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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Recipe

Vegan bacon and cream cheese sandwiches

Dainty sandwich fingers with the satisfying umami of vegan bacon and lashings of cream cheese make the perfect savoury inclusion in a classic...

- Sara Kidd
View ›
Recipe

Chocolate cream mini cakes

Rich and sophisticated, these espresso-enhanced chocolate sponges with delectable chocolate cream topping are guaranteed to dazzle your guests,...

- Sara Kidd
View ›
Recipe

Sugar-free caramel cupcakes with sweet potato buttercream

Put a smile on your dial with these sweet indulgences!

- Sara Kidd
View ›
Recipe

Gluten-free chocolate cake

Now everyone can enjoy all the chocolate-y goodness of this classic favourite!

- Sara Kidd

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Vegan bacon and cream cheese sandwiches

Sara Kidd

Dainty sandwich fingers with the satisfying umami of vegan bacon and lashings of cream cheese make the perfect savoury inclusion in a classic tea-time spread.

lunchsnack
entertainingfinger food

Ingredients

Makes: 8

Method

  1. Place the bacon strips in a heavy-bottom skillet coated with a thin layer of olive oil. Pan fry over medium heat until slightly crispy, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  2. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the crusts off the bread to create perfectly even, crustless squares. Cut each square in half, creating two rectangle sandwich fingers. You can also use a pair of sharp kitchen shears for greater precision. Make sure all slices are the same size.
  3. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until it’s light and airy enough to spread easily on the bread. Add salt and pepper and beat to incorporate.
  4. Spread a tablespoon of cream cheese onto half of the sliced bread fingers, creating a smooth, even layer.
  5. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the bacon into small, even pieces that are the same length as your sandwich fingers. Place on top of the cream cheese then top with the remaining sliced bread fingers. Garnish the top of each finger sandwich with a sprig of dill.
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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Chocolate cream mini cakes

Sara Kidd

Rich and sophisticated, these espresso-enhanced chocolate sponges with delectable chocolate cream topping are guaranteed to dazzle your guests, whether served for dessert or as part of a five-star hotel style afternoon tea.

dessertsnack
bakingentertaining

Ingredients

Makes: 12

MINI CAKES (see tip)

CHOCOLATE CREAM

TO DECORATE

Method

  1. Preheat the oven 170°C. Lightly grease a jumbo cupcake tin and dust very lightly with cocoa powder.
  2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter and sugar. Add the coffee and vanilla and stir to thoroughly combine.
  3. In another bowl, mix the soy milk and vinegar together to create a thick buttermilk substitute. Add to the melted butter mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Set aside.
  4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb soda, salt, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
  5. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the liquid. Gently mix together with a whisk until only just combined.
  6. Pour the batter into each of the cupcake moulds, filling them ¾ full. Bake in the oven for about 25–27 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
  7. Allow the cakes to cool for 20 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool completely before frosting.
  8. Meanwhile, make the chocolate cream. In a small saucepan, heat the soy milk over a medium heat until small bubbles start to form around the edge. Remove from heat.
  9. Mix together the agar agar and a small amount of the warmed soy milk in another bowl, until the agar agar is dissolved. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan of warm milk, whisking to combine. Place the saucepan back on a medium heat, continuously stirring for at least 2 minutes, until the liquid comes to the brink of a boil. Remove from the heat.
  10. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add to a large heat-proof mixing bowl. Pour the hot soy milk mixture over the chocolate and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Then using a wooden spoon, stir the chocolate and soy milk until combined and completely smooth. Next, stir in the coconut cream and salt.
  11. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or baking paper, placing it directly onto the surface of the chocolate cream so it doesn’t form a skin. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours to set. Once set, whip with a whisk or hand blender until completely smooth. Place back into the fridge until ready to use.
  12. To assemble the cakes, level each cake by using a serrated knife to cut the domes off the top of the cakes. Turn the cakes upside-down and make sure they sit evenly; the 
  13. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle with the chocolate cream. Pipe the cream onto the top each cake to form a large dome. Decorate the blueberries with gold dust using a small paint brush and nestle them on the top of the chocolate cream. Add some fresh edible flowers to complement the blueberries, and serve.

TIP: 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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Sugar-free caramel cupcakes with sweet potato buttercream

Sara Kidd

Put a smile on your dial with these sweet indulgences!

dessert
bakingkid-friendlyrefined sugar free

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS

WET INGREDIENTS

EGG REPLACER

BUTTERCREAM

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with cupcake cases.
  2. Place the dates in a small bowl and cover in boiling water. Set aside.
  3. Make the egg replacer by mixing the flaxseed with the boiling water. Set aside to thicken.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, sieve all dry ingredients together and mix to combine.
  5. In a large jug, mix the soy milk and vinegar together until it becomes thick. Then add the oil, vanilla, and caramel flavour (if using), and mix to combine. Add the thickened flax egg and mix through.
  6. Drain the dates and add them to a blender along with all the mixed-together wet ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into the dry ingredient mixture and gently fold everything together with a whisk, until just combined.
  7. Spoon the batter into each cupcake case, filling each about ¾ full. Place in the oven on the top rack and bake for 12–14 minutes. They are ready when the tops bounce back when pressed gently. Remove from oven and let the cupcakes cool.
  8. Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on low for 5 minutes until light and smooth, using your spatula to scrape down the sides.
  9. Add the chilled sweet potato and beat together until smooth. Then add the peanut butter, vanilla and stevia, and beat until fluffy, pausing the mixer every few minutes to scrape down the sides. If the mixture is curdling, chill in the fridge for 10–15 minutes and then beat until smooth.
  10. Ice the cupcakes once they have completely cooled. You can further decorate with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts, if you like.
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? Sign up to our newsletter and receive our latest editorial and offers directly in your inbox.

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Gluten-free chocolate cake

Sara Kidd

Now everyone can enjoy all the chocolate-y goodness of this classic favourite!

dessert
bakinggluten-free option

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS

WET INGREDIENTS

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line 2 x 15cm cake tins with baking paper. Don’t use larger tins. You can use smaller tins if you like. Remember, the smaller the better.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, sieve all the dry ingredients and then mix together well with a whisk.
  3. In a small jug, mix the milk and vinegar together until it thickens. Add the melted shortening, vanilla, and coffee (if using). Mix together.
  4. Slowly pour the liquid into the dry ingredients in three parts. Mix gently with a whisk between each addition of liquid until combined. Make sure your batter isn’t too runny. You can add some extra flour if needed.
  5. Divide the batter between two tins. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out a little crumby. You want to under-bake it slightly to retain moisture.
  6. Leave the cake to cool on a cooling rack. Don’t store this cake in the fridge as it will dry out. For best results, eat on the same day, otherwise use a simple sugar syrup between layers to help keep the cake moist.

TIP: I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour, which you can used as a direct replacement for general purpose baking flour in recipes.

SPECIAL NOTES FOR A NO-FAIL CAKE

• If the batter is too runny, the cake will sink. It needs to pour out of your bowl slowly without being too sticky. It should have some thickness to it – like a runny store-bought custard.

• Don’t make this cake any bigger than a 15cm tin. Make sure to split the batter between two tins.

• Under-bake your cake slightly. You want to retain extra moisture in the cake, as gluten-free cakes can be a little dry.

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 N3 • View magazine

Enjoying our inspiring stories? Sign up to our newsletter and receive our latest editorial and offers directly in your inbox.

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