This is a compilation of all the vegan cakes I have either come across or written recipes about this past year.
I sincerely hope other foodies will find it useful for reference and copying/sharing as all pics and articles in this posting are for sharing!

VEGAN RICE CUPCAKES

Just discovered this cupcake recipe for my vegan (I’m not) friends with the extra bonus of possible variations!

Japanese style vegan rice cupaakes!

INGREDIENTS: For 1 mug cup (arrange quantities accordingly for a greater number)

-Rice powder (Ris Blanc): 4 tablespoons
-Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
-Sugar (of your choice, honey might be feasible): 1 tablespoon
-Baking Powder: Half a teaspoon
-Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
-Soy milk: 4 tablespoons

RECIPE:

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-In an oven ramequin or mug cup first pour rice powder, cornstarch, sugar and baking powder and mix well.
Next add olive oil and soy milk and mix well.

-Depending on the kind of rce powder and soy milk you use, you may have to increase the amount of one or both for a smoother mixture. Experiment!

-Cook insid emicrowave for 2 minutes or more. Check by pushing a thin wooden or meddle stick. It should come out clean. The taste is light. You may add sugar.

-Have a good look at the cake while it cooks. It should not be more than 2 minutes 30 seconds.
If you use kabocha powder, you will need 1 small teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon of water.

-The above green cupcake was made by adding 1 teaspoon of spinach powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk!

-Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk for a cocoa cupcake!

-Add 1 tablespoon of carrot powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk for a carrot cupcake.

-Add crushed apple for the above!
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VEGAN TOFU LEMON CUPCAKES

This is a slightly different version of the Japanese style vegan tofu cupcake I introduced a couple of days ago. It will give you an idea of how to play on that idea!

INGREDIENTS: For about 16 cakes

-Tofu (kinu tofu): 180 g
-Sugar (of your choice): 0 g
-Soy milk: 3 tablespoons
-Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
-Olive oil: 2 tablespoons

-Flour (use chestnut flour if you are wheat allergic): 160 g
-Baking powder: 2 teaspoons

-Grated lemon skin: 1 whole lemon
-Dried English tea leaves, finely chopped ( the contents of 1 tea bag is adequate)

RECIPE:

-Mix flour and baking powder well.
Mix soy milk and lemon juice separately and and set apart.

-In a large bowl drop in the tofu and sugar. Mix well until you obtain a smooth paste. Add the soy milk, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix the lot thoroughly with a whisker.

-Add the all flour and baking powder mixture and mix in with a spatula until floury lumps have disappeared, but don’t mix too much!

-Pour mixture into cups and sprinkle them with grated lemon skin and dried tea.

-Bake inside oven for 16 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius.
If you make mini cupcakes, 12 minutes should sufficient.
keep looking at the colour of your cupcakes!
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VEGAN TOFU CUPCAKES

Cupcakes are the norm all over the world when it comes to bakery and tofu is a must for vegans.
Now, it is possible to make very simple cupcakes for vegans!
Wheat flour allergics can replace the wheat flour with chestnut flour like the Corsicans and Portguese do in their traditional food!
This is only the basic recipe to which you can add fruits and vegetables!

Vegan Tofu Cupcakes!

INGREDIENTS: For 5~6 cupcakes

-Tofu (kinu toufu): 300 g
-All-purpose flour (for substitutes, read above): 100 g
-Sugar (white, cane, or even honey): 30 g

RECIPE:

-Get ingrediens ready and pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

-Mix tofu and sugar. Mix well.

-Sprinkle flour over tofu and mix roughly so as to leave a little flour on the surface.

-Bake for 25~30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius or until desired colour.

-Dead simple, aren’t they?
Now your skills will reside in what you add!
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Vegan Japanese Dessert: Tofu Puddings!

It’s been some time since I have featured a recipe for the Tofu Tribe, (Terecita, Elin, Jenn and Jennifer !
I though it was about time I introduced them to a very easy way to make a dessert with tofu!

TOFU PUDDING!

