Every year on May 17 people all over the world celebrate World Baking Day.
As the number of people who choose a vegan lifestyle increases, lets take a look at some interesting facts on baking vegan cakes.
What is Veganism?
The vegan diet excludes meat, fish, dairy and egg products. As per the latest study, about 1000 million people across the globe consume vegan food and the growing popularity of veganism could increase this number with each passing day.
One of the baking items that vegans can try out is vegan cake, as it does not contain egg. This is of course also an option for non-vegans.
Though, the concept of vegan cake is quite new, Melbourne based vegan cake baker Chef Monika Mehta says, “Vegan people and those suffering from allergies to dairy products prefer vegan cakes and the concept has gained popularity even with those who are not vegan as it does not differ in taste and texture.
Monika, a professional baker of vegan cake arrived in Melbourne from Mumbai in 2009 and has been running a vegan cake business for the last five years.
Throwing some light on her vegan baking interest, Monika told SBS Gujarati: “When baking cakes for friends and family, one of my friends suggested for me to try it professionally and so I have fallen into the business accidentally".
As the ingredients used in vegan baking are dairy free, egg-less, gelatin, cruelty free and are also better for health and the environment, she chooses to bake vegan cakes instead of the regular cakes.
“Apart from using dairy free and egg-less products, I also make sure not to bake cakes with potato starch or any form of root vegetables,” Monika added.
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Difficulty in baking vegan cake
Baking a vegan cake used to be difficult compared to regular baking as the ingredients used in baking are dairy free – eggless, and not that easily available.
Monika says, “Sourcing the raw vegan materials was difficult initially, but now things are getting better and most of the ingredients are easily available.”
Popular among non-vegans
Garnishing and decorating regular cakes is done by using egg whites but Monika uses "aquafaba" to create the same texture and taste in vegan cakes. The absence of the regular core ingredients like eggs attract many Gujarati households even if they are not vegan.
Recognized by PETA
Monika’s initiative to bake stylish vegan cakes has been recognized by various agencies and she was awarded by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Australia as well.
