Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: macadamia nuts

  • Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies

    Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies

    Now that fall is just around the corner I feel like it’s a good time to start baking lots of cozy goodies! I’ve always loved macadamia nuts in cookies, ever since I first enjoyed them as a kid. It was usually macadamias paired with white chocolate chips. But I love them paired with dark chocolate just as much so that’s why I decided to make these Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies!

    This has to be one of the best cookie add in combinations ever! I used one of my chewy cookie base recipes for these, and it was perfect! It uses whole wheat pastry flour for the flour because it’s what I prefer, but if you wanted to use regular all purpose flour or even gluten free all purpose flour for a gluten free option (like Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour, which I have used with good results) you could use one of those instead. I used regular granulated sugar in these because it’s what I had on hand but if you wanted them to have more of a caramelly flavor you could use brown sugar or even maple sugar instead.

    I think it’s a pretty delicious cookie base. I should know, I definitely sampled the dough! Cookie dough is one of my favorite things ever, and my favorite part of baking cookies! I put plenty of crunchy rich macadamia nuts, dark chocolate chunks and chewy sweet dates in this as well! These add ins are amazing together!

    These smelled amazing while baking also I could not wait to try them! My husband Eric was trying to steal some right away! I mean they are pretty darn delicious while still warm from the oven! These are so crave worthy with a chewy sweet vanilla cookie base, crunchy buttery macadamias, gooey dark chocolate and chewy caramelly dates! So wonderful with coffee! These did not last long in my home. If you are in the mood for baking something delicious, definitely give these Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies a try!

    Vegan Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Date Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder or pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 3/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts
    • 3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
    • 3/4 cup dates, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and vanilla extract  until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the macadamias, chocolate chunks and dates until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Coconut Macadamia Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

    Vegan Coconut Macadamia Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

    This year for Easter, I decided to make carrot cake. How original, I know but there is nothing wrong with sticking with tradition. You know what tradition I miss? When everyone used to get all dressed up for Easter. I know some parents dress up their little kids all fancy, but I feel like the majority of people go pretty casual for church and Easter brunch or however else they are celebrating. Everyone is free to wear what they want of course, and I have no problem with that, but I like dressing up and being fancy sometimes for special occasions since it is not something I get to do every day. You know what else I like dressing up? Classic desserts like carrot cake.

    That carrot cake I made for Easter? I dressed up a classic recipe with coconut macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Raw Guru had recently sent me some Dastony macadamia nut butter, and raw cacao butter so it was meant to be! I consider macadamia nuts really special and reserved for special occasions because they are usually pretty spendy (like $34 for 1 lb at a local store in the bulk section), so I often will use them for Holidays or other celebrations. I was super excited about the macadamia nut butter because that stuff is amazing. It is totally heavenly, and I could have just eaten it from the jar but I wanted to use it in something special like my cake.

    For the cake base, I used my classic carrot cake batter that is sweetened with dates instead of coconut sugar and uses nut butter instead of oil. It always comes out moist, yet light the perfect consistency. I mixed in some crunchy macadamia nuts, and sweet coconut as well as some spices and it was heavenly. I have to say I love cake batter. I always have to give it a taste to make sure it is good before baking it *wink wink*. But luckily most of it made it into the cake pans. The cakes smelled amazing while baking!

    Once they were all baked in cooled I made some epic macadamia coconut white chocolate frosting! It was light and fluffy, rich and creamy and could have been eaten with a spoon but it was even better on the cake! This cake is totally heavenly, and I was really happy with my choice to make it for Easter! I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday weekend!

