Sara Kidd | Contributors - Nourish plant-based living

Sara Kidd

Sara Kidd - Vegan Pastry Chef, Author, Recipe Developer, Instructor
Sara Kidd is a vegan pastry chef, author, recipe developer and instructor rocking the vegan baking scene with her eye-popping vegan cake creations, food photography and recipes. Following the wild success of her first cookbook, Bake Vegan Stuff, Easy Recipes For Kids (And Adults! Too), her hotly anticipated follow-up, The Vegan Cake Bible, launched in April 2022.

Articles by Sara Kidd

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Food stories

Gluten-free baking hacks

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- Sara Kidd
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Recipe

Gluten-free brownies

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Vegan lemon cake

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- Sara Kidd
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Vegan ‘egg’ and tomato tartlets

Tofu, soy milk and vegan cream cheese form the basis for the egg-style filling in these adorable mini-tarts, complete with melt-in-the mouth...

- Sara Kidd
View ›
Recipe

Vegan cheese and chive scones

Firm on the outside and delicate on the inside, these melt-in-your-mouth savoury scones combine the classic tangy flavours of cheese and chives,...

- Sara Kidd

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Gluten-free baking hacks

6th October 2022
Words by Sara Kidd
Category: Food stories | Guides
Fridge and pantryIngredientsSweets and treats

Your cake bakes will rise to the occasion with these vegan and gluten-free baking tips.

We all remember those days when gluten-free meant eating something with the texture and taste of a brick covered in cinnamon dust. Thankfully we’ve come a long way since then, and now have the knowledge and power to create gluten-free goodness for everyone to enjoy.

Here are my top tips to get you started.

Big is not better

It’s the smaller the better with gluten-free baking. I always recommend making cakes no larger than 15 centimetres or smaller. I find that the smaller the cake, the better the bake.

Mix your flours

For example, I love using buckwheat flour but I find mixing it with walnut meal gives it a better texture. My ratio is 1:⅓. So, I would use 1 cup of buckwheat flour with ⅓ cup walnut meal.

Use vanilla

Use extra vanilla when baking. It will help balance out those nutty flavours that can be present in gluten-free baking.

Keep it moist

I always use melted veggie shortening as the main fat source for my cakes as it adds extra moisture.

Perfect proving

Use 25 percent more raising agents (bicarbonate of soda or baking powder) if you’re converting a recipe to gluten-free. Don’t worry about over mixing your batter as there is no gluten to over-develop.

Lower the temp

If you’re converting a recipe to gluten-free, experiment with adjusting the temperature of your oven to be about 10°C lower.

Watch the clock

Don’t be afraid to under bake your cake slightly. You want to retain extra moisture in your cake as gluten-free cakes can be a little dry. I usually bake them for 5 minutes less and test they are ready with a skewer. If the skewer still has a few crumbs and a tiny bit of moisture on it, then it’s ready to come out of the oven.

***

Ready to give it a go?

Nobody should miss out on chocolate cake, and my gluten-free chocolate cake recipe makes sure no-one has to! This one’s a tried and true crowd pleaser that you’ll return to again and again.

Gluten free chocolate cake

Lead image: Konstantin2017 on Shutterstock

This article is an edited extract from Nourish plant-based living, V8 N3 • View magazine
Sara Kidd - Vegan Pastry Chef, Author, Recipe Developer, Instructor
Sara Kidd

Sara Kidd is a vegan pastry chef, author, recipe developer and instructor rocking the vegan baking scene with her eye-popping vegan cake creations, food photography and recipes.

Enjoying our inspiring stories? We always love to hear from you with suggestions for the content you want more of. Suggest a topic here.

Sign up to our newsletter and receive our latest editorial and offers directly in your inbox.

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Gluten-free brownies

Sara Kidd

Nobody should miss out on to-die-for chocolate brownies, and Sara Kidd’s vegan and GF recipe guarantees no-one has to!

dessertsnack
bakinggluten-free option

Ingredients

Makes 9 large brownies

gluten-free flour mix

egg replacer

Method

  1. Preheat an oven to 180°C. Line a 28x18cm rectangular baking dish with baking paper.
  2. Make the egg replacer first. In a small bowl, mix together the flaxseed and boiling water to make a paste. Set aside to thicken.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer, until creamy. This should take about 2 minutes. Add the oil, vanilla, and egg replacer, and beat until well combined. Add the cocoa powder and cinnamon, and beat until fluffy.
  4. In a separate mixing bowl, measure out the gluten-free flour mix and then add the baking powder and salt. Mix together until well combined. 
  5. Divide flour into two parts. Mix the first part into the butter mixture using a low speed and then mix through the other half. Add the milk and mix through. 
  6. Add ¾ of the chocolate chips and ¾ of the pecans, and mix through the brownie batter with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into the baking dish and press the remaining chocolate and pecans into the top of the brownie batter.
  7. Place the baking tray in the centre of the oven and bake for 37–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  8. Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack. Cut into squares to serve.

TIP: Walnut meal is just ground up walnuts, so you can make you own by blitzing walnuts in a food processor.

Sara Kidd - Vegan Pastry Chef, Author, Recipe Developer, Instructor
Sara Kidd

Sara Kidd is a vegan pastry chef, author, recipe developer and instructor rocking the vegan baking scene with her eye-popping vegan cake creations, food photography and recipes.