INGREDIENTS: for 5 ramequins

-Water: 100 ml
-Agar agar powder: 3 g
-Tofu: 400 ml
-Sugar: 30 g
-Lemon juice: 1 lemon

RECIPE:

-Heat the mashed tofu without bringing it to a boil. Add sugar and let it dissolve into the tofu. Mix if necesary.

-In a deep pan pour the water and add the agar agar. Mix well as you heat on a medium fire. Once cissolved continue mixing until the water has become transparent.

-Take off fire. Add tofu to agar agar water little by little and mix well. Add lemon juice and mix. Wait for a little while. Pour in ramequins or recipients of your choice.
Chill well before serving!

Same recipe as above but replace water with English tea!
Vegan should make the tea with soy milk or water only!

Same with orang juice!
In this case use 100 ml of water and 200 ml of organice orange juice!

For this one replace orange juice with pineapple juice!
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Vegan Japanese Dessert; Fruit Jelly

The Japanese do have some simple ideas to please vegans and vegetarians alike, especially when it comes to simple, tasty and healthy desserts.
Here is a simple fruit jelly dessert you can adapt according to seasons and availability (try it with your kids!):

INGREDIENTS: For 2 large cups
1)
-100% orange juice (organic if possible) ２００ml
-Water: 200 ml
-Agar agar: 2^4 g (depending how solid you like your jelly)
2)
-100% apple juice (organic if possible): 200 ml
Water: 200 ml
-Agar agar: 2~4 g
-Grapefruit: 1 peeled and and quartered (all skins off)
-Mint leaves and blueberries for final touch

RECIPE:

-Pour water in a pan. Add agar agar. Heat a little to dissolve agar agar. Add orange juice. Pour into two glass cup of your choice and leave inside the fridge until it solidifies completely.

-Add grapefruit.

-Reapeat with apple juice: pour water in a pan and add agar agar. Heat slowly to dissolve agar agar. Add fruit juice. Pour the lot over the grapefruit.

-Add grapefruit and mint to your liking and put inside refrigerator to solidify.

-Variation with 3 layers!

-As it appears on your spoon!

-The other way round!

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“Mukashi Mushi Pan”/Old=fashioned Steamed Bread

Although I’m neither a vegetarian or vegan, I make a point to introduce anything I discover here which might help friends out!

Fukasawa Foods in Shibakawa Cho at the foot of Mount Fuji produces all year round an incredible array of soba/buckwheat noodles, udon/wheat flour noodles, ice-creams, cakes and I don’t know what else.

Now, all their food is organic. No artificial fertilizers are used for whatever they grow or buy, and no additives or preservatives are used in any of their product, which means all have to be properly stored and eaten quickly.

Vegans will be happy to know they use tofu instead of any dairy product.

This particular cake called “Mukashi Mushi Pan” or Old-Fashioned Steamed Bread was made with wheat flour, tofu, brown sugar, raisins, salt, vegetable oil.
That is all!

One cake could have easily been held inside your palm, but it was very fulfilling and delicious!
They have other varieties made with pumpkin and other vegetables.

Fukasawa Foods
Fuji Gun, Shibakawa Cho, Naibo, 3895-8
Tel.: 0544-65-0143
Closed on Tuesdays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
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Here is an example of what could be done by a Japanese chef as Wagashi/Japanese Cake!
This particular Birthday Cake creation is the work of Chef Maeda at Kouseido in Osaka City!
Will look around and post other creations whenever I can!

Here is a breakdown of the above:

“Momo”/Peach

“MIkan”/Orange

“Tsubaki”/Camelia

“Sakura”/Cherry Blossom

“Ichigo”/Strawberry

“Meron”/Melon
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Sakura Mochi (桜餅) is a variety of wagashi, or Japanese confectionery consisting of a sweet pink mochi (rice cake) and red bean paste, covered with a leaf of sakura (cherry blossom).

