Carrot, apple and orange cake (pictured above)

Prep 15 min

Cook 50 min

Serves 12–14

240g self-raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

170g coconut sugar

125g walnuts, chopped

3 carrots, grated

1 apple, peeled and grated

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp cider vinegar

80ml vegetable oil

240ml almond milk

1 tbsp egg replacement (see chocolate fondants recipe above)

For the icing

100g cashew nuts, soaked in water for 1 hour

60ml cashew milk

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

Juice and zest of ½ orange

3 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Suggested toppings

Dried oranges, physalis and walnuts

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Grease and line a loose-bottomed 22cm cake tin. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir in the carrots, apple and orange zest. Add the other cake ingredients and stir well to combine.

Pour into the tin and bake for 35 minutes. To check it’s cooked, poke a skewer into the centre – if it comes out clean, it’s cooked; if not, pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes.

Leave to rest and cool slightly, then release from the tin and move to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the icing. Drain the nuts, put them in a blender with all the other ingredients and blitz until super-smooth. Scrape into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

To serve, remove the icing from the fridge and use a palette knife to smooth it over the top of the cake. Top with dried oranges, walnuts and physalis, if using.

Chocolate fondants

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gaz Oakley’s chocolate fondants

Prep 10 min

Cook 30 min

Makes 6-8

For the egg replacement

5 tbsp white chia seeds

270ml (15 tbsp) filtered cold water

(1 heaped tbsp of mix is the equivalent of 1 egg)

For the filling

300g vegan dark chocolate, chopped

240ml cashew milk

¼ tsp salt

For the cake mix

240ml cashew milk

2 tsp cider vinegar

2 tsp vanilla extract

115g vegan ‘butter’

4 tbsp egg replacement (see above)

240g plain flour

3 tbsp cacao powder

200g unrefined caster sugar

3 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

To finish

Cherries

Cacao powder, to dust

To make the egg replacement, blitz the chia until finely ground. For every tablespoon of ground seeds, mix in three tablespoons of filtered cold water. Pour into a sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

For the filling, tip the chocolate into a bowl. Heat the milk with the salt until piping hot, pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth and creamy. Put in the freezer to chill quickly.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and grease eight individual pudding moulds.

Gently heat the first five cake mix ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring until melted and combined. Mix the remaining cake ingredients in a bowl, then pour in the hot mixture and stir until just combined. Half-fill each pudding mould with fondant mix, then put a tablespoon of chilled chocolate in the centre of each. Fill the moulds with the rest of the fondant mixture, then tap each mould on a work surface to level it out.

Transfer to an oven tray and bake for 12 minutes. Leave to cool slightly, then turn out on to individual plates and serve with cherries and a sprinkle of cacao.

New York-style cheesecake with rhubarb

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gaz Oakley’s New York-style cheesecake

Prep 10 min

Cook 1 hr 15 min

Cool and set 4 hr

Serves 10–12

For the base

300g Lotus Biscoff biscuits (or similar)

160g melted vegan ‘butter’

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

For the filling

65g almond flour

360g vegan ‘cream cheese’

400ml coconut milk

200g unrefined caster sugar

5 tbsp plain flour

3 tbsp cornflour

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping

4 sticks rhubarb, chopped

Juice and zest of 1 orange

120ml water

4 tbsp agave nectar

Fresh mint, to decorate

Heat the oven to 170C (150C fan)/335F/gas 3½. Grease a loose-bottomed, 8cm- to 10cm-deep, 23cm-diameter cake tin.

Blitz the biscuits to a fine crumb, then blend in the melted butter and coconut oil. Tip into the tin, press in with the back of a spoon to create an even layer in the base and up the sides, then chill.

Clean the blender, then blitz the almond flour, cream cheese and coconut milk until super-smooth. Add the sugar, flour and cornflour, and blend again. Add the vanilla and pulse to mix.

Remove the tin from the fridge, pour in the filling and level out the top. Fill a deep oven tray with 4cm warm water. Wrap the bottom of the cake tin with foil to stop water getting in, then put in the tray and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for an hour.

Take the tray out of the oven and leave to cool for an hour before lifting the tin from the tray. Dry the bottom and put in the fridge to set for at least three hours.

Meanwhile, for the topping, simmer all the ingredients in a small pan on a low heat for eight to 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft.

Once the cake has chilled, release it from its tin and cut into slices with a hot knife. Serve with the warm rhubarb and decorate with mint.

Tiramisu

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gaz Oakley’s tiramisu

I was so pleased when I “veganised” this Italian classic. It’s the perfect festive dessert and even more showstopping when you serve it with a sparkler.

Prep 10 min

Cook 1 hr

Serves 6

For the sponge

250ml almond milk

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

50g vegan spread

215g self-raising flour

230g unrefined caster sugar

1 pinch salt

For the cream

2 x 400g tins coconut cream

170g vegan ‘cream cheese’

1 tbsp cacao powder

3 tbsp icing sugar

120ml coffee

4 tbsp rum, or to taste

To serve

Grated dark chocolate

Coffee beans

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line a 5cm-deep 20cm x 30cm baking tray with nonstick baking paper.

For the sponge, put the almond milk, vinegar, vanilla and vegan spread into a small saucepan on a low heat. Put the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. When the spread has melted, fold the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, then pour into the baking tray and level out.

Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

For the cream, whisk together the coconut cream, cheese, cacao and icing sugar in a large bowl, stir in a few tablespoons of coffee and the rum, then taste – adjust with more coffee and rum as you see fit.

Cut out 12 discs of sponge to fit into your serving glasses. Put a sponge disc in the base of each glass, top with a spoonful of the cream mix, then lay another sponge disc on top. Drizzle a little more coffee over and spoon on another layer of cream. Top each tiramisu with chocolate shavings and a couple of coffee beans. Eat straight away or keep in the fridge for up to a day.