    Vegan Coconut Macadamia Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

    Makes 1 6 inch 2 layer cake

    2 6 inch cake pans

    Cake Batter:

    • 1 1/2 cups quinoa flour (or Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour)
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30
    • minutes and 1 cup of the water reserved
    • 1/4 cup Dastony macadamia but butter (or raw cashew butter)
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup coconut milk at room temperature
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1/2 cup finely shredded, dried coconut
    • 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
    • 1 1/4 cups shredded organic carrots

     

    Frosting:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk at room temperature (use a brand with at least 2/3 of the can coconut cream or the recipe will not work. I used Thai Kitchen)
    • 1/2 cup Dastony macadamia nut butter or raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp cider vinegar
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup Dastony coconut butter warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup Raw Guru cacao butter, warmed to liquid or additional coconut butter

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Line two six-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides lightly with oil so that the cake doesn’t stick.
    3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a large bowl to blend well. Place dates, reserved water, macadamia nut butter, coconut milk, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended.
    4. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form. Mix in coconut, macadamia nuts and carrots.  Transfer cake batter to prepared pans and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
    5. Remove from oven and cool cakes completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cakes out onto platter; peel off parchment paper. Let cool completely.
    6. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer until thickened.  You want to whisk it every 15 minutes and you know it is ready when it is thick like whipped cream, about 30-45 minutes depending on how warm it has gotten.
    7. To assemble, place one cake layer on a plate, and spread frosting 1/2 inch thick over it.  Place the other cake layer over that, then spread the remaining frosting on the top and down the sides of the cake.

    ***if you would like a 2 layer 9 inch cake, double this entire recipe and bake in two 9 inch cake pans. It will take longer to bake, about 50 minutes to an hour.

  • Vegan Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Brownies

    Vegan Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Brownies

    I have always considered macadamia nuts as kind of special. They are more rich and buttery than other nuts, a little bit more spendy most of the time since they have to grow 7 years before they are harvested and are really hard to crack.  But for special occasions they are so good!  I have made some really good vegan macadamia nut cheese before and it was amazing.  Even those in my family who are not vegan loved it.  Another recipe I love is my Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, a veganized version of a bakery classic. And, I have to also mention one of the most popular recipes on my blog that happens to contain macadamia nuts, my Raw Banana Macadamia Coconut Cream pie.  It  is epic.  So when Raw Guru sent me a jar of their Dastony macadamia nut butter I was super excited.  I knew it would be amazing in whatever I chose to use it in.  But I wanted it to be something extra delicious so I decided to combine it with chocolate in the form of cheesecake brownies!

    It had been an incredibly busy stressful week, so brownies were the perfect thing to make!  I consider baking to be an awesome stress reliever and mood booster.  One can not stay stressed while baking brownies.  I mean, it is a happy experience!  Licking the excess batter from the bowl, taking in the heavenly aroma while your brownies bake, and of course enjoying the finished product!  Bonus points if you listen to good music while you are making them and wear your comfy pjs.  For these brownies, I used my usual gluten free brownie base with a little of the macadamia nut butter added and it was chocolaty deliciousness!  Super easy to make too, you just whisk it together.

    For the “cheesecake” part, I used a mixture of coconut cream (the unsweetened kind) and the macadamia nut butter sweetened with a little vanilla and maple syrup.  It was heavenly!  Once the brownies were assembled, I also sprinkled them with some macadamia nuts and chocolate chips to make them pretty and to add some texture.  They baked up beautifully!  I couldn’t wait to try them, but since I wanted them to look pretty for you all in my pictures I had to wait until they cooled completely to cut them.  If you are making them and don’t care how they look though, by all means dive in when they are still warm and the chocolate chips are gooey.  These are sooo incredibly good!  Rich fudgy brownie base with luscious cream cheese, crunchy macadamia nuts and chocolate chips!  You would never guess that they are vegan by tasting them. These might be the perfect thing to share with someone you want to convince that vegan food is amazing.

    Vegan Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Brownies
    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    Cheesecake:

    • 3/4 cup thick coconut cream (I used Thai Kitchen, you want one that is unsweetened without additives)
    • 1/2 cup Dastony macadamia nut butter*
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch

     

    Brownies:

     

    Instructions:

    1. Whisk together the flax seeds and water, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Set aside.
    2. To make the cheesecake, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    3. To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees. Whisk together the sugar, oil and nut butter until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down.  Add the water and flax mixture and vanilla and beat until smooth.
    4. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.  Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the cheesecake over it in 2 Tbsp amounts, and swirl it with a knife.  Sprinkle with macadamia nuts.
    5. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).  Let cool before cutting into bars.