Sakura Mochi (桜餅) or Cherry Blossom Mochi has been popular all over Japan since the beginning of gastronomy in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The style of Sakura Mochi differs from the regions in Japan.
Basically, the east of Japan such as Tokyo uses shiratama-ko (白玉粉/ rice flour) and the west side such as Kansai uses dōmyōji-ko (道明寺粉/glutinous rice flour) for “batter”.

Anko is folded inside a mochi sheet and again inside an edible cherry tree leaf.

Here the anko is inside white mochi, then folded in cherry tree leaf and topped with an edible cherry flower.

A smaller, very cute Sakura Mochi: the coloure mochi contains anko and is presented inside an edible cherry tree leaf.

Sakura mochi as sold over the counter in the Kansai/West Japan Region.
They are also called Sakura Dango/Cherry Balls (no comment, please!LOL)

SIMPLE RECIPE
This recipe is for making Western-style sakuramochi. Serves 8.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup glutinous rice flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup red bean paste
red food coloring (optional)
8 sakura leaves pickled in salted water

PREPARATION:
Wash pickled sakura leaves and dry.
Boil water in a pan.
Mix glutinous flour in the water.
Cover the pan with a lid and leave it for 5 minutes.
Place a wet cloth in a steamer and put the dough on the cloth.
Steam the dough for about 20 minutes over medium heat.
Remove the steamed dough to a bowl.
Mash the dough slightly with a wooden pestle, mixing sugar into the dough.
Dissolve a little bit of red food color in some water.
Add some of the red water in the dough and mix well.
Divide the pink mochi into 8 balls.
Flat each mochi ball by hands and place red bean paste filling on the dough.
Wrap the filling with mochi and rounds by hands.
Wrap each mochi with a sakura leaf.
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Here is another traditional Japanese Cake/Wagashi: Hanabira Mochi (菱葩餅 in Japanese)!
Hanabiramochi is a Japanese sweet usually eaten at the beginning of the year. Hanabiramochi is also served at the first tea ceremony of the New Year.

The name “hanabiramochi” literally means “flower petal mochi”. The original form of Hanabiramochi is Hishihanabira, a dessert that was eaten by the Imperial family at special events coinciding with the beginning of the year.

Hanabiramochi was first made in the Meiji Era (8 September 1868 – 30 July 1912), but it is now a familiar New Year wagashi.

The exact shape of hanabiramochi is strictly defined by tradition. The white mochi covering is flat and round, folded over to form a semicircular shape, and must have a pink color showing through in the center of the confection, fading to a white at the edge. Unlike a daifuku the mochi must not completely seal the insides.

In the center of a hanabiramochi is a layer of anko, a sweet bean paste, commonly the white kind made from sweetened mung beans. In the very center is a thin strip of sweetly flavoured gobo (burdock root) which protrudes from the mochi on both sides.

Each element of the hanabiramochi is significant.

The red colour showing through the white mochi is not only appropriate to the celebration of the new year but also evokes the Japanese apricot/plum (ume) blossom, which in turn represents the purity, perseverance, and renewal associated with the New Year.

The gobo represents pressed ayu, a fish exclusive to East Asia, and a prayer for a long life.

A vegan way to celebrate the New Year!
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Here is a simple Japanese Cake/Wagashi Recipe that can be adapted to all shapes by vegans and vegetarians! Beni Mochi.
Beni Mochi, or 紅餅 in Japanese, means “Red Mochi”.

INGREDIENTS: 16 pieces

-Rice flour: 250 g
-White sugar: 80 g
-Water: 100 ml/half a cup (for white mochi)
-Brown sugar (take care in choosing the colour): 80 g
-Water: 100 ml/half a cup (for red mochi)

RECIPE:

Divide rice flour into two equal parts (125 g) and pour into two different bowls.

In a deep pan, drop red sugar and add water. Heat over fire until completed melted. Switch off fire. Add rice flour and mix well.
Repeat same procedure with white sugar.

In a steamer, put mochi pastes (take care no to mix them) on a steaming paper and steam for 10 minutes.

Take out. Let cool. Make two balls and keep in different bowls.

