Lavender Cookies

These lavender cookies are a design that I make over and over again because they come together quickly and although the design is simple, it's a standout.

To make them, you need just three colors of royal icing and absolutely no artistic ability. If you can pipe a line and a dot, you can make these. You also don't need a special cookie cutter...round, square, rectangle, any shape will do.  I used a plaque shaped cutter for these.

These lavender cookies are for my sweet friends at The Wednesday Community Meal. I miss them so much.

Basecoat some cookies with white royal icing and let them dry completely before moving onto the next step. 

With piping consistency green royal icing, pipe some stems and add a few "v's" to them. 

Using lavender piping consistency icing, pipe groups of dots above each of the "v's."

For a final touch,  pipe a few green lines at the base of the stems. 

Please Stay With Me

I apologize for my extended blogging and baking break, but I do have a good excuse.

You see, I am moving to West Cornwall, Connecticut in mid-June to run a retreat center alongside my husband for Trinity Church Wall Street. The last few weeks have been some of the busiest of my life, preparing for our move across the country and putting our house on the market.

With potential buyers coming in, we need to keep the house clean and tidy. Cookie decorating is so much fun but it is unfortunately sort of messy.  I can't have sheet pans filled with cookies setting out all over the counters.

I promise though there will be baking in my future and I am looking forward to sharing my new adventures with you. Just know that I haven't forgotten you and I sincerely hope that you stay with me.

Big Batch Macarons

Macaron shells resting before baking.

I took a big risk, but it worked! I made 400 macarons for an event in record time because of a few recipe and baking changes.

I made Oregon Raspberry Macarons, Lime Coconut Macarons, Mocha Macarons and they were all enjoyed at yesterday's reception, celebrating Nathan LeRud as the new Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

As you know, macarons are delicious but finicky, so I was hesitant to implement my spur of the moment ideas, especially without testing them first. But the thought of cutting hours out of my work time was just way too attractive.

So here are the changes I made:

1. I increased my recipe by half to make more macarons.

With the new recipe, I can get a few more than 100 instead of 70 small macarons out of a single batch. I was tempted to double the recipe, but knew that if I made too much batter, it would be difficult to get the macaronage (the process of incorporating the dry ingredients into the egg whites) right.

Big Batch Macaron Recipe Quanities
225 grams egg whites, aged 2 to 4 days in the fridge and then brought to room temperature
270g ground almonds, sifted
405g powdered sugar, sifted
140g granulated sugar

Proceed as usual but lay out six sheetpans lined with parchment paper and set aside three pastry bags for the piping of the macarons.

Many Mocha Macarons!

2. I baked two pans of macarons at a time. 

The baking is what really eats up time. Usually I bake one pan at a time, in the middle rack of a convection oven. Each pan takes an average of 11 minutes, so you are looking at a full hour to bake a batch. The reason for baking one pan at a time is to ensure that the shells get even heat in the oven and end up with a nice rise and feet.  My solution was to put two pans in the 325 degree oven and then rotate them midway through the baking. Phew! It worked just fine.

The shells after baking.

For the Oregon Raspberry Macarons, I added a swipe of red to the tops of all the shells. I mixed red gel coloring with a bit of vodka to make a paint.

3. I asked my daughter to help me.

Another time consuming, but not hard job, is sorting the macarons into pairs. I asked my daughter Eleanor to take over the sorting while I prepared the buttercream fillings. Besides speeding up the process, it was nice to have company in the kitchen.

Eleanor sorting Lime Coconut Macarons into pairs.

Filling the macarons.

Filled and ready to eat Oregon Raspberry Macarons.

Mint Macarons

Mint macarons are so delicious and very refreshing.

My absolute favorite way to enjoy them is with a mug of steaming hot chocolate. The cool mint/hot chocolate combination is heavenly — Imagine eating a deconstructed Girl Scout Thin Mint, but homemade, more sophisticated and much better. Serve that at your next dinner party and I guarantee, your guests will be impressed.

The mint filling for these is so simple and quick to make. It's just unsalted butter, powdered sugar and mint extract whipped until light and creamy.

Here's the recipe:

Mint Macarons
180g ground almonds, sifted
270g powdered sugar, sifted
150g egg whites, aged 2 to 4 days in the fridge and then brought to room temperature
100g granulated sugar
Teal food coloring

Line four heavy baking sheets with good quality parchment paper and set aside. Also, set aside two pastry bags for the piping of the macarons.

