Living Dead Cakes

A happy tipsy vegan New Year.

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 1 Comment

It’s no secret that I’m partial to a cocktail or three, since being gluten free my favourite tipple had to change. No more real ale for me. I have tried a few gluten free ales but they are now sadly out of reach as they are not vegan.

If you are not vegan and didn’t know some beer and other alcohols are filtered at the end of production to give the product a clear finish. Not all cask ales are filtered but some are filtered through Isinglass (the swim bladders of fish). This same production method can be used on other alcoholic drinks and even some non-alcoholic drinks such as Diet Pepsi and Lilt are clarified using gelatine.

Drinks filtered with Isinglass are not even considered vegetarian.

Some beers and wine can also be sweetened with honey and in some case may even contain lactose, so not only do we have to contend with hidden animal products in food they also put them in drinks too!.

A great website for us vegans is Barnivore. Type in the brand of your alcoholic drink and they will tell you if its vegan. Luckily for me a few of my favourite drinks are vegan.

Barnivore also have a mobile app too, so perfect for the weekly shop or when you are out in a bar.

Most Vodkas Are Vegan & gluten free, for example Absolut & Blavod.

My favourite Disarano is vegan and gluten free but sadly my other go-to liquor Chambord isn’t vegan as it contains honey but it is still gluten free.

My favourite cocktail when out is any champagne based cocktail as 99% of champagne is vegan & gluten free, its always worth a check on the app just make sure.

Supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, M&S and the Co-op are great for labelling their vegan products and they don’t stop when it comes to drinks too. So if you are looking for a vegan wine check out the selection they have.

The main classic cocktails you find on a drinks menu such as a Woo Woo, Sex on the beach & a Cosmopolitan are all vegan & gluten free.

Now down to the fun stuff and sadly I will have to make each of these and drink them of course.

These are a few of my favourite cocktails and a great way to show non-vegan friends that you can drink and still have compassion.

Japanese Slipper

Serves 1

Ice
1.5 Measures vodka
1.5 measures Midori
1 Measure lime juice
Lime slice to decorate

Put the cracked ice into a cocktail shaker and pour in the vodka, Midori, and lime juice
Shake vigorously until well frosted
Strain into a chilled glass and dress with the lime slice

Melon Ball

Serves 1

2 Measures vodka
2 Measures Midori
4 Measures pineapple juice
Cracked ice cubes

Pour vodka, Midori, & pineapple juice over cracked ice and stir well to mix
Half fill a high-ball glass with ice and strain the cocktail over the ice
Serve

Sunrise Sling (non alcoholic)

Serves 1

½ glass of cloudy lemonade
½ glass of orange juice
½ measure of grenadine

Pour the lemonade & orange juice into a high-ball glass
Slowly pour in the measure of grenadine to great the sunrise effect
Serve

For an alcoholic version add 2 measures of Blavod.

Dead Charmed

This cocktail is one of my own.

Serves 1

Ice
2 Measures pear vodka
½ Measure Limoncello
½ Measure coconut rum
Top with champagne

In a cocktail shaker add the ice, vodka, limoncello and coconut rum and shake vigorously until well frosted.
Pour cocktail into a glass and top with chilled champagne
Serve

Happy New Year from Living Dead Cakes, Drink responsibly and have fun.

Recipe

Gingerbread Men

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 2 Comments

I’m not sure if shop bought gingerbread men are vegan as they contain gluten I have never bought them. But this morning the children wanted to make some so I made my old gluten free recipe vegan.

These are a light gingerbread not a traditional dark, so they are little softer & are not break your teeth rock hard, the ginger is a subtle warm hint. If you would like them to be a stronger ginger flavour double the amount of ground ginger you add.

I used melted vegan chocolate to decorate and we had them with a glass of coconut milk after lunch.

This recipe is super easy.

Ingredients:

350g Gluten free self-raising flour (plus extra for rolling out)
2tsp Baking powder
2tsp Ground ginger
100g Vegan butter
185g Soft light brown sugar
3tbs Golden syrup
1 egg quantity of egg replacer (i used orgran no egg)
3tsp plant milk

A few sweets or melted chocolate for decorating

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 200c/400f/ or Gas mark 6 and line a cookie sheet with non stick parchment paper

In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients and mix together with a hand mixer until you form a soft dough, if your dough doesn’t come together you can add a little more milk.
Wrap the dough in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut into little shapes and bake for 8-12 minute’s depending on the size of your shapes. They will turn golden on the edges.
Once baked transfer carefully to a cooling rack they will be soft so be careful and let them cool.
Now you can decorate in any way you like, I used melted vegan chocolate to give mine a face and some stitches & dark chocolate drops for buttons, but you can use whatever you like.

