Vegetable Cakes was published in January 2019 in the USA, and October 2018 in the UK, and launched at Book Soup in Los Angeles, CA.
Confounding ideas about sweetness, vegetables are often better suited to cakes than fruit because, when you think about it, caramelized onions are way sweeter than a tart, raw strawberry. This is plant-based cuisine that's uniquely now. Available from all leading booksellers in the US and UK, including Barnes & Nobles, Waterstones, Target, Amazon, and independent retailers internationally, including the US launch partner, Book Soup.
Meena Ysanne’s previous cookbook, The Ranch at Live Oak Cookbook, was ghost-written for The Ranch, Malibu team, and published by Rizzoli New York to widespread acclaim, including outstanding reviews in:
Autumn 2018 UK media for her new cookbook, Vegetable Cakes, includes:
The Daily Mail - 2 page review and feature, including recipes
Vegan Living - Cover feature, and 3 page extract, including recipes
The Lady - 4 page feature, including recipes
Vegan Living - Cover feature, and 3 page extract, including recipes
The Lady - 4 page feature, including recipes
The Daily Mail - 2 page review and feature, including recipes
Yorkshire Life - 6 page feature, including recipes
Velvet Magazine - 1/2 page photo feature
Waitrose Weekend - 3/4 page interview and photo feature in the UK’s favorite food retailer’s magazine
Smallholder - 3 page interview and recipes in this rural homestead magazine
Talk Radio Europe - live radio interview
Spring 2019 US media for Vegetable Cakes includes:
Spring 2019 US radio interviews:
Spring 2019 US podcasts:
All recipes below from Vegetable Cakes by Ysanne Spevack, published by Lorenz Books. All images by Nicki Dowey. Available at all good independent book sellers in the USA and UK, and online at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
Radish Pavlova
Egg-free meringue made (as if by magic!) from chickpeas, topped with rosewater-infused radish
Aquafaba meringue topped with mandolin-slices of radish. For a lovely subtle floral flourish, you can decorate with rose petals and even radish ‘roses’ soaked in rose water. This recipe is vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
There’s a new magic ingredient, and it’s beyond surprising. In fact, we’ve always known about it, but never realized its potential. Once discarded as a waste product, the cooking liquid from a can of chickpeas has now found recognition as a wonder ingredient dubbed ‘aquafaba’ (or ‘bean water’) by the French chef Joel Roessel, and a food blogger by the name of Goose Wohlt. The liquid is the gloopy, creamy fibres of the beans, and acts similarly to egg whites. It’s the ultimate vegan no-waste foodstuff. Now I often find myself buying cans of chickpeas and white beans purely for the aquafaba, and then making hummus so I don’t waste the ‘by-product’ of the beans themselves! Simply strain the liquid from the can and whisk, to create a fabulous foam that forms the basis of an egg-free meringue.
MAKES ONE 20CM/8IN PAVLOVA, SERVES 6–8
175ml/6fl oz aquafaba i.e. the liquid from a can of chickpeas
1.5ml/1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
1.5ml/1/4 tsp guar gum (optional)
1.5ml/1/4 tsp Versawhip (optional)
2.5ml/1/2 tsp vanilla extract
50g/2oz cornflour
150g/5oz caster sugar
A bunch of fresh radishes, topped and tailed
30ml/2 tbsp raw agave syrup
5ml/1 tsp rose water (optional)
400ml/14fl oz can of coconut cream, chilled
Mint sprigs and rose petals, to decorate
1 Set the oven to 100ºC/200ºF/Gas 1/4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment or use a silicone mat.
2 Using an electric whisk on high setting, beat the aquafaba until whipped to stiff glossy peaks, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the cream of tartar, guar gum and Versawhip (if using), and vanilla extract.
3 Sift the cornflour into a small bowl, and mix together with the sugar. Slowly add this mixture, one tablespoon at a time, to the aquafaba foam, still beating on high with the electric whisk. After about 2–3 minutes the ingredients will be combined, and the foam still firm.
4 Spread the foam onto the baking sheet, heaping it in the middle as it will spread out slightly. You could pipe the foam if you prefer a more formal look.
5 Bake for 2 hours, then turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven for another 5 hours.
6 While the meringue is in the cooling oven, slice the radishes as thinly as possible using a mandolin. Soak the slices in a bowl with the agave and rose water, if using.
7 When you’re nearly ready to serve the pavlova, open the chilled can of coconut cream and drain away the liquid (retaining it in a bowl as you will want to use some of it), leaving the thick semi-solid cream. Using an electric whisk, whip the cream, adding some of the reserved liquid little by little until the desired consistency is reached. It needs to be thick so it will stay on top of the pavlova.
8 Remove the meringue from the oven, spread with the whipped coconut cream and top with the macerated radishes. Decorate with mint sprigs and rose petals. As the meringue will start to moisten, serve immediately.
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
The cream of tartar, guar gum, and Versawhip are all optional ingredients. I’ve found they add stability to the uncooked foam, and structure to the finished baked meringue, but they aren’t necessary. Many people prefer their pavlova to have more crevices and cracks. Also, I usually recommend avoiding refined sugar, but don’t attempt to substitute it in this meringue – the chemistry won’t work! It really is essential to use refined sugar for this recipe, much as I wish it wasn’t the case. Really, I spent a whole month testing different non-sugar sweeteners to make this work, but ultimately, the sugar crust is what allows this to be an egg-free pavlova - the only egg-free pavlova that I have come ac ross to date. This meringue is lovely with almond extract instead of vanilla extract, if you like, though it won’t then be nut-free.
DECORATION IDEA
To decorate with radish ‘roses’, trim radishes and make vertical cuts three-quarters of the way through in a rose pattern, using a sharp knife. Put into a bowl of cold water infused with a little rose water, and soak in the refrigerator overnight. Drain well before using.
