![DSC_9885.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23w2qe9zLMvbzumTdW3F454FgUqnMPVhbwQ1d715pBxvCjJcdym8HKZcRnGig7Gfni9Vt.jpg)

### I would like to give a hearty congratulations and Happy birthday wishes to the Plant power community! 

This community has given us the chance to inspire ourselves and others to eat plant based, showing that it can be fun, delicious and very multi cultural. 

I'm joining in on the celebration by participating in this week's topic of [Birthday Cake](https://peakd.com/hive-180569/@plantpoweronhive/the-brand-new-plant-based-ea378a5e4b078).

I am not someone who makes cakes at home. I *have* made cakes at a job I had. I occasionally make tarts or pies but cake is not my thing. I always say, that I couldn't bake a cake to save my life. I also never eat cake except for when someone offers me a piece once in a blue moon.

The one and only time I baked a birthday cake at home aside from today, was over 27 years ago. It was my daughter's birthday. We had a few of her friends over. They were between 6 and 8 years old. I didn't want my daughter to eat too much sugar so I made a healthier cake with no icing. I sliced up bananas and put them on top with some grapes for decoration. When I brought out the cake my daughter's face just changed and they all stared at this cake with open mouths. Not drooling, just in shock. Let's just say that after years gone by I was reminded by my daughter and her friends that I made the weirdest birthday cake they've ever seen. *"Why would you put grapes on a cake?"*

Today's cake, although plant based will be slightly more decadent with vegan butter and sugar. Birthdays are a time to indulge apparently. I am usually a chocolate fan but I'm also a lemon fan so today's cake will be lemony with added berries. Berries are still abundant in stores right now although imported.

![DSC_9597.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23u67TuJBDEDhKkrDvKHdtMEn1vXb2ekL6TdEPNbioWWZYyRxKyit3Ynznhkrhs3zq1LU.jpg)

**Lemon berry cake**
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cane sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup soy cream
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon flax egg
3 tablespoons vegan yogurt
1/4 cup hot water


![DSC_9589.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23w2qS7gDDLMShKz4gfvgP44k821sDtRvcyW2kyxthwdiqUk8qb4kU9weCWFkUSJzDi8x.jpg)


I haven't followed a recipe but made my recipe based on several that I've seen. I have a problem with following recipes. With baking you should measure everything precisely. I don't do that. For example, I have added double the amount of lemon that most lemon cake recipes call for. I also  added a flax egg which surprisingly not many vegan cake recipes contain. We used to put it in our cakes at the kitchen that I worked at. For the flax egg, just boil some flax seeds in double the water then cool. Drain the goo from the seeds and use the goo.


![DSC_9575.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23x1KmhFtvtcGsZWmdsnBmjFA9M1Bep1ee7CW3RKWAumMNKE6AS4hxJj1pakDtcyfhzoJ.jpg)

I have decided to sift the flour, because they often say you should do this in order to get out the lumps. I am not so sure if it's necessary. At the place I use to work, we didn't do this and the cakes were fine. 


![DSC_9616.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23uQy25nLWkRo7PbfduCMvYVVjPrsZvH9WrnSExYjcTEkdNvUwA8XSQTRhHh5UCq4fmSi.jpg)


I guess I did it for the theatrics of cake baking.

![DSC_9614.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23wMoC9qPEQcJhECQdxGUnpmnSmwvW84jLD1LMbiEWpPACqDL151q7mig2x7YFfXou8cz.jpg)

Mix all the wet ingredients together.

![DSC_9621.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23tvkqDnVk5dYhbmuP1tGxPQKBH1Mdw9cZ8RBko5x3wzEwaCzMWQCqvKU4xD6vybrsE8m.jpg)

Add to the wet mixture stirring gently to not over mix. Over mixing will create gluten. 

![DSC_9637.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23tc1iDZVu41KJbjAJbed3Ns3zAonjd9q7tC3EFCUm93m93GU1WbFX9hVmdrfcqCb6Ct3.jpg)

At first I wasn't going to add hot water but I didn't like how thick it was so I drizzled in around 1/4 cup of hot water until it was thick but thin enough to pour into the cake pan.

![DSC_9640.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23tmMkiZFx6dq5D9rGZQpHYxjK7MXD6vXEXVFnFMqv15JJm3oZK1nSELD6bRu99iweo5E.jpg)

I only have one small spring form pan so I divided the batter in half and baked two layers separately. 

![DSC_9632.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23xyfajDZVEY26hnFa85m2AF9BHVtBeHeG2szjCunsh3skWjx6RydjvZfGyAKqGAowbfe.jpg)

I recently bought a spray bottle for oil, and it's come in very handy. I sprayed inside of the pan that was lined with parchment paper.


![DSC_9647.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23wCNJd6EAYDrj9XaZF1ZbgzYypoy5Kra1vHm1uuiUS2mScZqWRw661o3BrtXjPQWaG25.jpg)

After putting the cake into an oven set at 350 F, I timed it for 30 minutes which seems to be the average time for cakes. I would of course check it with a knife in the centre to make sure there was no batter on it.

![DSC_9656.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23wMjL2LmuiBKuv88yTkp7MGY9jnygyA9NWH9gFFnKoA7H4PiSfBrxEGVyaac9LZMuWXz.jpg)

When both layers were cooked and cooled, I gently sliced off the tops to make them flat. I saved the tops. Eventually I will turn them into a crumble for the base of a tart.

![DSC_9761.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23z7WVEKW1fwuGNaHVF2bMKu824Qzn5WSyRQgehbNUuGARd2VXLkbkuxMup9i7C1knavM.jpg)

When I put half the batter into the pan, my eyeballing skills were slightly off. The second layer was a little thicker and needed an extra five minutes. I cut off a little more to make them as close in thickness as possible.

