Vegan sponge cake with raspberries

I admit, I’m not perfect baker. To be honest I’m terrible one. When I cook I can go wild! Use my imagination. Change proportions, try new tastes during preparing. When you bake, you need to be meticulous, doing everything step-by-step. And then you just sit and wait.
I really didn’t go well that way. No control over cake in the oven! I’m a kitchen control freak!

When I was experimenting with my own vegan version of sponge cake, I went through all those negative emotions. Anger, denial… Really,Elizabeth Kubler-Ross would be proud of my five stages of grief over another not-good-enough sponge cake.
But acceptance came! I accept, that sometimes cake is just a failure, despite I did everything right way. I accept, that every spoon of flours matters and I need do one step at the time.
Of course, now when I finally create good recipe, baking seems quite fun! It’s a little like in chemistry lab. Not little, in fact baking is all about chemistry! You need to have adequate proportions of substrate, provide good environment for reaction and there you have a cake! Gigantic failure or glorious victory.
Looking back, those attempts I made to bake good vegan sponge cake were valuable lessons. I could do more. The cleaning after is the only thing that stops me. Flour everywhere, sugar on the floor- licked by my dog. If I run a chemistry lab, there is possibility that it would explode within a week.

So what I learn about baking perfect vegan sponge cake:

proportions of flour and sugar 1:1
you need to add exact amount of chickpea flour- through trail and error
soda and vinegar are perfect couple for sponge cake
I use 450 type of flour, sifted
use kitchen scale if you have one to measure flour and sugar
using electric hand mixer, mix ingredients shortly, they just need to bind, don’t overwork
remember to prepare baking pan by covering it with oil and breadcrumbs
spread the fruits on top evenly, so the sponge cake can grow
bake in 180C, no higher of lower
do not open the oven during baking, check after 30 minutes using tooth pick
if the cake come out of the edges of baking pan it is a sign it’s baked
when baked, it should stay in the open oven and gradually cool
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Vegan sponge cake
with raspberries or other seasonal fruits

Ingredients:
for 26x20cm baking pan
12 servings

12 tbsp chickpea flour (besan)
12 tbsp water
6 tbsp canola oil
200g powdered sugar ( 1½ cup)
200g flou 450 type (1½ cup)
pich of salt
2tsp baking powder
few drop vanilla extract
¼ cup soy milk (60ml)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

about 1-1½ cup raspberries

breadcrumbs for dusting the pan
canola oil

1. Cover the baking pan with oil and dust with breadcrumbs. Using electric hand mixer mix chickpea flour with water, until smooth. Add 6 tbsp canola oil and mix again. Add baking sugar and repeat with mixing to get yellow, smooth batter.

2.Add flour in three batches( ½ cup each). Sieve it straight to the bowl with batter Add the first batch and mix just until all ingredients come together. Repeat with remaining two. Add vanilla, baking powder and pinch of salt and mix again.

3. In a large cup mix soy milk with soda. Add 1 tbsp of vinegar. Set aside, the foam will form. In a meantime turn on the oven on 180C. Add the foam to the batter and mix shortly.

4. Spread the batter in tha baking form. Put the fruits on top evenly. Put in the hot oven fo 30-33 minuts (depending on oven)/ Check after 30 minutes with a tooth pick. Leave in the open oven until cool.
Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Nutrtion:

Vegan sponge cake with raspberries:
2 840 calories
protein: 53,4 g; fat: 94 g; carbohydrates: 452 g, fiber: 30g;
iron: 18,4 mg; calcium: 176mg; zinc: 2,6 mg

1 serving:
236 calories
protein: 4,45 g; fat: 7,85 g; carbohydrates: 37,6 g, fiber: 2,5 g;
iron: 1,53 mg; calcium: 15 mg; zinc: 0,2 mg