     

    *If you prefer cashew butter, or can’t get macadamia nut butter, you can use cashew butter instead of the macadamia nut butter.

  • Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

    Macadamia white chocolate cookies seemed exotic to me as a kid.  I remember getting them at bakeries or stores whenever I was allowed to pick out a cookie, and they were so good!  At that point in my life I was a white chocolate kind of a girl (I still choose vanilla over chocolate, not that I don’t love dark chocolate too).  Chocolate chip cookies were made at home often, but white chocolate macadamia were only something you could buy when out shopping so they were more special.  I had no idea that macadamia nuts cost an arm and a leg, but I knew they were good.  So buttery and rich.  Now that I make my own desserts, I know how valuable and truly special they are, and so when I buy some, I use them sparingly and in special desserts.  I made a Dark Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake for my blogaversary last week, and I used them in that, but I had some left over, and I thought to myself, I have never tried to create those cookies from my childhood, so why not?!

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 3

    Not only that, a while back my Mom had asked if I could make some macadamia white chocolate coconut oatmeal cookies, so I could make her happy too.  I think of all of the desserts I make, she likes the cookies the best.  She eats them with her morning coffee.  She always used to tell me that oatmeal cookies were healthy because of the fiber rich oats.  I agree!  I love oatmeal anything, and have eaten a bowl of oatmeal (or overnight oats) almost every morning since I was in high school.  They do fill you up and provide energy and fiber, so why not have cookies that include them instead of ones that are nutritionally void.  The ones I make now though are all refined sugar free.

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 1

    The dough for these cookies tasted amazing.  Just sayin’.  Because as far as I am concerned the dough for cookies is just as important as the baked cookies when it comes to how it tastes.  This is because I like dough slightly better than actual baked cookies.  Warm cookies are a close second though.  These smelled wonderful while baking!  Like sweet vanilla and coconut heaven!  Whenever my coworker at the deli bakes her coconut oatmeal cookies it makes me happy.  I think they are some of the best smelling.  These were even better than those!  Because the nuts were included too.  The finished cookies (which had to be taste tested warm of course) were simply heavenly!  Crunchy rich macadamias, aromatic coconut and smooth sweet white chocolate studded soft, yet crispy on the outside cookies!  Just right and as an oatmeal cookie should be.  I think this is why oatmeal cookies are one of my top picks besides being healthy.  They are not simply crispy, or simply soft.  They are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside which is pure cookie perfection in my mind!

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 4

    Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
    Makes 1 dozen large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 1 cups toasted large flake unsweetened dried coconut
    • 1 cup toasted macadamia nuts
    • 1 cup white chocolate chunks**

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add coconut, macadamias and white chocolate and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
    **If your white chocolate is home made or melts easily, I recommend not stirring it into the dough, but instead pressing the chunks into the tops of the baked cookies so that it holds its shape better.

     

  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cake

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cake

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake 4

    Fragrant Vanilla Cake has just turned 6 years old!  Well, technically it turned 6 on the 5th, but I didn’t have time to make a cake then, so I am celebrating a few extra days late.  I am one of those people who waits until the weekend to celebrate my own Birthday when it falls on a week day, so I don’t mind.  It is the celebration that counts, not the day it falls on.  And I wanted a spectacular cake to celebrate!  More on that later though.  When I first started this blog, it was just meant as a way to share my recipes with friends and family.  I had previously been sharing them in notes on Facebook, but I then thought to myself, my own blog would be better and so much easier to look at!  So I started a blog on Blogger!  My first recipe was a red velvet cupcake.  It was not vegan, but it did contain veggies.  I was still a vegetarian at the time. My food photography skills were somewhat lacking despite having a college Art degree.  But hey, photography was never my strong suit in college, I was a painter, drawer and sculptor.  That is kind of how I got into making desserts actually. In college, for my senior art show, I made a series of sculptures made out of cookies. You know, like gingerbread houses but sculptures.  I sculpted things from my past like furniture and my old car.  I soon discovered I loved working with food.  So, I baked a lot.  And it continued until the start of this blog!  I like to think that my photography has much improved, I have taken tips from other bloggers, and learned a lot about how to do it using just natural lighting and not spending an arm and a leg (since my day job is a cook, so I am not rich or anything).  I am always learning though and picking up new tricks.