Sift together your ground almonds with the powdered sugar and set aside.

Whisk the egg whites (at room temperature) to glossy firm peaks adding the granulated sugar gradually in four parts.  Towards the end of mixing, add the food coloring and tint the batter as desired.

Incorporate the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites using a large rubber scraper.  Mix well. 
Fold the mixture with the rubber scraper by pulling down the sides and flipping the mixture over. Do this until you have a smooth mixture that falls like a “ribbon” off the scraper.

Transfer the mixture into the two piping bags. Use rubber bands to close the piping bags. Clip the tip of the bags, one at a time, and pipe small quarter sized rounds, leaving 1-inch of space between each because they spread as they set.

Leave to set for about 30 minutes or until the top has formed a crust and is not sticky to the touch. 

The piped macarons before baking.

While they are setting, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. A convection oven is preferable. 

Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 12 minutes or until the cookie is firm, matte and doesn't wobble when touched.

Leave on the baking tray until cool then lift them all off the parchment carefully. You may need to use a thin knife to help lift them off.

This shows how the color fades after baking. Be sure to tint your macaron batter darker than you want it to turn out.

Sort into pairs and fill with Mint Buttercream. Store the macarons covered in refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

Mint Buttercream
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed until the buttercream is smooth and creamy. This takes about 5 minutes.

Filling the macarons.

So cute!

A batch of mint macarons. These are going to the Green Day Alternative Liturgy at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Making Irish soda bread is a St. Patrick's Day tradition at our house but this year, I made it a little bit different to suit our family's new way of eating.

I "veganized" the soda bread and truly, it tastes just as good as the bread I made in years past.

There are lots of recipes and variations for soda bread out there. Some call for butter, raisins, currants and/or caraway seeds, but just about every recipe calls for buttermilk. My recipe, for the most basic soda bread, is just self-rising flour, baking soda and buttermilk.  The recipe comes from a booklet called "Step-By-Step Irish Farmhouse Cooking," that I purchased in 1993 while living in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

To make the bread vegan, all I did was substitute soy milk mixed with a bit of lemon juice for the buttermilk. The ratio is for every cup of buttermilk, use 1 cup of soy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I've used this substitution many times and it works brilliantly. And, if you don't happen to have lemon juice, you can use white vinegar.

Here's the recipe:
Note: The recipe calls for self-rising wheat and self-rising white flour which you can purchase, but I always make my own. It's much more economical so I've also included that recipe below.

Irish Soda Bread
2 cups self-rising white flour
2 cups self-rising whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 to 3 cups soy milk
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
all-purpose flour for shaping the loaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Measure out two cups of the soy milk and stir in two tablespoons of lemon juice. You might need to mix up to one more full cup of this vegan buttermilk substitute, but don't mix it up unless you have to. Wait to see if you need it.

In a large bowl, mix together the self-rising flour and baking soda. Pour in enough of the soymilk/lemon mixture to moisten the ingredients and form a soft dough. If two cups isn't enough, mix up some more, 1/2 cup at a time.

Turn half of the dough onto floured surface and pat into a round. Place the round on a parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

Use a knife to score the top of the rounds into sixth's. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped with the fingers.

Loaves ready for the oven.

All done!

 Self-Rising Flour
1 cup all-purpose white or whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Butternut Squash Cake

Butternut Squash Cake, chilling in the fridge.

The recipe for this rich, moist, spicy and delicious Butternut Squash Cake came from my friend Tom who found it in the November 2015 issue of Sunset Magazine, where it was touted as an alternative to carrot cake.

The spice in the cake comes ground cardamom, allspice, cinnamon and ground and crystallized ginger. And, for even more flavor, there are some generous splashes of bourbon in both the cake and frosting.

When I first read through the recipe, I was concerned that grating butternut squash would be kind of challenging. It wasn't. In fact, grating butternut squash turns out to be even easier than grating carrots. The flesh of the squash was actually softer than that of a carrot and you can cut off one big chunk of squash and grate enough for the recipe in no time.

I decided to increase the amount of squash in the recipe to three cups and I did make a few other changes as well, like reducing the sugar in the frosting by half. Three cups of powdered sugar in a single batch of frosting is way too much! I also substituted my favorite Penzy's dehydrated orange zest for fresh zest.

There's is one more thing I have to mention about this recipe — It calls for you to bake the three layers of cake in three separate 8-inch cake pans.

Well, that wasn't a problem for me,  but I realize that most people don't own more than two 8-inch cake pans.