![DSC_9764.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23yJTM9EmXu9M3zXZc9bjUffcg5StxfX6FWd3omoJEJEDTZaXDWC8YkW3uRbdhwdWMznG.jpg)

At first I was going to put icing in between the layers, but I changed my mind and thought it would be nice to include berries in the cake. I quickly made a blueberry jam to put in the centre. This is so quick and easy if you have berries on hand. I always have frozen berries for smoothies so I used those.

![DSC_9626.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23sJveV7fgBZ8pkJKpGB8H7N3saSx1bRXgvdP8iEeJF5eE3qYqsbSfahJ52vXnbyv81pc.jpg)

**Blueberry jelly**
2 cups frozen blueberries
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon agar agar

Mix the cornstarch and agar together making sure there are no lumps. Boil the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice then add cornstarch mixture. Keep stirring until it thickens then cool in the fridge.



![DSC_9776.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23wXBishhYYzn1DhR64yazwgMN5y27uSDjXLvU1j16viknZPKZ8rbFqCATTmwdfKcvRSZ.jpg)

When the berries were cooled I added them to the cake.

![DSC_9779.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/244eLyMqpq25gLK7P6G6H2TnVxowQCoPiXrsuLft6jopW9nq7x2E9qtgA3RaCzr6yMVN1.jpg)

After placing the layers together I began to make the icing.

![DSC_9787.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23wMeXSVR1ZUTYHVhz8ApRqHWx4stRf9tcAFB481VagcpZqDh7XmsWzGoyyMnfHvRM4Y3.jpg)

I didn't follow a recipe for this. I just eyeballed it and it turned out fine. A professional pastry chef may not approve.

**Icing**
4 cups icing sugar
1 cup vegan butter room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
Squeeze of lemon juice
Zest of a lemon





![DSC_9722.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23wgYf1bvp2Bg6PDXbh8EBorT8eN5PgTi4UqvkyjZKhyKB5tDDyPYDgEa8nt16tWTMyiQ.jpg)

I used a hand mixer to whip the icing. Someone gave it to me a while back, so it came in handy.

![DSC_9730.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23xAnwobyBAFX4HVD7UE2bterAd1KEBpqkwjxoq8KyNQ8m2DbXTLYtiKFXiW8yYwLjkAH.jpg)

After blending the icing, I decided to take a smaller portion and add some colour. 

![DSC_9740.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23uFe84BWiZwsUUpfgxYvHkHfcaUuGb4ob3vZSeaenUWbk9RvSzfWVfQ3aAkWe2qhXBTe.jpg)

I don't keep food colouring in my pantry so I grabbed a pack of butterfly pea powder that I was given two years ago. It's colour is much like blueberries. 


![DSC_9744.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23tm7K1eJcJ2zYkDJFE94YT9x4cBC6QTcpqaUnc6DWXkuwXCrzS8amGy6BiUnLAWTX8EP.jpg)

It was a little too pale and I didn't want to add too much in case it affected the flavor.

![DSC_9752.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23wgWaxStB4yAE4mfG26gVhvcPUQaE7TAjYPijqkca4y3Rqap2R9rQpyjqAdqQgfS1FDb.jpg)

I decided to give it a boost of colour by adding some beet powder that I have. This leads me to tell you another birthday cake disaster story. This was  a cake that my mother baked.

*I only remember this one cake that I ever had for my birthday. My dad raised me and didn't allow me to have cake and candy etc. Before my mother passed away she made me a beautiful birthday cake. It was nicely decorated and the icing was a beautiful shade of pink. It made my eyes pop out with excitement. Before I could eat it, I learned that she had coloured the icing with beet juice. This turned me off so much. I was disgusted and couldn't eat the cake. I have no recollection of anything after that. I don't remember anyone being mad at me. Now after all that I put beet powder in this icing.*

![DSC_9757.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/241tnEdFRzmHvos3bXynVAX3RxtjcBJdmczduxP5Sdvc38Xfikb7gSbb18Va5hDXVDW4Q.jpg)

I covered the layers with the white frosting first. I wasn't sure at this point how to apply the coloured stuff. 

![DSC_9798.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23wMoV7pJZBJbPEYP89ZXrDjN9poreCQcXAaYFEfHjyHpov76qa5mUk4UAoRtPzoy6q6D.jpg)

I eventually found a piping bag without tips so I started with some buds on top. I didn't really know what I was doing or where I was going with this.

![DSC_9808.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23xLBQ7guubwX1NpxpKfLbeywfFgZss7qzsb5hhedAXsB4f1YzHpBQVNRAh4VXZ1qBLvf.jpg)

I usually have fresh raspberries in the fridge so with the help of those and a dab of leftover jelly, I had my decorated cake. 

![DSC_9866.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23xAns34CGefATCZeQzDKSFedjUReXjxbkRArc5tzqkvziBCRJBUm8H1YsapfK9ywce2Z.jpg)

It was sweet and lemony. I had a piece of cake for the first time in a very long time. 

![DSC_9910.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23xpK1rKpgHzQbm7g4SQ3qzx2oAnxB5ix1PB4kH7Zr6bEEQ5wUyY7gbdBCpBqhEDR3gAW.jpg)

Marc was excited to be celebrating plant power's birthday. It's not often he gets to eat cake. The rest will be frozen for a special moment. We have no friends to share with. Marc's parents are too far to share it with. Oh well we'll have to take care of it ourselves.

![DSC_9913.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/carolynstahl/23y9AZZwu14bBvSHW1TGfg9BTNw3zcFFQwuHn26ao4kSRLSwmamyrN5Vbjd5huesP1MoP.jpg)

Thanks for dropping by and have a great day!


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