Cauliflower, Chocolate and Coconut Cake
A super moist vegan layer cake with maple syrup
Cauliflower is ‘riced’ and transformed into a super-moist cake with the fabulous flavour combination of coconut and chocolate. A maple coconut cream makes it even more special.
This delectable vegetable cake has an incredibly moist and fudgy texture, with a classic cake-like crumb and a topping of whipped coconut cream. It is a perfect entry-level recipe to introduce vegetable cakes to your family and friends, and to serve for a celebration. To ‘rice’ the cauliflower, I use a box grater, or pulse it in a food processor to make little rice-sized pieces. You can buy packs of pre-riced cauliflower but it’s more nutritious to do yourself.
MAKES ONE 20CM / 8” CAKE, SERVES 8
FOR THE CAKE:
100ml/31/2fl oz coconut oil
100ml/31/2fl oz maple syrup
50g/2oz coconut sugar
150g/5¾oz chocolate, 70% or 100% cocoa solids
2.5ml/½ tsp pink or sea salt
175ml/6fl oz aquafaba i.e. the liquid from a can of chickpeas
150g/5oz coconut flour
4.5ml/¾ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
400g/14oz grated cauliflower (about 1 large head, cored), plus florets for decoration
FOR THE FROSTING:
400g/14oz/2 blocks solid creamed coconut
60ml/4 tbsp boiling water
45ml/3 tbsp maple syrup
120ml/4fl oz coconut or non-dairy milk
1 carrot, for decoration
1 Preheat the oven to 190ºC/370ºF/Gas 5. Line the bottoms of two 20cm/8in round loose-based cake tins with baking parchment. The batter is quite oily so there’s no need to grease non-stick tins.
2 In a saucepan, heat the coconut oil until liquid and then mix in the maple syrup and coconut sugar. Heat for 2 minutes until bubbling and combined. Break in the chocolate, take the pan off the heat, and stir so it combines. Add the salt, and set aside.
3 In a bowl, whisk the aquafaba for 4 minutes with an electric hand mixer on the highest setting until it forms soft, white peaks. Fold in the chocolate mixture and then the flours, bicarbonate of soda and grated cauliflower.
4 Transfer the batter equally into the prepared cake tins and bake for 40 minutes until still moist but fairly firm in the centres. Allow to cool in the tins, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely, being careful as they are so squishy. Leave in the fridge overnight – this does improve the consistency and makes the cakes fudgy and cohesive.
5 The next day, grate the creamed coconut into a bowl, and, using a metal spoon, blend with 4 tbsp boiling water, the 3 tbsp maple syrup and the coconut milk to make a creamy frosting. Stand for 10 minutes to warm and combine, then blend again. (If you prefer, you can simply use canned coconut cream instead of the block and coconut milk.)
6 Removing the paper, set the first cake on a plate. Spread with coconut frosting then peel the paper from the second cake and place it on top. Cover with the rest of the frosting. Decorate with carrot ribbons (I use a vegetable peeler) and tiny cauliflower slices. This cake keeps for 4 days in an airtight container, and improves every day.
DECORATION IDEA
Top the cake with sweet, crisped cauliflower florets if you like. Place small slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with 15ml/1 tbsp of maple syrup. Bake in a 210ºC/425ºF/Gas 7 oven for 10 minutes then allow to cool before using.
SALTED CARAMEL SWISS CHARD PIE
Sweet caramel made with cream and coconut sugar, with tender blanched chard
This might look like a salad but rest assured, it’s very much a pie - and what a pie, with dairy cream mixed with butter and coconut sugar for caramelly gorgeousness.
I could describe this as a caramel tart, with added herbs... or perhaps as a quiche without the egg but with extra toffee. It certainly has the finest, butteriest, crumbliest pastry that’s crisp in texture and high on flavour, and even if you need to take a breath before embracing the emerald, you will fall in love with it once tried. A brilliant green whimsical tart infused with salty caramel sweetness.
MAKES ONE 23CM/9IN PIE, SERVES 6–8.
100g/3 3/4oz/1 cup cornflour (cornstarch), plus extra for dusting
100g/3 3/4oz/1 cup buckwheat flour
250g/9oz/generous 1 cup/2 1/4 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
1 egg
80g/3 oz/1/3 cup generous coconut sugar, plus 15ml/1 tbsp
100ml/3 1/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup single (light) cream
Pinch of sea salt
250g/9oz Swiss chard, stems removed
Edible flowers, to decorate
1 Place the cornflour and buckwheat flour in a bowl and mix to combine. Add 150g/5oz of the butter and rub into the flour mixture with your fingertips until completely integrated. Mix in the egg and 15ml/1 tbsp of the sugar, then stir together to make a sticky dough. Wrap in clear film or plastic wrap and chill for one hour.
2 Grease a 23cm/9in fluted, loose-bottomed pie tin (pan). On a clean surface dusted with cornflour, roll out the pastry to a little bigger than the tin. Place the pastry into the tin and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6.
3 Trim around the edge of the tart to neaten, cutting a little higher than the tin. Cover with baking parchment and fill with baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and turn the temperature down to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4.
4 In a small pan, bring the remaining butter and coconut sugar to the boil and then simmer for 2 minutes, until thick and shiny. Mix in the cream and add the sea salt.
5 Blanch the chard in a pan of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and dry. Arrange the chard in the pastry case in a circular pattern starting from the outside and working inwards, and then drizzle over the caramel sauce.
6 Bake for 15 minutes, then cool a little before removing to a wire rack. Serve warm or cool, decorated with flowers.
Video shot by Cynthia Carlson, and edited by Bella Erikson. One take, super spontaneous. With thanks to Keith Richards ;-)