The good news is that you really don't need three pans to make this cake. Two pans will hold the batter just fine. Just be sure to increase the baking time by about 10 minutes. Keep a careful eye on the cakes as they are baking, and pull them out when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Here's the recipe:

Butternut Squash Cake
2 cups cake flour (I make my own. Click here for the recipe)
1 cup whole wheat flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Penzy's dehydrated orange zest (If you can't find this, substitute 2 tablespoons of fresh.)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
3 cups grated butternut squash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and line with parchment three round (8-inch cake)  pans.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and allspice and set aside.

In a small bowl mix the dehydrated orange zest with the vanilla and orange juice. Set aside for 10 minutes for the zest to absorb the vanilla and juice and soften.

In another large bowl, use a whisk to beat by hand the oil, eggs, brown sugar, yogurt, bourbon and lemon juice. Add the orange/vanilla mixture.

Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Finally stir in the crystallized ginger and squash.

Adding the squash.

Divide the mixture between the three pans and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. 

Spicy Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 unsalted butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup unsweetened shaved coconut, toasted

In a stand mixer whip together the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and light. Add the bourbon, cardamom, sea salt, cinnamon and ginger and whip again until everything is thoroughly combined.

The frosting.

Toast the coconut on a sheetpan in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to keep a carefully eye on it and pull it out of the oven when the edges of the coconut shavings are golden brown.  Leave the coconut on the pan to cool completely.

To frost the cake:
Set a cake layer rounded side down on a platter, spread the top of it with about 3/4 cup of frosting.

Add the second layer and top with another 3/4 cup of frosting.

Add the final cake layer and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Press the cooled toasted coconut into the sides of the cake, a small handful at a time.

Adding the toasted coconut.

Keep the cake chilled until you are ready to serve. 

Mocha Macarons

These really should be called double mocha macarons since there's espresso and cocoa powder in the both the shells and the buttercream filling.

The lines of drizzled dark chocolate are optional but I like the look and they do make the macarons even more decadent which I think is a very good thing.

It's important to use premium quality espresso and cocoa powder in these since except for some vanilla in the buttercream, the cocoa and espresso flavors are front and center and need to be delicious and bold. My cocoa powder preference is Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa.

Here's the recipe:

Mocha Macarons
180g ground almonds, sifted
270g powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder 
10g dark cocoa powder
150g egg whites, aged 2 to 4 days in the fridge and then brought to room temperature
100g granulated sugar

Line four heavy baking sheets with good quality parchment paper and set aside. Also, set aside two pastry bags for the piping of the macarons.

Sift together your ground almonds with the powdered sugar, espresso and cocoa powder and set aside.

Whisk the egg whites (at room temperature) to glossy firm peaks adding the granulated sugar gradually in four parts.

Incorporate the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites using a large rubber scraper.  Mix well. 

Fold the mixture with the rubber scraper by pulling down the sides and flipping the mixture over. Do this until you have a smooth mixture that falls like a “ribbon” off the scraper.

Transfer the mixture into the two piping bags. Use rubber bands to close the piping bags. Clip the tip of the bags, one at a time, and pipe small quarter sized rounds, leaving 1-inch of space between each because they spread as they set. Leave to set for about 30 minutes or until the top has formed a crust and is not sticky to the touch.

While they are setting, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. A convection oven is preferable. 

Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 12 minutes or until the cookie is firm, matte and doesn't wobble when touched.

Leave on the baking tray until cool then lift them all off the parchment carefully. You may need to use a thin knife to help lift them off.

Sort into pairs and fill with Mocha Buttercream or if you prefer, first decorate the shells with dark chocolate.

Mocha Buttercream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whip until smooth and creamy. This takes about 5 minutes.


Chocolate Drizzle (optional)
Sort the macaron shells into pairs and set them all out on parchment.

Melt 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips in the microwave. Heat the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring after each. When the chocolate is thoroughly melted, stir in 3 more tablespoons of dark chocolate chips. Keep stirring until all the chocolate is melted. This is a tempering method called "seeding."

Then, put the melted chocolate into a disposable pastry bag and clip a very small bit off of the tip. Without applying much pressure and moving quickly, let the chocolate fall in lines across all of the shells.

Let the chocolate set completely before filling the macarons. You can speed the process by putting them in the refrigerator.

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

I just found a way to make my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe even better — Dip them in dark chocolate!