Perfect to leave out for Father Christmas.

Recipe

Soul warming Soup

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 1 Comment

Butternut squash & chilli Soup

This delicious soup is a perfect warming filling meal and great for the cold weather & is a huge hit with my vegan friends.

Would also make a perfect starter for any occasion.

I think it’s the fiery kick that the chilli gives that are what makes this soup so scrumptious, but if you do not like chilli then feel free to miss it out, or add as much as your taste buds can handle.

This soup is naturally vegan and gluten free. But if you are using stock cubes just remember to check they are gluten free & vegan.

Serves 2 large portions

Ingredients:

500g Butternut squash (peeled & chopped into small chunks)
1 medium red onion roughly chopped
1 glove of crushed garlic,
1 red chilli chopped and de-seeded
600 mls of vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
Salt & pepper for seasoning
Soya cream & a few chilli slices for garnish

Method:

In a large saucepan lightly fry your crushed garlic & red onion in the oil.
Now add your butternut squash and red chilli and fry for a few minutes.
Add your stock to the saucepan and bring to the boil, once boiled lower the temperature & simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the butternut squash is tender.
Once the butternut squash is tender blend to a smooth constancy.
Season to taste and serve with a swirl of soya cream and the slices of chilli

I serve my soup with vegan/gluten free garlic bread.

✅? key

?=Vegan

✅=Gluten Free

Recipe

Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Posted on December 13, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 2 Comments

Since being gluten free & now vegan this is one pudding that I have missed the most, the thought of the rich dark pudding invokes many a memory for me, countless meals in a little forest pub in the winter when I was little girl with a glass of lemonade sat by a roaring fire to warm up after a long walk with my family.

So I thought it was about time I made a vegan/gluten free version.

You will love this cake and it is perfect for holiday season and despite the sponge being rich its very light and moist.

I only use medjool dates, even in cooking as no other date can compare to the medjools rich Carmel sweetness, but you can use any dates you like as we do soak them to make them soft and plump.

Ingredients:

For the sponge,

350ml plant milk, you can use any milk you like almond, soya, I used coconut milk
200g Dates
1 Tsp Bicarbonate of soda
120g Vegan butter
120g Soft brown sugar
220g Self raising gluten free flour
1 Tsp Gluten free baking powder
¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ Tsp Ground ginger
½ Tsp Vanilla extract

For the toffee sauce,

110g Golden syrup
200g Soft brown sugar
150g Vegan butter
225ml Soya cream
1 Tsp Vanilla bean paste
2 Tsp Corn flour mixed into a paste with a 4 Tsp cold water

Pre heat your oven to 375°F/190°C or Gas mark 5 & line a square 20cm/20cm cake tin, I use my trusted brownie tin,

Method:

Remove the stones and chop all your dates into chunks and place them in a small saucepan with your plant milk and simmer on a low heat until the dates are soft and sticky.

Do not let the milk get too hot.

While the dates are simmering, in a bowl beat your butter and brown sugar until its light and fluffy put this to one side.
In another bowl Sift all your dry ingredients together (not the bicarbonate of soda).
Once your dates are lovely and soft add the bicarbonate of soda to the warm milk and mix, pour this over your butter and sugar and mix well,
(if your milk is too hot let it cool for 5 minutes before you pour it over your butter/sugar mix)
Now fold in the dry ingredients and pour the batter into the lined cake tin and bake for 25/30 minutes or until its golden brown and a tooth pick comes out the middle clean.
Once baked allow the cake to cool and cut into portions.

For the sauce:

In a saucepan add your butter, sugar & golden syrup and bring the mix to the boil and simmer for 4-6 minutes.
Let the sauce cool for 3 minutes and add the cream & cornflour mix and heat gently to allow the sauce to thicken.
Pour over your cake and serve, you can also serve with a few scoops of vegan ice cream too.

You can warm the cake in the microwave for 15-20 seconds before serving.

Recipe

A Vegan Christmas: Lentil Loaf for the holiday season.

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 0 Comment

This is my take on a conventional vegan nut/lentil roast.

