Please note: This is a home-baking guide. Anges de Sucre no longer produces vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or egg-free physical cakes. Our kitchen handles gluten, dairy, eggs, soya, peanuts and tree nuts, so we cannot guarantee cakes are free from traces of allergens. For home baking, see our digital Vegan Hero Sponge Recipe.
Ask any vegan what they truly miss about their previous non-vegan life, and chances are you’ll hear cheese, cake or dessert as the answer.
While I can’t help out on the cheese front, there are some cashew-based alternatives, I certainly can help with the dessert front. Vegan baking can be trickier, as without the safety net of eggs and butter even the most basic of sponges can be temperamental.
However it can be a lot simpler too, and whipping up something delicious, egg-free, dairy-free and full of flavour relatively quickly is possible, like our fool-proof digital Vegan Hero Sponge recipe. Just make sure you are prepared with some staple vegan baking ingredients in your cupboard and fridge.
The 12 essential vegan baking ingredients you should always have handy
1. Plain Flour
Duh, no brainer. Plain flour is used for vegan cakes, vegan pancakes, vegan doughnuts, vegan cupcakes and all sorts of home baking. Store in a cool, dark and dry space, ideally airtight.
2. Baking soda
AKA sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda. It acts as a strong raising agent in cake sponges when combined with an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. Since vegan baking does not involve fluffed-up eggs and butter, help in the leavening department is very welcome.
3. Baking powder
Baking powder also acts as a raising agent and is essentially a blend of baking soda, cream of tartar and corn starch. It does not need an additional acidic ingredient to be activated and is often useful in cookies or recipes where a gentler rise is needed.
4. Cocoa powder
An all-rounder ingredient for chocolate sponges, frostings, biscuits and more. Pretty much everyone loves chocolate, vegans and non-vegans alike.
5. Vegetable oil
As vegan baking excludes dairy products and eggs, a neutral plant-based fat helps add and preserve moisture and tenderness in vegan cakes, doughnuts and pancakes.
6. Apple cider vinegar
The acid in cider vinegar helps activate baking soda in vegan cake recipes and helps raise light sponges while adding a slight tang. You can also use white vinegar, though cider vinegar can add depth of flavour, especially to vanilla bakes and pancakes.
7. Corn flour
Aka corn starch. When added to plain flour it can help with structure and softness in vegan cake sponges. It can also be used in other fluffy vegan treats such as pancakes.
8. Dairy-free milk
There are many dairy-free milk alternatives: almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk, hazelnut milk, rice milk and cashew milk. My go-to choices are almond and coconut, but use whichever suits your recipe and dietary needs.
9. Dark chocolate
Most dark or plain chocolate bars tend to be dairy-free but always check the ingredients label. Some may have a “may contain traces of milk” warning due to cross-contamination on premises and equipment handling dairy ingredients. This comes down to personal preference and tolerance. Dark chocolate can be chopped into chips for cookies or melted into a vegan ganache for vegan chocolate drip cakes.
10. Granulated sugar
Sugar adds sweetness and moisture to vegan cake sponges. Not all sugars are considered truly vegan by everyone, as some people are concerned with processing methods. Check the brand and decide according to your own standards.
11. Vanilla extract
A good quality one. Really. Vegan vanilla cakes rely heavily on the quality of vanilla extract, so do not go through the process only to be let down by a weak essence.
12. Margarine/shortening
Not strictly a pantry item as it needs storing in the fridge, but it is a basic ingredient for a lot of vegan desserts, whether vegan shortcrust pastry, doughnuts or frosting for vegan cakes. Use block-style baking margarine rather than soft spreadable tubs where a recipe needs structure.
With the above list of vegan baking essentials you’ll be set to whip up something delicious and vegan. You can add extras such as icing sugar, fresh fruit, apple sauce and coconut cream depending on the recipe. For a fuller guide, see our digital Vegan Hero Sponge Recipe, ready to download for home baking.
Happy baking.
Reshmi xoxo
Gail McCoy
August 23, 2023
Thank you so much