These cookies got a big thumbs up from my husband which is why I decided to make them for my recent fundraising bake sale at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.  These are decadent but they are also very easy to make.

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
(makes about 40 cookies)
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup old-fashioned crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt.

In a large bowl, whip together the peanut butter and shortening. Add the sugars and beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and mix well. Finally, stir in flour mixture.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and space them apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten the cookies with a fork, pressing down twice in a crosshatch pattern.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
 

Cookies ready for the oven.

The cookies after baking.

Dipping the Cookies:
10 oz. dark chocolate, divided (I like Callebaut brand Belgian chocolate best)


First off, have your cookies at hand, ready to dip and a counter or sheetpans lined with parchement paper before you prepare the chocolate. You have to have a place to set your cookies after dipping.

Place 8 oz. of the chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. You need to use a bowl that adequately holds the chocolate but is small enough so that the chocolate isn't too spread out. You need depth for the dipping.

Microwave the chocolate in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring after each until the chocolate is thoroughly melted. Immediately add the remaining 2 oz. of chocolate and stir until it's also thoroughly melted. This is called the seeding method and is a simple way to temper the chocolate.

Dip a cookie about 1/3 into the melted chocolate and give it a gentle shake to remove any excess. Place the cookie on parchment and keep working quickly until all the cookies have been dipped. Leave the cookies on the parchment until the chocolate is completely set.

Be sure to have pans lined with parchment paper ready before you start dipping the cookies. You have to have a place to set them.

Leave the cookies on the parchment lined trays until the chocolate sets. You can speed the process by putting them in the refrigerator.

When the chocolate sets it will look like this.

Valentine Treat Sale!

This year's Valentine's Treat Sale to benefit Food Ministries at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is right around the corner.

It will be held on Sunday, Feb. 14,  from 9 a.m. to noon at the Cathedral in Kempton Hall. Come early for the best selection because we do sell out.

I'm spending most of today planning this year's treats and I promise they will be beautiful, delicious and the perfect sweet gift for those you love.

I hope to see you there and in the meantime, here's a little sample of the treats from previous sales.

Chocolate Cookie Cutouts

Today was my first free day in weeks and I know I probably should have spent it catching up on housework but I couldn't resist a day of just for fun baking.

I've been wanting to create a chocolate cutout cookie that I could add to my repertoire and came up with this new recipe by adding 1/3 cup of dark cocoa powder to my favorite sugar cookie recipe, doubling the vanilla and eliminating the almond extract.

The cookies turned out great and kept their shape nicely and I really like the contrast of the dark cookie against the light colored royal icing.

Here's the recipe: 

Chocolate Cookie Cutouts
Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch cookies

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

 In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until blended, then beat on high speed until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and cocoa powder and beat until well blended. Add flour and salt; beat on low speed until combined, then on medium speed until well blended. Divide dough into two equal portions. Place dough between sheets of plastic wrap. Press evenly into a disk and chill until dough is firm, at least 20 minutes. Working with one portion of dough at a time (keep remaining chilled), peel off plastic wrap and roll on a floured board until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with floured cutters and transfer onto bare baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees (325 for convection) for 7 to 9 minutes or until firm to the touch and slightly darker brown around edges. Cool on wire racks.

Vegan Vanilla Orange Cake

Our household has been meatless except for fish and a turkey on Thanksgiving for the past five months and I'm having fun experimenting in the kitchen and developing new recipes, particularly with my baking.

Here's how the culinary adventure started: About a year ago, my 16-year-old daughter Eleanor became a vegan.

Her decision was primarily for environmental reasons. But she was also considering the ethics and dietary consequences of eating animals and animal products.

At the time, I told Eleanor I was proud of her for being thoughtful, taking a stand and following through. I promised to support her by making well-rounded vegan meals for her, as my husband and I continued to eat our regular diet consisting of small amounts of meat and dairy.

Eleanor was very disappointed in us for not jumping into veganism with her and frankly, she sometimes got a little preachy.

"Don't you care about the environment?" she asked, when I came home from the store with packaged chicken.

"You're definitely not going to get people to change their ways by being confrontational and putting them on the defensive," I told her.

Later, on our evening walk together, she said, "Mom, I don't want to make you feel bad, but can I tell you why veganism is important?"

So we walked and I listened. She told me that it takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef, but it takes 25 gallons of water to grow a pound of wheat.

