them separately, together, for breakfast, for snack, every day. I've seen him dash across the street to a separate store to buy a banana when they weren't available at the cafe at which we were eating. So, when I discovered a vegan ice cream could be made simply from combining bananas and peanut butter, I knew I had to try making it. Once I tasted this dish's simple beauty, I found it worthy to be named in Jason's honor.

The simplicity of the concept is as mind numbing as hanging out with frozen bananas. Just puree pieces of frozen banana, add other ingredients and eat. I suggest freezing your banana bits on a flat surface, apart, which I did not do. They will puree faster, and you won't need to take a large knife to the contents of your food processor.

Grandmother's Gooey Lemon Bars, Veganized

These lemon bars are not anything I had growing up. They were in my grandmother's recipe box, and I decided to see what I could do about them. The whole box is a time capsule of what Americans were eating in the 1950's, and these bars are no exception. Simple and nutritionally void, these bars represent a lot of American food at the time. 

I imagine them being served as an afternoon snack during the summer, along with ice tea. My version isn't quite as elegant as I would like, but I suspect they are true to the original. I perhaps shouldn't have expected elegance from a dish that requires mixing with one's hands.

Vegan Surprise Cupcakes: Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling

As soon as I became vegan, I knew my grandmother's Surprise Cupcake recipe was one of which I simply had to make a vegan version. The light, sweet filling hides so neatly within the plain exterior of the chocolate cupcake. The flavors are simple, yet layered; and the combination has won over many a cream cheese hater.

The original cupcakes were served at countless special and not-so-special events throughout my lifetime: BBQs, birthday parties, Wednesdays, potlucks, camping trips. I often found myself saying, "You have to come to X because my mom is bringing her famous Surprise Cupcakes!" When advertising for my master's vocal recital, and using similar enticing statements, I did have to explain that the surprise was, in fact, something legal in all fifty states. Other than that caveat, I like to keep the surprise as secret as possible. There's a certain joy in watching a person discover something unexpected and then enjoying it.

It took a few attempts for me to create this recipe, and though I'm not quite convinced it's the one, the replica, it's a delicious near miss. The filling is a bit more creamy and delicate than the one I'm seeking, and there are a few more steps than I would like; but these are some darn good cupcakes.