Vanilla torte.

Vanilla Torte

•  3 cups flour
• 1\4 cup butter
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1\2 cup milk
•  2 teaspoons vanilla

Filling:

• 1\2lb.unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 12 oz strawberry or apricot jam
• Juice of 2 oranges
• Juice of 1 lemon

   Sift the flour. Add small pieces of chilled butter. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar and add to the flour. Add milk and vanilla. Knead lightly and form 4 balls of dough (for 4 layers). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. Roll out the dough less than 1\2 inch thick. Cut the dough into 9 circles, on to a cookie sheet. Pick with a fork a few times. Repeat with the rest of dough. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven until golden, but not brown, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

   Mix butter with sugar. Add yolks and beat them for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1 baked layer lightly with juices. Spread jam over the top of the layer. Spread about 1\4 inch of butter cream filling on top of jam. Add second layer. Repeat process until all four layers are in place. Cover  sides with butter cream.

Cacao..chocolate..for chocoholics...

Chocolate Cake 

(bakes into a 8″ square cake or 12 reg cupcakes)

-adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World-  

•  1 cup unsweetened soy milk, room temperature 
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa (I used Varlhona)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and line the bottom of a 8″ square tin or line muffin pans with 12 cupcake liners.
2. Whisk together the soy mil and vinegar and leave aside to curdle.
3. Meanwhile, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Whisk sugar, oil and vanilla into the curdled soy milk. Whisk until foamy.
5. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ones in two batches and stir until no big lumps remain. A few tiny lumps are fine.
6. Pour batter into tin or cupcake liners and bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. For cupcakes, it takes about 18-20 minutes, for the 8″ cake, I baked it for about 30-40 mins.