Shape the mochi as above or according to your preference. Put them back inside the steamer on steming paper and steam for 10 more minutes.

Let cool and serve!
Are best enjoyed with Japanese tea, hot or cold!
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Youkan come in many guises. Here is an easy and ver basic recipe for “Mizu Youkan” that you will be able to adapt into many creations of yours! For vegans, vegetarians and omnivores!

INGREDIENTS:
-Boiled azuki beans: 1 can (430 g)
-Brown sugar: 60 g
-Salt: a pinch
-Agar agar Powder (“kanten” in Japanese): 4 g
-Water: 300 ml + 300 ml

RECIPE:

Blend beans and 300 ml of water until smooth.

Pass mixture through fine sieve.

In 300 ml of water drop agara agar. Bring to boil, stirring at the same time. Then keep stirring vern medium fire for 1 minute.

Switch off fire. Pour sugar and salt. Mix well. Add bean paste. Mix well.

Pour in recipients of your choice (that is when the fun starts!) and let cool completely. Keep in fridge (not too cold, please). Take out of recipient and serve!
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(Mitarashi Dango)

Dango (団子) is a Japanese dumpling made from mochi-ko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea.
In Edo times, they were very popular at tea stands along the country roads.

Dango are eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons. Three to four dango are often served on a skewer. One variety of dango from Hokkaidō is made from potato flour and baked with shoyu (soy sauce).

Types of dango:

There are many different varieties of dango which are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it.

Chadango: Green-tea flavored Dango.

Dango served covered with anko

Actually, if you want to write all about Dango, you’d need to publish a whole book!
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(Mitarashi Dango)

This simple recipe is particularly dedicated to my friends at Bouchonfor2, Bread + Butter, Eeyoreblues 27 and The Sophisticated Gourmet!

Japanese dango are not complicated, although it might be better to make a lot at a time!

INGREDIENTS:
-Rice (“Uruchi Kome”/normal Japnese round rice): 200g
-Water (for dango): 130cc
-Water (for sauce): 60cc
-Cornstarch: 1 teaspoon
-Sugar: 1 teaspoon
-Soy sauce: 2 teaspoons

RECIPE:

Wash rice thoroughly.
If rice is no-wash type, skip 3 first steps.

Once the rice washing water is coming out clean, drain rice and spread ontowel. Take off all excess humidity.

Let the rice dry for two hours.

Pour rice in Blender/mixer. First work the blender for only a few seconds at a time until all the rice has been broken completeley. Then blend three times 15 seconds at a time.

If the rice does not turn into powder easily, sift rice as many times as necessary until all rice has been reduced to powder.

Finish the job with mortar and pestle.

Once the rice has been reduced completely topowder, work the pestle in for 5 more minutes.

Add water and mix well with spoon.

Divide into small portions and steam for 15 minutes.

In a pan add cornstarch to water (for the sauce). keep stirring over a low fire. once the water has been become transparent add sugar and soy sauce and mix well until you obtain a smooth syrup. take off fire.

Fill a glass with water and keep within arm’s reach.
Drop all the steamed dango paste into mortar.
Work dango paste with a wet wooden pestle.
Once the paste ahas been become sticky and elastic, form small balls (the operation should not last more than 10 minutes).
Wet them to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Push a wet (important!) stick through the balls (4 or 5 at the most).
Grill the balls (or not) for better effect.
Serve them smeared with syrup.
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Just found this recipe to please vegans (and others) with a sweet tooth:
Japanese Cake/Wagashi: Pumpkin/Kabotcha Wagashi!

INGREDIENTS: For 5 cakes
-Pumkin paste: 20 g
-Rice flour: 30 g
-Sugar: 12 g
-Water: 50 ml
-Sweetmeats/Anko (See Recipe here)
-Cornstarch: enough for operation
-Pumpkin seeds or pine nuts: 5 (for decoration)

RECIPE:

-Peel skin from pumkin and heat pulp inside microwave oven until soft enough to make paste. Let cool down completely.

