Egg-free Baking

A friend has a severe egg allergy so I have tried various egg-free baking recipes for birthday treats. As with most things, a version with eggs is much better than without. That being said though, for egg-free these are pretty decent (the chocolate muffins fooled most people).

Egg-free chocolate muffins

2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 heaped tablespoons cocoa
150g caster sugar
100g dark chocolate chips
125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
185ml (3/4 cup) plain yoghurt
125ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk

Topping

150g dark chocolate, chopped
100g butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cases. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips. Combine the oil yoghurt and buttermilk in a large jug or bowl.

Add the liquids to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix with a large metal spoon until the dough comes together. Take care not to overmix – a few lumps is fine

Spoon the dough into the muffin cases. Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

To make the topping melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of hot water, stirring occasionally until melted. Chill until it starts firm up, then beat well with a wooden spoon to fluff up. Spread over muffins. Makes 12

Egg-free apple cake

100g butter, chopped
4 tbsp apple sauce
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
310g (21/4 cups) self raising flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
120g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
50g flaked almonds
Icing sugar, to serve

Heat oven to 160C. Grease a line the base of a 20cm round cake tin. Place the butter, apple sauce, syrup and vanilla into a heatproof bowl, add 300 ml boiling water and whisk with a fork to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder, spice and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter mixture and gently mix until just combined. Transfer to cake tin and top with the chopped apple and almonds, lightly pushing into the batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake is well risen, golden and the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out to on a wire rack to cool. Serve dusted with icing sugar.