I’ll never forget the first night I met my husband. Like many who meet the loves of their lives, they talk for hours when they first meet. Or at least, they feel like they could talk for hours.
Fabien was visiting from his native country of France when we met. Much of our conversation that first night was him asking questions about my life as an American and me asking questions about his as French.
I asked him what “mon petit chou chou” meant in French. My sisters and I grew up with my Mom calling us that. Turns out, she was calling, “my little cabbage.”
And Fabien he asked me very seriously, “So, as a Californian, are you vegetarian too?” I laughed because he was not far off. I’m a mostly vegetarian. I eat meat when it’s invited but otherwise never buy it. I don’t even know how to cook it.
Years have passed since then and I’m still the same. And even Fabien has reduced his meat intake a lot over the years. I guess it’s only natural since I’m the cook and never offer it. :-p
More importantly though, is that over the years and as I’ve become more of a cook and baker, I find myself drawn primarily to vegan food, especially vegan desserts. Vegan cakes tend to be incredibly moist and I prefer that over a drier crumb. I also really like that vegan desserts are lighter without the richness that butter adds. If you’ve never tried a vegan donut (specifically the blueberry vegan donut from Whole Foods), then I must say, you’ve been missing out.
Vegan food too is absolutely delicious! There are so many recipes out there and they offer so much variety since plant food is limitless. My go-to vegan meals are Butternut Squash Flatbread with Hummus & Herbs (Vegan) and Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps with Creamy Avocado Sauce.
And for dessert, there are just too many to choose. In the Fall it’s Vegan Pumpkin Cobbler. If it’s a spring day then today’s recipe, without a doubt (lemon icing included)! For a good summer option, Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake. And for the dead of winter, when all I want is chocolate then naturally, I’ll go with Vegan Chocolate Cake.
The beauty of today’s cake, is that you can dress is up or down. In other words, you can drizzle a quick lemon icing on the top or finish it with a pretty dusting of powdered sugar for a more festive and dessert touch. You can even turn them into cupcakes if you prefer. Otherwise, you can skip the icing entirely for a simple breakfast cake. Or bake in muffin tins for an easy breakfast on the go.
No matter what, you’ll be met with a fluffy, plush cake that is dotted with blueberries that burst in each bite and a subtle hint of lemon throughout. Dad, if you’re reading, you can just skip the lemon. 🍋
A note for the non-vegan’s: You can replace non-dairy milk with regular milk, and sour cream or yogurt can be used instead of applesauce. And of course a note for the vegans as well — you may really like these blueberry vegan recipes too: Vegan Blueberry Muffins and Blueberry Banana Bars (Vegan).
One final note, Fabien, absolutely loves this cake. I made it many times playing around with the lemon and the sugar quantities, and each time, he was as happy as the first time to rediscover it. I hope you are too. Enjoy!
Vegan Blueberry Cake
This delicious blueberry cake is plush and fluffy, sweet but not overly so, and entirely vegan, using ingredients you likely already have. It's the kind of cake you can dress up with a drizzle with a lemon icing or dress down by baking in muffin tins for a perfect breakfast on the go. Wholesome, full of healthy blueberries, and easy to make! This cake is one you will find yourself remaking over and over again.
Cake
- 2 cups Flour
- 3/4 cups Sugar
- 1 tbsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 cup Vegetable or grapeseed oil
- 1/2 cup Applesauce (unsweetened)
- 1 cup Non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp. Vanilla
- Zest Of one lemon
- 1 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Optional Lemon Icing
- 1 cup Powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 tbsp. Fresh lemon juice (or water)
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease a 9-inch round or square pan. If making muffins/cupcakes, line 10 muffin tins with liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, applesauce, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest.
Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring just until the batter is smooth. Carefully fold in the blueberries. If using frozen blueberries, only do a couple folds so they don't stain the batter.
Transfer the batter to the cake pan or muffin tins. If making cake, bake between 45-50 minutes. It can take up to 1 hour so don't get discouraged if yours needs a little more time. Insert a toothpick into the center to ensure its cooked through (it can be deceiving). For the muffins, bake for 20 minutes.
While it cools, make the optional lemon glaze by combining the powdered sugar with the lemon juice. Once cooled, drizzle over the cake.
Recipe adapted from my friend, Theresa Miller.
A Bee Bakes 