-In an oven bowl mix well punpkin paste, rice flour, sugar and water until it becomes bubbly. Cover with cellophane paper and heat for 40 seconds at 700W inside microwave oven.

-Work the paste until smooth.

-Using cornstarch to work paste more easily as it will easily stick to yor fingers, divide the paste into 5 identical portions.

-Divide sweetmeats/anko into 5 identical parts and fashion them into small balls.
Coat your fingers with a little cornstarch and completely wrap sweetmeat/anko ball with pumpkin paste as shown in picture.

-Make indents around the ball with a wooden sticks to shape the ball into a small pumpkin.

-As soon as the ball is finished, gently brush away whatever cornstarch is left on the surface.

-On top of each pumpkin cake place a seed for decoration and effect!

-That is how your “pumpkin” will look when you cut it!

NOTE:
You can sieve the pumpkin pulp first for a finer texture.
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Satsuma Imo or Sweet Potatoes are often used in Japanese cakes/Wagashi.
The great advantage is that it makes for completely vegan cakes with an almost endless source of variations.

Here is the basice recipe from you will be able to improvise!

INGREDIENTS:

-Satsuma/Sweet Potato: 400g (peeled)
-Sugar: 75 g
-Agar agar powder: 3 g
-Salt: a pinch
-Water: 20 ml

RECIPE:

-Cut the sweet potato into small pieces and wash under clear cold water to take off astringency.
Boil in a pan with 20 ml of water until soft.

-Just before the potatoes are completely cooked, add sugar agar agar and salt. Bring to boil and swith off fire. Bear in mind there will is very little water. Do not burn the poatoes!

-Transfer potatoes into a frying pan and fry until they get smooth..

-Return to boiling pan and heat to get all excess water out.

-Pass through a sieve, or process.

-Wet the inside of a refrigerator recipient before spreading cellophane paper inside. Pour the potato puree into the recipient and fold the cellophane paer on top, leaving no air between cellophane paper and potato. Chill inside refrigerator.

Before eating unwrap cellophane paper and cut into preferred shape.
This is where the fun begins!
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Daifukumochi (大福餅), or Daifuku (大福) (literally “great luck”), is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans.

The traditional daifuku, like all Wagashi are vegan in concept.

But Daifuku comes in many varieties.
The most common is white, pale green or pale pink colored mochi filled with anko.
These come in two sizes, one approximately the diameter of a half-dollar coin, the other palm-sized.
Some versions contain whole pieces of fruit, mixtures of fruit and anko or crushed melon paste.
Nearly all daifuku are covered in a fine layer of corn or taro starch to keep them from sticking to each other, or to the fingers. Some are covered with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa.

HISTORY:
Daifuku were originally called Harabuto mochi (腹太餅) (belly thick rice cake) because of its filling nature. Later the name was changed to Daifuku mochi (大腹餅) (big belly rice cake). Since the pronunciation of Fuku (腹) (belly) and Fuku (福) (luck) is the same in Japanese, the name was further changed to Daifuku mochi (大福餅) (great luck rice cake), a bringer of good luck. By the end of the 18th century, Daifuku were gaining popularity and people began eating them toasted. They were also used for gifts in ceremonial occasions

VATIETIES:

Yomogi daifuku (蓬大福)
A version made with kusa mochi (草餅), which is mochi flavored with mugwort.

Ichigo daifuku (イチゴ大福)
A variation containing strawberry and sweet filling, most commonly anko, inside a small round mochi. Creams are sometimes used for sweet filling. Because it contains strawberry, it is usually eaten during the spring time. It was invented in the 1980s. Many patisseries claim to have invented the confection, so its exact origin is vague.

Mame daifuku (豆大福)
Another variation made of mochi mixed with red peas or soy beans.

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES
Not-Just-Recipes, Bengal cuisine, Cooking Vegetarian, Frank Fariello, Gluten-free Vegan Family, Meatless MamaFrank Fariello, , Warren Bobrow

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sake, shochu and sushi

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