Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale took place on Saturday, April 27th, 2013 
and it was a huge success!

The bake sale was held at the MSPCA Adoption Center located in Jamaica Plain, MA. It's within a huge facility, connected to the MSPCA-Angell Animal Hospital. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky, so we set up the tables outside to take full advantage of the gorgeous spring weather. I had enlisted help from my family and friends, but the MSPCA also arranged to have volunteers take shifts throughout the day. The extra help was much needed since we got quite the crowd! Even before everything was set out we got curious folks walking by who were interested in buying some of the first few baked goods that were out on the table. Hard to say no to that!

As we wrapped up the event, we started counting the cash. I expected around $500 (taking a guess that if 100 people came they might spend about $5 each). I was wrong. Very wrong. We raised a total of $1,310 for the MSPCA! That proved to me that people who came by were very passionate about the cause, about the vegan food, and just genuinely generous. I am thrilled at the outcome of the event. It was my first time hosting an event like this, but the success has me motivated to try it again!

Read on for more details and photos!


The Vegan Baked Goods

Before the bake sale I had arranged for donations from some local businesses, all of them were incredibly generous and provided delicious vegan treats for the event. 

• Monumental Cupcakes - Mini Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes 
• Sabertooth Bakery - Donuts (S'mores, Cookie Dough, Earl Grey, Chocolate and Vanilla Sprinkles)
• Katalyst Kombucha - Different Varieties of Kombucha Tea
• Veggie Galaxy - Two Cakes (Taza Chocolate Layer Cake, Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting)
• Totally Sweet - Apple Cider Donuts and Congo Bars
• Iggy's - Bagels, Baguettes, Pecan Rolls, Francese, Facile
• Bev's Bakery - Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Here they are below - Thank you again!

In addition to the support from local businesses, I was overwhelmed by enthusiastic, friendly volunteers who contacted me about baking and donating food to the event. As the event began more and more scrumptious vegan baked goods were added to the table and we quickly realized that a fourth table was needed! It was unbelievable to see so many amazing and delicious-looking desserts all laid out, all different kinds, that were all vegan! I was crying on the inside because I wanted to eat them all, but with the speed that things were selling out, I only got the chance to try about two or three :( That's a good problem to have!

I want to acknowledge the amazing volunteers who took the time to bake and deliver their goods to the event. The list below may be incomplete (reach out to me if you contributed, but don't see your name).

And one last thank you to my wonderful boyfriend - he was right there with me through the whole process, from hanging flyers around the city, to staying up late with me the night before (even curling ribbons on my baked goods, that definitely proved your manhood), and helping out all day at the bake sale. He even surprised me with customized aprons to wear at the event, using the same image I created for my flyers! 

This bake sale would not have been so successful without all of your generosity!

In preparation for the bake sale my mom and I basically attacked the Chloe's Vegan Desserts cookbook  (buy your copy here) along with a few other sources and collectively made - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls, Mocha Almond Crunch Cupcakes, Black and White Cookies, Ginger Molasses Cookies, Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes, Mini Banana Bread Loaves, Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, and Blondies. Let's just say I didn't get a lot of sleep the night before the bake sale, but it was well worth it!

Just a Sampling of Some of the Delicious Items for Sale

Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Bev's Bakery

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Baking Mini Banana Bread Loaves!

Cakes from Veggie Galaxy

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Alexi Chi

Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Veggie Galaxy

A Special Section for the Furry Friends Who Visited!

Dining In - Black and White Cookies

Black & White Cookies - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

I loved these Black and White Cookies as a kid! Also called Half Moon Cookies, I had a strategy for eating them, chocolate half first and saving the best for last, the vanilla half second. You can usually find these in the Northeast, especially in bakeries in the North End in Boston. It had been a while since I had one, even before I was vegan. I certainly had never attempted to make them, something about the cake-like cookie and crisp, even frosting intimidated me. After more baking experience, I was excited and eager to make these when I discovered the vegan recipe in Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). 

The cookie is usually more cake-like and this cookie recipe was easy to follow and tasted delicious, with a bit of salt that went perfectly with the sweetness! I was skeptical about the icing and doubted that mine would look as good as the traditional cookies and the photo in the cookbook. I prefer the black and white cookies made with frosting, but this version is very popular, as well. The icing recipe requires quite a bit of powdered sugar, but the consistency turns out right in the end. I layered on the icing a few times allowing it to harden up in the refrigerator in between coats. I shared these with a group of non-vegan friends and they loved them, some going for seconds. I will definitely be making these again!