This recipe was first published in Nourish plant-based living, V8 N5 • View magazine

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Vegan lemon cake

Sara Kidd

Afternoon tea, picnic, party, or just because – any excuse is a good excuse to make lemon cake, and this vegan version by baking virtuoso Sara Kidd will have everyone queueing up for seconds!

dessertsnack
bakingentertaining

Ingredients

Makes a 2-layer 15cm cake

buttercream

Method

  1. Preheat oven 160°C. Line 2 x 15cm cake tins with baking paper, grease with oil, and dust with flour.
  2. Mix the ground chia seed with the boiling water and beat with a hand mixer to remove any lumps (don’t use a fork to mix because you will get clumps in your cake). Set aside to thicken. 
  3. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until creamy with no lumps.
  4. Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and mix together.
  5. In a small jug, mix the soy milk with vinegar, until it thickens slightly. Then add the lemon juice, vanilla, lemon essence, and the chia egg replacer. Beat or blend together until completely smooth. Stir through lemon zest.
  6. To the creamed butter, add haft of the flour mix very slowly while mixing on the lowest speed, then add half the liquid while continuing to mix. Repeat until all ingredients are just combined. It will be a very thick batter.
  7. Pause the mixer and scrape down sides. Mix for a few more seconds.
  8. Divide the cake batter between the tins and tap the tins on the bench to release any air bubbles. Bake in the oven for 35–37 mins. Check if cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, it’s ready. Let the cake cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a cake rack to cool completely.
  9. Meanwhile, to make the buttercream, sieve the icing sugar and set aside. Using a standard mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening on low for 5 to 10 minutes until light and smooth, using a spatula to scrape down the sides. Then add in the butter and beat on medium for another 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  10. Slowly add the icing sugar while beating on the lowest speed. Then add the hot water, vanilla, and almond extract, continuing to beat for another 5 minutes. Pause the mixer every few minutes to scrape down the sides. For a firmer mixture, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, then beat for one minute before icing your cake.
  11. Cover the bottom layer of the cake with a thick layer of buttercream. Place the second layer on top and cover in the remaining buttercream using an offset spatula. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

TIP: You can make a flaxseed egg replacer instead, but you will see little flecks in the cake crumb.

Sara Kidd - Vegan Pastry Chef, Author, Recipe Developer, Instructor
Sara Kidd

Sara Kidd is a vegan pastry chef, author, recipe developer and instructor rocking the vegan baking scene with her eye-popping vegan cake creations, food photography and recipes.

This recipe was originally published in Nourish plant-based living, V8 N5 • View magazine

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Vegan ‘egg’ and tomato tartlets

Sara Kidd

Tofu, soy milk and vegan cream cheese form the basis for the egg-style filling in these adorable mini-tarts, complete with melt-in-the mouth homemade crusts.

side dishsnackstarter
entertainingfinger food

Ingredients

Makes: 12–15

PASTRY SHELLS

FILLING

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 230°C and thoroughly grease a 12-hole jumbo muffin tin.
  2. Prior to preparing, place all ingredients in the fridge to keep them as cold as possible, including the mixing bowl.
  3. Using a food processor, pulse the flours and salt together until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture is very crumbly and fine. Next, pour in the cold water and pulse until a cohesive dough forms.
  4. Transfer the dough to the chilled glass bowl and use your hands to knead it into a smooth ball. Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 3mm thick, making sure it’s completely even.
  5. Using a 10cm round cookie cutter, cut out circles and press them into the prepared muffin tin. Smooth out the pastry in each mould so that it’s completely flat on the bottom. Prick the bottom of each pastry with a fork a few times, creating small vents to allow hot air to escape while baking.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes and remove, the reduce heat of the oven to 200°C.
  7. While the shells are baking, make the ‘egg’ filling. Place all the filling ingredients, except for the tomatoes and basil, in a high-speed blender or food processor. Puree on high speed until completely smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
  8. Fill each baked pastry shell almost to the top with the ‘egg’ filling. Place the tomato pieces on top, pressing them gently into the filling.
  9. Bake for another 10–12 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned.
  10. Garnish the top of each tart with fresh basil and serve either warm, at room temperature, or thoroughly chilled.

TIPS:

  • Blanched almond flour is made from almonds that have had the skins removed, so doesn’t have the brown flecks typical of almond meal.
  • Perfect baking is all about precision. For the best results, use a digital kitchen scale set to grams and weigh the ingredients where these weights are given.
Sara Kidd - Vegan Pastry Chef, Author, Recipe Developer, Instructor
Sara Kidd

Sara Kidd is a vegan pastry chef, author, recipe developer and instructor rocking the vegan baking scene with her eye-popping vegan cake creations, food photography and recipes.

This recipe was originally published in Nourish plant-based living, Issue 64 • View magazine

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Vegan cheese and chive scones

Sara Kidd

Firm on the outside and delicate on the inside, these melt-in-your-mouth savoury scones combine the classic tangy flavours of cheese and chives, vegan style.

snack
bakingentertainingsavoury

Ingredients

Makes: 12

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Lightly grease and flour an oven tray or line with baking paper.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, turmeric, bicarb soda, and salt into a bowl. Massage the butter into the flour using just your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the yeast flakes, grated cheese, and chives.
  3. Add the soy milk and vinegar mixture and mix quickly to form a soft dough. Add a little more soy milk if the dough isn’t coming together.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently by turning the dough and pressing with the heel of your hand 3 or 4 times.
  5. Roll out the dough so it is 2½cm thick. Cut into 5cm round scones with a floured biscuit cutter. Gather the scraps, roll them back out, and cut more scones until you have used up all the dough.
  6. Place the scones on the baking tray and brush the tops with extra soy milk. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden and well risen. Garnish with sea salt and serve with room temperature vegan butter.
Sara Kidd - Vegan Pastry Chef, Author, Recipe Developer, Instructor
Sara Kidd

Sara Kidd is a vegan pastry chef, author, recipe developer and instructor rocking the vegan baking scene with her eye-popping vegan cake creations, food photography and recipes.

This recipe was originally published in Nourish plant-based living, Issue 64 • View magazine

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