Name: Triple Layer Vanilla Velvet Valentine Cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 cup aquafaba liquid from 2 cans cooked chickpeas; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1/2 cup organic vegetable oil; 1/2 cup coconut oil (or organic vegetable shortening); 1/4 cup applesauce can sub pumpkin puree if you don't mind a little more golden color; 2 tablespoons baking powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon almond extract; 3 cups flour; 6 -7 cups powdered sugar; 1 cup vegan "butter" (or organic vegetable shortening) room temp; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon almond extract; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons almond milk

Every special occasion needs a stunning cake, right?

With Valentine’s Day coming up soon I thought it would be fun to make something that could be versatile enough that you can make it all year long, but also good for your Valentine. The secret ingredient is something I never would have expected until the first time I tried it, but might be familiar to you if you do much plant-based cooking. It’s a little something called aquafaba (aka bean water). I know, it sounds strange and even a little gross but it whips up unbelievably well and adds the fluffy volume that makes this cake light and airy.

As for the decoration, I kept that really simple too. I love to decorate a cake sometimes, but then there are other times when I’m rushed and just want to put a cake together quickly, you know? I’ve gotta tell you, fresh flowers are like the best hack there is for those times.

So as I talked about, this cake is really simple but there are a few extra things that can make all the difference between a fluffy cake and a tough, dense, or unevenly baked cake. I typically just list the instructions in the recipe but in this case I wanted to add a some tips for success if any of you are interested.

Tip #1: Actually sift the dry ingredients:

Okay, so I’m the first one to admit to cutting corners on some recipes and just throwing everything into to bowl thinking it doesn’t make a difference. Some recipes will let you get away with that, but this one will not. Sifting flour is something I used to always skip but it really helps in the recipe. Which brings me to…

Tip #2: Do things in the correct order:

If you add the dry ingredients before the wet then you’ll risk losing a lot of volume from the whipped aquafaba when you do add the wet. Also, if you don’t whip the aquafaba stiff in the first place you’ll also lose volume, and that’s a great segue into…..

Tip #3: Do your best not to over mix:

It might seem like you should make sure everything is really well mixed all the time, but in this case you want to almost try to leave some little lumps of flour in the batter. Don’t worry, as it bakes it will even out and leave some small little air pockets that help give you that lightness. Wheat flour will also develop gluten if you mix it too much which will end up in a dense or tough texture that nobody wants.

Tip #4: Bake as soon as possible after mixing:

This cake uses a little bit more baking powder than you might usually see in a cake recipe but it really helps the cake rise. It’s important, however, that the lemon juice and other ingredients react well with it and if leave the batter setting out very long it will react before baking and you won’t get as good of a lift.

Tip #5: Don’t open the oven door until it’s done:

I know it’s so tempting, but it really does affect the end result if you keep messing up the temperature in there and not letting the cake do it’s thing. Use your oven light if you’ve got one and if not just practice your patience and at least wait until it’s been in about 35 minutes before checking it.

Alright, now that I’ve gone over all the tips I can think of it’s time to get baking. Please feel free to ask if you have any problems or questions. I’ll do my best to get back to you asap.