High class, low class /-/Vegan Humming bird breakfast pound cake

I am not sure if it just me but there ALWAYS is this dynamic between so called high class food, low class food and the viability of a recipe. On the web there some weird divide that if I recipe suggest a lower class brand instead of high class stuff ( Store bought baking chocolate verses French imported callebaut); bakers distrust the recipe. Now I cannot say that all things are like this but recently I came pass a comment on a blog that was sceptical of a recipe "workability" just because it had listed a brand of baking chips. 

We have all seen the cookies recipes on the back of the packet or the try me idea on the side of box cereal, however what is your attitude to them?

Do you think they will work or be a major flop? Would they taste good or be another waste of ingredients? Love to get your opinion!

I am going to stand up for these lower class ingredients for three reasons.

1. Yes I am not loaded. While I may try my best to purchase the best quality, not everyone has enough money to shell out for $50 dollar a kilo produce.

2. Sometimes! The lower class ingredient is actually what you want! I think about all those candy bar cakes and even stews from offal can be the best things on the food stuff list. Not everything has to cost the world in your baking.

3. Finally if you think the higher classed ingredients you purchase would mean you are less likely to fail in the kitchen, think again. Kitchen fails happen all the time and it is not down to your butter quality.



Now, now gent bakers and lady bakers I think we have forgotten the fundamentals of what actually make thing turn out right. This maybe an unpopular opinion but it is all about following a recipe to the T; that means grams (or in US Ounces). Sure the sweetness may need to be changed up depending on your taste but if you did what the recipe told you, in the correct measurements it should come out edible. It may not be best thing you could back but it essentially has all the basics. Really besides the recipes in the Bouchen Bakery book by Thomas Keller, most cake and cookie recipe have similar processes.

Sorry I just had to get this out, nothing like good rant to get through the week…



Now I am posting a very humble sweet bread recipe. This is my first vegan try at a bread/cake. Normally I would have butter and eggs totally at an arm’s reach but I have used them all after posting two celebration cakes and two customer orders outside this blog. Also I have been Inspired by Averie for Averie cooks. I am sure you know who I am taking about the Peanut butter queen of the food blog sphere. 

Anyway she posted a recipe for pumpkin vegan muffins a few weeks ago, so I was inspired to try one of my own. Using one of her pound cake recipes I decide to adapt it into a breakfast sweet loaf. This a roasted humming bird breakfast pound cake. Why breakfast you ask? Well it is because it has the left over Tropical granola I made in it to add that textural contrast and I made a whipped coconut/tofu spread. So lots of good whole grains, protein and fats to boot. Yes I am listing the healthy things to this cake but really what matters most me is that it tastes good.

Typical me right… Anyway Left over bananas? Give them a twist by roasting along side pineapple, the slight acidity helps it rise better (chemical baking here) and who is going to argue with a combination of pineapples, coconut and bananas for breakfast?

Humming bird breakfast pound cake

Adpated from many recipe on Averie cook's blog under Vegan tag


200g whole meal flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

5g cinnamon

3g nut meg

3g sat

10ml vanilla extract

50ml soy milk

2.5 tsp (15g) coconut milk powder

1 tsp apple vinegar

2 LSA eggs (linseed, Sunflower and almond mix), Mixing one tablespoon of LSA then mix with 3 tablespoon water. Whisk together and leave for 5 minutes.

110ml coconut oil melted

170g granola ( used left over from this tropical granola recipe)

Grilled/broiled Banana and pineapple mix * (instruction below)

Grilled/broiled Banana and pineapple mix*

On a baking tray, lined with baking paper, place 3 medium (about 300g uncooked) and 4 slices of can pineapple.

Preheat grill to high. Sprinkle 200g brown sugar on fruit.

Place under grill until well browned and caramelised.

Allow to cool then mash everything (syrup and all) in to a paste.





Pre Heat oven to 180C and line a large loaf tin (I used the one you can get from IKEA here) with oil and baking paper.

In a large bowl shift you flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nut meg and salt.

In another jug mix the vanilla extract, soy milk, coco nut milk powder, vinegar, LSA eggs, coconut oil and Banana pineapple mix. Whisk until smooth.

Make a well in your flour mix bowl and pour the wet mix in. Fold with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add you granola and fold through.

Pour into the loaf tin and place in the oven.

Turn the oven down to 160C and bake for 1 and 10 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. IF it is browning too much place a sheet of foil on top.

Once baked leave in tin for 20 minutes then turn out to completely cool



Coconut tofu spread

300g extra firm silken tofu, well pressed for 3 hours.

30g desiccated coconut

30g skinless unroasted almonds

40g caster sugar

5ml coconut essence



In a food blender, blend coconut and almonds into a smooth paste

After add process tofu, caster sugar and vanilla until it forms a thick spread.

Store in the fridge until use.