I checked her facts. She was right. Here are some of the things I discovered:

You can actually save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for six months. (John Robbins in "The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and the World" )

Only 5 percent of US water consumption comes from domestic use, whereas animal agriculture uses 55%. (Water Footprint Network)

It takes 1,000 gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk. (Water Footprint Network)

She told me that according to a report by the United Nations, the single best thing you can do for the environment is become vegan.

She was right:

"A global shift toward a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, (energy) fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change." (United Nations Report)

"As the global population surges towards a predicted 9.1 billion by 2050, western tastes for diets rich in meat and dairy are unsustainable."(United Nations Report)

“You can’t call yourself an environmentalist and eat meat. Period."(Howard Lyman, farmer and animal rights activist )

We also talked about animal cruelty and the health benefits that come from a plant-based diet.

"Males of the egg-laying breeds are of little value, as only a few roosters are required for reproduction. A day after they’re hatched, chicks are sexed (their gender determined), with the unfortunate males heading straight to the grinder for use as animal feed. In the United States alone, several hundred million newly hatched chicks are killed this way each year, while Germany estimates its annual day-old-chick death figure at about 50 million." (Al Jazeera America, 2015)

Researchers at Harvard University found that individuals eating beef, pork or lamb daily have approximately three times the colon cancer risk, compared to people who generally avoid these products. (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

Eleanor had lots of good points, and through our discussions and my research, I could see that I was making lame excuses such as "the cow is already dead so it's okay to buy it" to validate not changing my ways. But conscientious and compassionate daily decisions, no matter how seemingly small, have a big impact on our planet. Maybe start out by going meatless just one week a month or only cut beef out of your diet at first.

I'm not perfect by any means. I still use eggs and dairy in most of my baking, but I'm branching out and experimenting with vegan baking and finding success.

My latest creation is this Vanilla Orange Cake for our New Year's Day celebration. The fact that it's vegan isn't what's best about it. The best part: It's a delicious cake!  My husband says it's one of the best cakes I've ever made (and I've made a lot of cakes).

It's four layers and the cake is light, super moist, flavored with orange juice, zest and vanilla extract and filled with a creamy orange curd.

Here's the recipe:

Vegan Vanilla Orange Cake

Orange Curd Filling:
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2/3 cup sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons Earth Balance brand vegan butter

In a medium sized saucepan combine the orange juice, sugar, cornstarch and zest. Heat it over medium high heat, whisking constantly until it comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove it from the heat and transfer it to a glass bowl. While the mixture is still hot, whisk in the Earth Balance until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.

Cake:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons dehydrated orange zest (I like Penzeys brand) or substitute 3 tablespoons fresh zest
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup canola oil
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Grease, flour and flour 2 cake pans (8 or 9-inches).  I also like to line the bottom of each pan with a round of greased parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the orange juice with the vanilla and dehydrated orange zest. Set aside for about 10 minutes for the zest to soften.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soymilk, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and canola oil. Whisk until well combined and add the orange vanilla mixture. Whisk again.

In a medium sized bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add this to the liquid mixture and beat until well combined and no lumps remain.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for about 35 minutes or until the cakes are done and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups Earth Balance brand vegan butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 cup  powdered sugar

Cream together the vegan butter, vanilla and soy milk until light and fluffy. This takes a while so using a stand mixer is preferable. When you first whip it, it will look like a lumpy mess, but don't worry, it will come together. Add the powdered sugar and whip again until it is well combined and the mixture is light and spreadable.

To assemble:
Remove the orange curd filling from the fridge and whip it until it becomes smooth and spreadable.

Use a serrated knife to cut each cake in half to create four layers. Place one layer, cut side up, on a cake cardboard or serving plate and top with 1/3 of the curd mixture, keeping a 1/2-inch clean border around the edge since it will spread out when you place another layer on top of it.

Adding orange curd to the first layer.

Add the second layer, cut side up, and spread with another 1/3 of the orange curd.

Add the third layer, cut side up, and spread with the remaining orange curd.

Finally, add the fourth layer, cut side down, and refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes or until it firms up.

After you've stacked the cake, refrigerate it for a bit to help it firm up and be easier to frost.

Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of the frosting and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

The crumb coat is really thin and locks down all of the crumbs for the final layer of frosting.

Coat the cake with the rest of the frosting and top with a bit of grated orange zest. One thing I did notice is that the vegan frosting doesn't spread as easily as a true buttercream so you need to be a little more patient.

Keep the cake chilled and remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before you are ready to serve. Enjoy!