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake 3

    When I started this blog I had few followers, most of which I knew, but it soon grew to thousands.  Which I was shocked about.  I never thought it would reach that point.  It has become harder to reach people since Facebook now requires paid posts to gain a large audience, but I appreciate those that I have following me, who always give me reasons to keep blogging.  Sometimes I have days when I am not motivated to create things and whatnot or it makes me sad that not everyone is able to see my posts on Facebook, but it is all of my readers that keep me going.  And of course my friends and family who give me many ideas on things to create.  So, to all of you who have supported me thank you so much!  It means the world to me! I hope to continue to do so for many years in the future.  So to celebrate this special blogaversary occasion, I made a really yummy cake, Vegan Dark Chocolate Macadamia! Rich chocolate cake layers, a fluffy coconut “cream cheese” frosting and crunchy toasted macadamias and coconut.  It doesn’t get much more heavenly than that!

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake

    I made the cake layers oil free, opting instead for a little nut butter and dates to keep it moist.  The dates sweetened the cake as well, instead of sugar.  Cakes made with dates as their sweetener are my favorite, in addition to sweetness, they add a slight caramel flavor.  This cake was perfectly moist and delicious!  The key is to also bake it just the right amount, too much and it dries out, but just right and it is melt in your mouth tender. I chose a coconut cream cheese frosting because that is my favorite frosting lately and I had not tried it with chocolate cake.  Let me tell you, it was pretty amazing together!  Lastly the crunchy coconut and macadamias made the perfect addition!  I am a big texture person when it comes to dessert, and they were just what it needed!  I know macadamias are a little spendy, so I used just enough to make their presence known.  If you don’t want to buy them, you may use your favorite type of nut!  This cake was crave worthy! Definitely worthy of being a Birthday cake!  So, if you have a special occasion coming up…save the recipe with that pin button!  These 6 years have been fun, and I can’t wait to create many more delicious recipes for you all in the future!

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake 2

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cake
    Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

    Ingredients:

    2 6 inch cake pans

    Cake:

    • 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
    • 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1 cup of the water reserved
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1  cup filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Coconut “Cream Cheese” Frosting:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 tsp cider vinegar
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp melted coconut butter (warmed to liquid)

     

    Topping:

    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • pinch sea salt
    • filtered water as needed
    • 3/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
    • 3/4 cup toasted coconut

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Oil two 6 inch round cake pans with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment.
    3. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.
    4. Place dates, reserved water, almond butter, water, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form.
    5. Pour the cake batter into prepared pans, and place in the oven.
    6. Bake cakes until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool completely, then unmold onto a plate.
    7. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (adding water a little at a time if you think it is too thick).  Pour into a bowl and set in the freezer until it thickens to the consistency of whipped cream (about 30 minutes). Once it is to this point, put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to frost.
    8. To make the topping, whisk together the cocoa powder, nut butter, syrup, sea salt, and just enough water to create a thick but pourable fudge.  Set aside.
    9. To frost the cake, place one layer on a plate, and spread with about 3/4 cup of the frosting, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the macadamias and coconut.  Top with the next cake layer, and spread the frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake.  Pour the fudge over that, and allow to drip down the sides of the cake.  Sprinkle the remaining macadamias and coconut over the top of the cake. Serve!

     

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake 1