All the vegan nut roasts I have found in the main supermarkets have been full of evil gluten so the only option for me is to make one. I did want to try a pre-made one as the festive season is a busy one and I wanted one less thing to have to make, But I’m glad I spent the day playing around in the kitchen to make my one as its worth all the effort.

I made mine mini as it will only be me on Yule eating it and only myself and my mum over Christmas eating it, so minis ones for me are perfect but you can make one big one if you like, You will need a 1lb loaf tin lined with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

For the loaf

2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 large leek, Chopped
1 large Onion, Chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
2 Sweet red peppers, chopped
3 Gloves of garlic (I used smoked)
1 can of green lentils
50g Gluten free oats
300g meat free mince (any that you like or) 150g dried Soya chunks re-hydrated
3 Tbsp. chopped tomatoes (from the 2 cans you need for the sauce)
2 Tbsp. Nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp. Ground flaxseed
2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
2 Tsp Dried sage
2 Tsp Dried parsley
2 Tsp Dried Thyme
Salt and Pepper

For the Sauce

2 cans of chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Tomato puree
1 Chopped red chilli
1 Clove of crushed garlic
Seasoning to taste

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 375°F/190°C or Gas mark 5

In a large sauce pan sauté on a medium heat with the oil the Leeks, Onions, carrots, peppers, and garlic until soft & cooked this should take about 8-10 minutes.
Once the vegetables are soft add the meat free mince/soya chunks & the can of drained lentils & the 3 Tbsp. of chopped tomatoes and cook for a 3-5 minutes.
Now add the contents of the sauce pan to a food processor with the oats, Nutritional yeast, ground flaxseed, whole grain mustard & the herbs and seasoning and blitz in the food processor until roughly chopped and blended, be careful not to over blend you do not want a paste, you just want a rough blend on the mix, you still want the mix to have some texture.
Once you are happy with your consistency put the mix into your greased loaf tin.

TIP: If you over blend your mix do not worry add some more oats & cooked chopped vegetables to your mix to re add some texture.

This sauce is so easy and you can use it on pasta too.

The sauce

In a saucepan add the chopped chilli & garlic and fry lightly for a few minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5/8 minutes the sauce will become thick and the tomatoes will break down and become soft, add the tomato paste and season to taste.
If your sauce is too thick you can add a little water or red wine to get the consistency you like.

You can add a splash of Worcestershire sauce if you like too. (just make sure it’s a gluten free one if your making this gluten free)

5. Spread a little sauce on the top of your loaf and bake in the oven for 45/50 minutes, until its brown on the edges and has slightly pulled away from the edge of the tin, if it colours to quickly you can cover with a little bit of foil. (my mini ones took 30 minutes to be cooked)

6. Turn out of the tin onto a serving plate and cut into slices, re heat your sauce and serve.

This is lovely with roast potatoes and lots of vegetables on the side.

Perfect for a vegan gluten free Christmas or just for a roast on a Sunday.

✅? key

?=Vegan

✅=Gluten Free

General

100 likes give-away on Facebook

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 0 Comment

Over on our Facebook page when we hit a 100 likes we had a little give-away.

The lucky winner was sent a box of chocolate filled goodies.

We will have lots of give-away’s over on Facebook.

Some will be local only and some will postal so everyone will have a chance to enter & win.

Go like our Facebook page so you do not miss when we have our next one,

Who could say no to free cake?

Living Dead Cakes Facebook Like Page

General

Getting back in the kitchen.

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 0 Comment

I was required to take a break from making cakes and being creative in the kitchen as sadly my health took a turn for the worse & I couldn’t muster the energy or strength to make anything and due to this my confidence was lost.

Another hurdle I had to overcome was in June 2015 I had a major emergency operation and was in hospital for over a week and recovery was long a painful so sadly this year I couldn’t make my children’s big birthday cakes.

I did find the energy to make my daughter 36 Hello Kitty cupcakes for her class & teachers as her birthday treat for her friends, This was the 1^st year I could do them for her and my 1^st year of not doing them for my son as he was now in secondary school.

I couldn’t face a year with no cake for them so this was a compromise.

It wasn’t the same, I missed making their cakes and felt very guilty that due to my health I couldn’t make them but thankfully my wonderful children understood that Mummy was sick and sore.

This year we decided to have a little Halloween party and invited our closest friend, Cytherea and her two beautiful children, Baya & little baby Erika for some spooky fun, games & yummy food.

