We’ve listed our Vegan Lemon Pound Cake recipe over at Half Hour Meals. Registered users of the site can favorite, print, share, and review our recipe. You can also upload a photo of your version of the recipe. The community is very supportive and full of some great ideas. We look forward to adding some more recipes with everyone.

We wanted to let everyone know exactly what products we reference and use in the recipe.  If you aren’t familiar with the items, they can be difficult to locate in your local grocery store.

For the non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, we use Spectrum Organic Naturals All Vegetable Shortening.

For the egg substitute, we use Ener-G Egg Replacer

We have yet to be let down by either of these products and have been really impressed by the results we obtain from them.

Did you know? Pound Cake originally got it’s name from it’s source of ingredients – a pound of flour, a pound of eggs, a pound of sugar, and a pound of butter.

Vegan Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

2 1/3 cups Sifted Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/3 cups Non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1 1/3 cups Sugar
4 1/2 tsp. Vegan Egg Replacer (we use Ener-G Egg Substitue)
4 Tbls water
3/4 Cup Soy Milk
2 Tbls Grated Lemon Rind
3 Tbls Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 350F

1. Grease and flour a loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 in).

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, combine the vegetable shortening, sugar, egg replacer, water, and 2 Tablespoons of the lemon juice. Beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

4. Add flour mixture alternatively with soy milk on low speed.

5. Mix in lemon rind and remaining 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice.

6. Pour into prepared pan.

7. Bake in the 350F preheated oven for 65 minutes. The top should spring back when you lightly touch it with your fingertip. Remove from oven before the edges burn.

8. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.

9. Run a spatula alone the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan.

10. Turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Serve this cake in 1″ slices or cube it for a great finger food

Serve this cake with a cold glass of soy milk or a nice mug of hot tea.

We’d like to start a discussion about packaging. Are you using green packaging to mail and serve your sweet temptations? There are a lot of options out there, and it really does take some time to “sift” through them to find out what is the right course for you.

We’ll be posting some links to help you with your search, and we hope you’ll join in the conversation! Till then, read what Sandra Bullock does in her restaurant “Bess Bistro on Pecan” to combat landfill waste.

Links to Green Packaging:

Green Packaging Inc.

Eco Products

photo credit: zaldy icaonapo

Enter code: FREESHIP2DAY

Relish My Sweetness by RedBarnBakery
Design customized tshirts at zazzle.com

Cupcake Pirate To Go by RedBarnBakery
Make a custom stein with zazzle.com

The Holiday Baking Challenge Starring California Walnuts is a national contest in search of delicious holiday baking recipes. This contest will run from October 15, 2009 to December 4, 2009. The winners will be announced on December 18, 2009.

You have the opportunity to enter a recipe in one of the following categories:

• blondies, brownies, and cookies
• cakes and pies
• breads
• breakfast / brunch baked items

For those of you who are budding food show hosts, you can enter a video submission too.

See full contest details

photo credit:  California Walnut Commission

Red Barn Bakery

Promote Your Page Too

One of the projects we’ve been working on is a new product line called “Frosted Foodie.” You can find everything from clothing to tote bags in our store. We will keep putting out new products and will be happy to hear any ideas you may have that you’d like to see us tackle.

Here is our “Cupcake Pirate” design on a t-shirt:

Cupcake Pirate by RedBarnBakery

and on a magnet:

Cupcake Pirate by RedBarnBakery

What about a recipe binder for all your sweet recipes? As we’ve been changed over to an all vegan menu, we’ve been cleaning up our own recipe storage. This binder offers a variety of methods to keep your precious recipes. You could make photo collages of your recipes, keep written recipes in protective sleeves, print your recipes out on great paper, or even create a scrapbook.

Sweet Temptations Recipes by RedBarnBakery

Additionally, we are transitioning to all things vegan. We’ve been vegetarians for ten years, and as of 2009 – vegan. We’ve been away for awhile while we worked out some recipes and learned some new tricks. As always, we continue to learn.

There are some great books available for the vegan baker, like: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule.

The book has so many great recipes and photos, I dare you not to pick one up!

Here is our version of their Toasted Coconut Cupcake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting, topped off with our favorite coconut coffee beans.