Cookies
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons water, divided
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice


To Prepare Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, mix the wet ingredients together - oil, milk, lemon juice, vanilla. 

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and blend together, but don't overstir. 

Scoop about 1/4 cup batter onto pan and shape into a circle, leave about 3 inches between cookies. The recipe says this should make about 7 cookies, but I made mine a bit smaller and ended up with 10. Either way will work, and I had leftover icing even with the extra cookies. Bake for about 16 minutes. Allow to cool completely before icing. 

Black & White Cookies Before Icing

To Prepare Icing: 

In a large bowl mix together 5 tablespoons of water with the powdered sugar. Set aside about 3/4 cup or half of the mixture to prepare the chocolate icing. In a separate bowl add cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon water to this half and stir to make chocolate icing. In the remaining white icing, add lemon juice. You can add more water or sugar as needed to get a fairly thick consistency. 


To Assemble Cookies:

Flip Cookies Upside Down Before Frosting

With a slanted frosting knife, start with vanilla icing and coat half of the bottom of each cookie. Next apply the chocolate icing. This is where the original recipe stops, but I felt that the cookies needed a thicker coating, and there was a lot of leftover icing. Allow icing to harden or cool in refrigerator and apply additional coats as needed to fully cover cookies. Also, try to keep the cookies level as the icing may become uneven and "melt" off.  

Dining Out in Boston - Fazenda Coffee Roasters

Lemon Pepper Tofu Sandwich - Fazenda Coffee Roasters

I stopped in to Fazenda Coffee Roasters quickly while on my trek around JP to put up flyers for my upcoming Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. I should have tried the coffee, but I was too hungry and distracted by the vegan items on the menu. For lunch items they offer a couple of vegan sandwiches - Lemon Pepper Tofu and a Hummus sandwich, and a vegan salad - Tofu Chicken. They also sell vegan baked goods like donuts, cupcakes, and tarts brought in from Sabertooth Bakery. I wish they offered more in the way of lunch items, since my meal was delicious! This coffee shop is clean, modern, and decent-sized with lots of small tables and bar seating at the window. 

For lunch I ordered a sandwich to go, the Lemon Pepper Tofu. This large sandwich is marinated tofu, hummus, olive tapenade, green peppers, and baby spinach, on soft and chewy ciabatta bread. I ordered it knowing I am not a fan of olives and thankfully that didn't matter, though the flavor was still there I thought the rest of the ingredients worked well. It was very gourmet, and brought in new flavors than what I'm used to for a vegan meal. I really enjoyed it and it was super filling. I'll be back for sure!

Fazenda Coffee Roasters

3710 Washington Street

Jamaica Plain, MA 

02130

Fazenda Coffee Website

Dining In - Coffee Almond Crunch Cupcakes

Coffee Almond Crunch Cupcakes - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

 

I made these for a friend's surprise birthday party and all of the guests loved them! My number one taste tester, my boyfriend, said "holy crap, this is amazing" and even claimed they were the best cupcakes I've made to date. Coffee and chocolate are a superb combination. The layering of coffee-flavored frosting with chocolate cake and chocolate ganache on top makes this so moist, unlike other cupcakes that may have too much dry cake on the bottom that desperately needs that bit of frosting in each bite, this cupcake gives it to you. Although there is a lot of sugar in this recipe (the only unfortunate part), the taste is not overly sweet. This is a three-part, time intensive recipe, but the result is so beautiful and incredibly delicious. It looks intimidating given it's such a gourmet recipe, but it all came together fairly easily. Based on the response from those who tried it, this recipe is on my list for the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (just over a month away!). You can find this recipe and others in Chloe Coscarelli's new cookbook, Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here).  

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk, canned (I used Trader Joe's Light variety)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Coffee Frosting
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder, mixed with 1/4 cup water

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut milk, canned
2 tablespoons canola oil

Garnish
3/4 to 1 cup toasted almonds, chopped
14 chocolate-covered espresso beans (I found dark chocolate covered ones at Trader Joe's)


To Prepare Chocolate Cupcakes:

Chocolate Cupcake Batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a one-dozen cupcake pan with cupcake liners. You do not need to grease. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir to combine wet ingredients: coconut milk, oil, vinegar, vanilla, and espresso powder. 

Pour wet ingredients into dry and blend until just combined, but do not overmix. 

Spoon batter into cupcake pan, filling each liner three-quarters of the way full. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely before assembling cupcakes. 


