I have been reading about the concept of veganism for quite some time now. The history – how and when the concept came into being, the basic philosophy behind the idea, when the term was coined and the different aspects and form of veganism that are followed all over the world.

Who are Vegans?

However, in India, the concept of vegetarianism is time immemorial. There are different forms of vegetarianism here. The three distinct ones that I can understand are 1. Vegetarians, who will not consume onions and garlic, but consume milk. 2. Vegetarians, who will consume onions and garlic and eggs only in cakes. 3. Vegetarians who will not consume any animal products or by-products. The third category can be clearly classified as vegan, but again it is not essentially a lifestyle choice, it is about religious practices in most cases.

One of the bigger differences I understand is that vegans do not consume any form of animal products. This leads to making baked goods a rather tricky job. However, with a little permutation and combination, all can be managed just fine. So, I did try to make a few changes myself and also tried out a few recipes from blogs. The best result is what I am presenting today.

• The recipe below has been halved. The original recipe can be found in the link above.
• The cold coffee can be substituted with water. However, the coffee does impart a rather unique flavor to the cake.
• The batter must not be over mixed. It will cause the dough to become tough. Mix only till the ingredients all a well combined.

Preparation

Flour 1.5 cups

Sugar 1 cup

Cocoa 1/2 cup

Cold Coffee 1 cup

Oil 1/3 cup

Salt ½ tsp

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Baking soda 1 ¼ tsp.

White vinegar 1 tsp.

• Preheat the oven at 180ºC for 10 minutes. Grease and line a 9” round or square cake dish.
• Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, coffee or water, oil, salt, and vanilla essence till it forms a smooth batter.
• Mix the baking soda and vinegar until soda is dissolved. The mix will sizzle when the soda hits the vinegar. Quickly add it to the batter and stir till the solution is thoroughly incorporated. Pour into your baking dish. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean from the middle of the cake which shows that the cake is completely cooked.