Check out the Post Punk Kitchen and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Wilton Tent Sale

May 29 – June 16

Saturday & Sunday 8am – 6pm

Monday thru Friday 9am – 8pm

This year they’ve expanded the crafts section and will be offering a large selection of craft products and scrapbook essentials.

And…free demonstrations!

Don’t miss any of the great demonstrations of Wilton products and techniques that will be offered by The Wilton School. All demonstrations are from 11 am – 2 pm.

Saturday May 30th Fondant Decorating Techniques

Tuesday June 2nd Chocolate

Wednesday June 3rd Fondant Decorating Techniques

Thursday June 4th Buttercream Decorating Techniques

Friday June 5th Buttercream Decorating Techniques

Saturday June 6th Chocolate

Monday June 8th Buttercream Decorating Techniques

Wednesday June 10th Fondant Decorating Techniques

Thursday June 11th Chocolate

Friday June 12th Buttercream Decorating Techniques

Saturday June 13th Fondant Decorating Techniques

Have fun in Woodridge!

I’m in search of a great vegan scone recipe that is nothing less than amazing. Last weekend I attempted my first, a maple and cinnamon mixture that did not settle well with me. Mr. Baker thought it was great (he is supportive like that), I thought it was far from great. So far from great that I don’t have a picture to offer as I’ve passed my dismal attempt off to the birds who’ve been busy returning to their favorite yard and preparing for all the spring chicks we will soon be seeing.

Please feel free to post your fave. links, recipes, etc… that you believe qualify as an amazing vegan scone.

Football or cake? I’ll let you fight that battle. For the lover of all things cake, this is indeed a “super” weekend. Don’t pass out in the cake before you check out these listings:

FOOD Network

Saturday, January 31, 2009   2:00 PM ET/PT

Cirque du Soleil Cakes

Four top pastry chefs square off in a competition to see who best captures the spirit of the Cirque du Soleil La Nouba performance. The winner takes home $10,000 and a gold medal.

Sunday, February 1, 2009  3:00 PM ET/PT

Wedding Cake Surprise

Five cake decorators design wedding cakes specifically for a couple they meet a night before the competition. The winning cake not only earns $10,000 but is actually served at the couples’ wedding the following evening.

Sunday, February 1, 2009  4:00 PM ET/PT

National Wedding Cake Championship

Over 80 top cake decorators travel from all over the world to compete in one of the world’s premier wedding cake competitions. A cash prize and industry bragging rights are at stake.

Sunday, February 1, 2009 5:00 PM ET/PT

Challenge: Designer Wedding Cake Cook-Off

Over 70 competitors descend on Tulsa, Oklahoma with every imaginable wedding cake idea to see how their creations stack up against some of the best designers in the country! Seven of the best competitors will take this challenge to another level, going head-to-head in the “One Tip Contest.” They’ll have only one hour and one decorating tip to create a design that truly takes the cake.

Sunday, February 1, 2009 6:00 PM ET/PT

Challenge: Ultimate Wedding Cakes

Food Network brings together five of the country’s best pastry artists to design the perfect wedding cake for a real-life wedding. Watch as some of Food Network’s biggest stars, including Giada De Laurentiis and Warren Brown, help the lucky couple choose their dream confection.

Sunday, February 1, 2009  7:00 PM ET/PT

Challenge: Wedding Cake Classic

It’s a bride’s fantasy and a cake decorator’s dream. Dozens of decorators travel to Tulsa to compete for a cut of the $10,000 purse. Art is the name of the game at this show, only these sculptures and paintings are done with sugar and icing. It is three days packed with taste, style and beauty, making for one grand reception with a sweet reward in the end.

Sunday, February 1, 2009 8:00 PM ET/PT

Surprise Engagement Cake

Four of the nation’s top cake designers compete to make the cake for a couple’s engagement party, but there’s one GIANT catch. The couple isn’t engaged yet! The proposal happens right before the competition starts and the pressure builds from there. With $10,000 on the line, the four competitors have to create 3-foot cakes in just 7 hours, and they’ll need to get inspiration from a woman who may or may not be happy with what her boyfriend just proposed.

Upcoming:

February 3, 2009  7pm/6c

Sweet 16

Sweet 16 parties are all the rage, and in this challenge, four cake designers try to make a sweet sixteen cake for a lavish birthday party.

Photo credit: berent @ stock.xchng