I wanted something to fit in with our theme of potion making, Halloween fun, crafts and games & something to be the centre piece of food table. So I set about planning and designing my 1^st proper big cake in well over a year. The excitement and anticipation of designing my old battered cauldron cake for our little party had begun and this cake was going to be vegan and gluten free. So another challenge.

The Witchy cauldron was made and turned out just as I as hoped it would. It was then that I realised that I missed baking and being creative in the kitchen more than I had originally thought.

So that’s when the idea for this blog and the website came about. It was something that I had dabbled in before and I did make a blog before my relapse but I didn’t find the energy to continue with it. My heart wasn’t in it, the name wasn’t Living Dead Cakes it didn’t feel right to me so the passion wasn’t there but this time Living Dead Cakes is here and it’s here to stay.

So what cakes are in my cakey future?

You will have to keep coming back to see! But there are few that in my mind will be pretty epic & my to bake list grows every day!

General

One thing I love….

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 0 Comment

One thing I love making are birthday cakes for my two children, the look of joy on their faces when they see their cakes fill me with love and happiness and really reminds me why I love doing all this.

Over the years I have made Lego bricks covered in green butter cream to pink & purple Rapunzel castles.

Each cake make for them is inspired by the thing they most covet or love that year.

Both my children are summer babies and that adds an element of extra stress to the creating of their cakes as July is normally hot and humid & that is a cake baker’s worst climate.

The year of the Minecraft cake was especially hot. the heat mixed with millions of little green squares of fondant was one that I look back on and laugh at how often I had to keep chilling the cake to keep the butter cream crumb coat from running off the cake.

When I was a child my Mum made me a few cakes that I can remember. The 80’s were the decade of sickly yellow butter cream teamed with chocolate fingers to make a clock from a nursery rhyme out of a M&S birthday cake book. In the years to come I hope my children think back to the years of cakes I made them and smile with the same affection that I do when I think of my clock cake and brown tractor that my Mum made me.

General

Gluten Free and Vegan

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 0 Comment

99% of my cakes and other yummy things I make are gluten free.
I was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2011 and the irony was not lost on me.
A pastry chef who couldn’t eat her own cakes!

So I set about changing and modifying my old trusted recipes to fit in with my new dietary requirements, and I love nothing more than trying to make a normal recipe a tasty gluten free one.

At the end of 2014 I made the choice to go vegan, it was something that I had been thinking about doing for 6 years so I finally took the plunge and cut all meat, dairy and other animal products out of my life & diet. Subsequently I set about trying to make my cakes not only gluten free but vegan too and I’m not going to lie I love the challenge of trying to make a new recipe gluten free and cruelty free.

As a result a lot of cakes and bakes on this website will be gluten free and vegan but do not worry not everything I post on here will only be tailored to my dietary needs & lifestyle.

The key i use on my recipes, look out for the little plant & green tick.

?✅ key

?=Vegan
✅=Gluten Free

About

Living Dead Cakes

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Living Dead Cakes / 0 Comment

Who & what are Living Dead cakes?

Living Dead Cakes are one girl and one bat covered red Kitchen Aid.
The spookiness behind Living Dead Cakes was brewed many years ago. My love for creepy dolls help coin the name.

I am a trained & qualified chef and pastry chef in classic French patisserie.

All my cake decorating skills have been self taught, but in the future I do hope to gain some qualifications in this, I would also love to do a culinary arts degree. Maybe one day.

At the moment I just use my skills at home. Baking, creating cakes and recipes for friends and family to enjoy.

I’m not a business. So I do not take orders. Please do not message me asking me to make a cake for you as regrettably the answer will be no.

Please feel free to follow my Facebook page as I do cake give-aways quite often & we are on twitter, & Instagram too

Unfortunately I don’t have time to make this little hobby a career as much as I would love too. There are lots of factors in my life that stop this from becoming a reality.

Maybe one day your walk down the high street and see a little black and white coffee shop with the name Living Dead Cakes.

My love for cooking was born when I was a little gothling helping my Grandma bake and make Dundee cakes for my father, sadly she passed away when I was 7 years old but she is the reason & inspiration behind my love of creating food for people I love.

Here is a little family snap of me baking aged 3 years old.

I suffer from a range of mental health issues that affect my life on a daily basis but being in the kitchen helps keep my mind busy and lets my creative side flourish.

On here I am going to share photos of my cakes and some recipes of sweet things that I love and feel that you might like too, I will also post recipes and photos of other yummy foods I have made. So if cake isn’t your thing then do not worry.

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