The challenge of hosting a vegan birthday party is that, in most instances, the guests will not all be vegan or even vegetarian. I began, of course, with the cake. I have several recipes for lowfat, low-sugar carob cakes that our family enjoys, but for this party I wanted to serve a chocolate cake that would be as close as possible in flavor, texture, and appearance to what would be expected by the young guests. After a couple of revisions, I came up with the chocolate cake recipe below. Blended cooked rice gives the cake a fine crumb and helps to bind the ingredients without the use of egg replacers.
Maple syrup adds delicious sweetness, and the canola oil provides richness.
I also developed a white cake recipe using the same cooked rice technique. We made the chocolate cake recipe into cupcakes, which we frosted with easy chocolate glaze. If you'd rather avoid chocolate or have a more traditional looking frosting, use the white frosting. Or you can spread either cake with fruit spread or decorate with fresh fruit. Before the cupcakes were served, the children munched on Party PBJ Sandwiches and Fresh Fruit Kebabs made with pineapple.