To Prepare Coffee Frosting:

Use a stand mixer (I christened my brand new Kitchen Aid mixer for this recipe!) to smooth out shortening for one minute. 

Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla, while beating on slow speed. Add one tablespoon at a time of the espresso liquid, blend in completely and continue adding tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the proper consistency for frosting. Continue to blend on high speed for two minutes until frosting is fluffy. Set aside.


To Prepare Chocolate Ganache:

In a medium bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut milk together. I usually do this at medium power for 30-45 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate has melted. Add in the oil and stir. 

Chocolate Ganache

To Prepare the Finished Product:

Using a large, sharp knife slice the top dome part off of the Chocolate Cupcake, using the liner as a guide. You'll end up with a flat cupcake and a separate top piece. 

Chocolate Cupcakes

Using a frosting or decorating bag, fill with Coffee Frosting and the appropriate piping tip. Pipe frosting onto the flat surface of the cupcake and then place the top back on, at a slight angle to show off the filling. 

Next spread a thin layer of the Chocolate Ganache on the top part of the cupcake. 

Sprinkle toasted almonds on top so they stick to the chocolate. 

Pipe a small circle of Coffee Frosting and press an espresso bean in for "the cherry on top"!

Dining In - Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes - Chef Chloe Coscarelli

Simply put, these are heavenly cupcakes. Super moist and super sweet. I made them for my friend's birthday, but let my non-vegan boyfriend do the taste testing. He was overwhelmed by how good they were and kept begging for more! It's a simple recipe to follow and the ingredients are fairly standard and easy to find. The key is subtle coconut flavoring added throughout with coconut milk,  coconut oil, and shredded coconut for a topping if you choose. I really enjoyed the frosting because it had a thicker consistency than some I've made in the past. No big surprise the recipe is from vegan cupcake goddess Chloe Coscarelli. This one isn't in her original cookbook Chloe's Kitchen, but you can find it on her website, and something tells me she'll include it in her upcoming desserts cookbook, Chloe's Vegan Desserts. 

With Monkeys for a Little Extra Fun & Color!

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk (I used the canned Light variety available at Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Fluffy Coconut Frosting

Fluffy Coconut Frosting
1 cup coconut oil (solid, this stuff can get expensive, but I've had good luck finding it for less at Trader Joe's in the oil section)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-5 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Fluffy Coconut Topping
2 cups shredded coconut flakes
Food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake trays with paper cups, you'll end up with 14 cupcakes so you may need 2 dozen-cupcake pans.

In a large bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt. 

In a separate medium bowl mix together coconut milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until combined, don't over mix the batter. 

Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in oven for 16-18 minutes, check with a toothpick. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting, beat coconut oil with a handheld mixer until smooth. Add in powdered sugar while mixer is blending, add in vanilla, and one tablespoon of non-dairy milk at a time, until you have the desired consistency. I used 3 tablespoons of milk to get there. Frost your cupcakes!

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes - Pre-Frosting

To make coconut garnish, mix coconut flakes with a drop or two of food coloring and stir with a spoon until color is distributed. Roll cupcakes in or sprinkle coconut onto the frosting. Take a bite, you're done!

Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale

For an update on how the bake sale went, see my other post HERE!

 *Photo Sources: Chefchloe.com, shortbreadbakery.blogspot.com, kblog.lunchboxbunch.com, newyork.seriouseats.com

DETAILS

Join the Facebook Event Page!

Date: Saturday, April 27th, 2013

Time: 11:00am - 4:00pm

Location: MSPCA Boston Adoption Center 

(at the MSPCA-Angell Headquarters in Jamaica Plain)

350 South Huntington Avenue

Boston, MA 02130

Directions: Google Maps

Proceeds: MSPCA - Boston Adoption Center

See the listing here on the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale website

FLYERS:

If you have questions or are interested in helping, please contact me at veega.co@gmail.com!

Background on This Event

Back in January of 2013 I started planning a vegan bake sale in the Boston area, as part of a larger initiative called the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. I stumbled upon this website www.veganbakesale.org last year and thought what a great idea! The organization received recognition in the press, too - on VegNews and CNN. Groups from across the world hold charitable vegan bake sales during April 20-28, 2013 in an effort to promote cruelty-free food and raise money for a good cause. I love to bake and vegan baking has now become one of my favorite pastimes. What better reason to do it than to give other people in my community the chance to learn how delicious vegan food can be and benefit a charity of your choice. 

The plans are in motion and I have now set a date, charity, and location for my bake sale! See details above and be sure to join the event on Facebook. 

Hope to see you there!