Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Makes 12
Dietary
Vegetarian
By Paul A Young
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
Basic Cake:
- Self-raising flour: 400g/14oz
- Baking powder: ½ tsp
- Cornflour: 4 tsp
- Caster sugar: 280g/10oz
- Oat milk: 320ml/11fl oz
- Agave syrup: 40g/1½ oz
- Vegetable oil: 140g/5oz
- Fine sea salt: 1 tsp
Piña Colada Cake:
- Desiccated coconut: 1 tbsp
- Pineapple slice (chopped into small pieces): 1 slice
- White rum: 4 tbsp
- Pineapple juice: 2 tbsp
- Orange juice: 2 tbsp
- Coconut cream: 1½ tbsp
- Lime juice: ½ tbsp
- Oat-based whipping “cream”: 150ml/5½oz
- Coconut milk: 1½ tbsp
- Decorations: Maraschino cherries, pineapple wedges, and cocktail umbrellas
Espresso Martini Cake:
- Instant coffee: 1 tsp
- Vegan coffee liqueur: 2½ tbsp
- Vodka: 3 tbsp
- Brewed espresso: 2 tbsp
- Sugar syrup: ½ tbsp
- Oat-based whipping “cream”: 200ml/7fl oz
- Decorations: Coffee beans and gold lustre dust
Mojito Cake:
- Fresh mint leaves (chopped finely): 4 leaves
- Fresh mint leaves (whole): 6–8 leaves
- Lime zest: ½ lime (zest only), plus 1½ tbsp lime juice
- White rum: 3 tbsp
- Sugar syrup: 1 tbsp
- Decorations: Demerara sugar, chopped mint leaves, and extra lime zest
Alternative Ingredients
If you’re looking for an alternative to agave syrup, here are some options that you can use in your recipes:
- Maple Syrup:
- Why it works: Maple syrup has a similar consistency and sweetness level to agave nectar. It’s a natural sweetener that works well in various dishes.
- Measurement: Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting maple syrup for agave nectar.
- Honey:
- Why it works: Honey is another natural sweetener that closely resembles agave nectar in texture, sweetness, and flavor.
- Measurement: Use a 1:1 ratio, but remember that honey is thicker, so reduce other liquids slightly
Method
- Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C for fan ovens) or Gas Mark 4.
- Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
- Prepare the Basic Cake Mixture:
- Place all the ingredients (self-raising flour, baking powder, cornflour, caster sugar, oat milk, agave syrup, vegetable oil, and fine sea salt) into a free-standing mixer with a whisk attachment.
- Mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
- Divide the mixture evenly into three separate bowls.
- Create Flavors for Each Cake:
- In the first bowl, make the Piña Colada Cake by mixing in the desiccated coconut and chopped pineapple.
- In a separate small mug, dissolve instant coffee in ½ tsp of boiling water, then add it to the second bowl to make the Espresso Martini Cake.
- To the third bowl, add finely chopped mint and lime zest to make the Mojito Cake.
- Baking:
- Divide the cake mixtures evenly between the 12 paper cases, creating four cakes of each flavor.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the cakes are golden and springy to the touch.
- Allow the cakes to cool.
- Prepare the Cocktails:
While the cakes are cooling, make the cocktails:
- For the Piña Colada Cocktail, blend rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream, and lime juice with ice in a blender until smooth.
- For the Espresso Martini Cocktail, shake vodka, coffee liqueur, brewed espresso, and sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a glass.
- For the Mojito, bruise whole mint leaves in a glass, then add rum, lime juice, and sugar syrup. Stir well.
- Assemble the Cakes:
- Remove the cakes from their paper cases.
- Place each cake into a dessert glass (use a decorative glass that a teaspoon can fit into, like a whisky-style glass or short tumbler).
- For the Piña Colada Cocktail Cakes, soak 4 sponge cakes with the piña colada cocktail (soaked but not drowning).
- Whisk together oat-based whipping cream and coconut cream until frothy. Spoon over the cakes and decorate with maraschino cherries, pineapple wedges, cocktail umbrellas, and sparkly toppings.
- For the Espresso Martini Cocktail Cakes, spoon enough espresso martini cocktail onto the cakes.
- Whisk oat-based whipping cream with the remaining coffee liqueur until frothy. Spoon evenly over the cakes and finish with coffee beans or gold lustre dust.
- For the Mojito Cocktail Cakes, spoon the mojito cocktail onto the cakes. Sprinkle each cake with demerara sugar, chopped mint leaves, and a grating of lime zest.