Veganuary Chocolate Cake

You might be vegan, but you can still have your cake and eat it! Using Flora Freedom means that this eggless chocolate cake recipe is full of dairy free deliciousness. For a little twist, why not try swapping the chocolate filling with a vegan cream alternative and fresh seasonal berries? Yum.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon lemon juice
300 ml soya milk
275 g self-raising flour
25 g cocoa powder
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
175 g caster sugar
150 g Flora Freedom, melted
3 tablespoons golden syrup
75 g Flora Freedom
200 g icing sugar
25 g cocoa powder
2 tablespoons water

Method

Preheat oven to 180° C, 160° C fan, Gas mark 4.
Add lemon juice to the milk and set aside.
Sieve together the flour, cocoa, caster sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl.
Pour the milk, melted Flora and golden syrup over the flour mixture and stir until it becomes a smooth batter.
Halve the mixture between two 20cm greased and base lined sandwich tins and bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.
Check to see if your cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre of each half. If it comes out clean, leave the cakes in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out and cooling on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, to make the icing beat together all ingredients until smooth.
When the cakes are completely cold, sandwich together with half of the icing. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake.

 

Veganuary is here! 6 tips for a Vegan Virgin

 

Australians Googled  'vegan' more than any other country in the world in 2015 and according to market research company Euromonitor International, Australia is the third fastest growing vegan population globally, with a vegan food industry worth more than $136 million.

Veganism is no longer simply a 'fad diet' for hippies, but is now a mainstream life choice. For those that might be interested in dipping their toe in the ways of vegan living, it can appear daunting. With Veganuary here, that's 'Vegan January' to you and me, here are some tips for vegan virgins looking to try out the vegan way of life.

 

Take it slow - The most important thing to remember when becoming a vegan is to go at your own pace. Cutting all animal products out of your diet in one fell-swoop is not only difficult, but it could mean you fall of the vegan-wagon within days of starting out. Focus on making small changes such as trying out Meatless Monday, or removing dairy one week and red meat the next. Trying to do it all without proper research could leave you staring longingly at your mates burger while you munch on a carrot stick, and vegan food is so much more than that!

Keep an open mind - Speaking of research, make sure you do some! Instead of focusing on all the foods you can't eat, focus on the new ones that you may not have tried before. There are so many meat and dairy substitutes available at almost all supermarkets and at relatively low costs. If you're not sure where to start, head to your local vegan restaurant for some inspiration or join a vegan community group for added support, ideas and advice. One of the best things about the vegan community is that everyone is happy to help those who are just starting out!

FoodByUs - For those who are time poor, or just feel overwhelmed with the idea of using nutritional yeast for the first time, remember that there are people out there skilled at vegan cooking  who can help you out. FoodByUs is a food sharing website that connects talented (and in your case vegan) home cooks to hungry locals, allowing you to get delicious vegan home cooked meals delivered to your door. The best part is, you can filter your food searches by dietary requirements to make the ordering process easier for all newborn vegans out there.

Vegan Meal Ideas - January is the perfect time to give veganism a try because you'll be making the pledge with other vegan virgins. Veganuary is a global charity that encourages people to try veganism for January. The website offers not just support, but a plethora of meal ideas to help you avoid staring blankly at the supermarket shelves while inwardly screaming 'why did I agree do this?!?'. They've even got a Healthy Vegan Recipes section for those looking to start the New Year with a healthkick!

Vegansipiation on Instagram - For the foodies out there who like their meals looking gorgeous, Instagram is a great way to get inspiration for your next dinner party and for your everyday meals. Your mates might not be plant based… yet, however, after a feed at your place they could be singing a much greener tune. Check out the_buddest_chef, sweetsimplevegan and plantbased_pixie for some great vegan meal ideas this January.

Deliveroo for those naughty takeaways - Just because you're going vegan, doesn't mean you need to forgo delicious takeaways, particularly for those feeling a little worse for wear after the New Year celebrations. Deliveroo allows you to filter restaurants by those who offer vegan meals, allowing you to get food on the run without compromising your Veganuary resolution - did someone say Beet-za?