At Pete’s request, I tried making a vegan version of our lardy cakes.
We didn’t really need to add it to our baking repertoire – I was completely content with the original lard-based recipe and Pete with the butter version, but hey, experimenting is always fun!
We started with organic extra virgin coconut oil and gula melaka (palm sugar)…
The ingredients were as follows:
- 500g bakers/bread flour
- 8g fine sea salt
- 200g active sourdough starter at 80% hydration (see original post)
- 250g water
- 1¼ teaspoons dried yeast
- 100 – 130g extra virgin coconut oil
- 150g gula melaka, grated (or caster sugar, or a 50/50 mix of both)
- grated nutmeg
- extra gula melaka for topping
I followed the original methodology, but excluded the dried fruit (although they would have been a nice addition), and grated over a little nutmeg instead of cinnamon.
I used 130g of coconut oil, but much of it ended up pooled at the bottom of the cake tin, so were I to make this again, I’d probably cut the fat down to 100g. In addition, the gula melaka isn’t as sweet as white sugar – a mixture of half palm sugar and half caster sugar would probably produce a better result.
Having said all that, Pete and Big Boy were very happy with this version of “lardy” cake, and ate the whole thing over a couple of days!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Looks amazing – will have to go and look at the other versions now!
Chica, I liked the lard version best, Pete liked the butter one. But this vegan option is still very good!
oooh! very nice. I’m drooling just looking at this screen.i didn’t know you could make such nice pastry with coconut oil. I’ve never heard of lardy cakes
Thank you! Lardy cakes are usually made with pork lard, which is what we made first!
yes, and you made them with butter as well. I am partial to butter…did you use the same amounts in all three?
I’ve put the quantities I used in each of the posts, but basically I used more lard than either butter or coconut oil! :)
Oooo fun! I love that you tried this out with coconut oil. When the mood strikes, I make muffins and cookies with coconut oil. I hear that it’s good on homemade popcorn with salt too!
Out of the 3 versions, which lardy cake do you like best? They all look so yummy :)
Em, just emailed you! :) I loved the lard version best, hands down, but Pete liked the butter one. I need to experiment more with the coconut oil, so far I’ve only used it for this and for curries!
Very clever. I kept hearing you talk about this the other day and lard and vegan just didnt add up to me …I thought it would come out in the wash eventually! Unfortunately coconut oil has a way of melting ..a lot, but this experiment is fascinating. Gula jawa ( cocnut sugar) is much heavier and darker but it is still not as sweet and easily incorporated as regular sugar. Looks delicious!
It is an oxymoron, isn’t it, “vegan lardy cakes”. :) But I didn’t know what else to call them! A lot of the coconut oil ran out, and the cake wasn’t quite sweet enough, but I’m not sure I liked it enough to try again! I have a few readers who are vegans though, so wanted to post this up for them. :)
We haven´t coconut oil here in Argentina, just coconut milk and sugar…. not a recipe I can try…. just a pity!
Ale, try the lard or butter versions. I liked the original lard version best!
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2013/04/15/a-lardy-cake-adventure/
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2013/05/05/roasted-spiced-peanuts-and-sweet-butter-rolls/
Just out of interest Celia, which of the three versions had the crispest pastry? I’m guessing the lard one? They all look good indeed though- yummo! Xox
Definitely the lard version, baby! It had a crispiness to die for! :) Sorry I missed you call yesterday! xx
Ooh I didn’t know you could use coconut oil in breads too. How exciting Celia. Although I think I might miss the buttery goodness?
Claire, the lard version is the winner for me, but Pete likes the butter ones. A lot of the coconut oil melted away, so it wasn’t nearly as rich as the other two versions are! :)
celia..i love the look of the cake rolled up and resting in the tin..it looks so perfect..x
Jane, thank you! It is very pretty, isn’t it? That’s one of the reasons I like making these cakes, such an unusual shaping method!
Goodness, Celia, you take my breath away. I am still thinking of you being frazzled and wondering what I can say to make you feel better and here you are rowing halfway to Queensland and turning out lardy cakes. I’m still waiting for the wind to fill my sails again and you are working up a tornado of goodness and energy! Miss Celie, you a legend!!!
Thanks darling. I wasn’t frazzled tired so much as frazzled stressed – when I get like that I tend to do more frenetically rather than less! Feeling much better this week, thank you.. :)
The recipe is great but my brain is still trying to get around the title! :)
Rose, it’s too funny, isn’t it? :)
Your menfolk are very lucky to have someone who is so curious about trying different approaches to the same recipes. I do love lardy cake.
So do I, Amanda, but I definitely prefer the lard version. Pete doesn’t, so I’ll probably keep making the butter one for him! :)
Love the sound of this one Celia, lard or no lard. Wish I could have flour!
Lizzy, did you see Becca’s latest recipe? It looks fantastic – a very special gf pizza! :)
You are so great at making all of these wonderful creations!
Creative cookery and experimentation go hand in hand. Thanks for sharing your results, Celia
Heidi, you’re the queen of bread, and you know how fun it is to play! :)
Was not going to comment [don’t eat lard or butter or . . .] but am amused and have to agree with Rose 100 % :D !
Eha, calling them “coconut oil bread” just didn’t have the same oomph. :)
Hmmm: I don’t know, Celia: . . . Pacific islands, sunshine, coconuts, suntans and coconut oil, breadfruit . . . . would have caught my eye :) !
You’re always good with your experimenting and you do seem to be able to achieve great results. This looks really good but I think I would have liked the fruit in it xx
Charlie, I think it would have been better with fruit too, but the original Dan Lepard recipe didn’t have fruit, so we thought we’d try it without. :)
This looks wonderful and I am sure is delicious but I prefer the butter version.
Norma, you and Pete both! :) I like the lard one!
All this and rowing , too? You’re incredible, Celia, making 3 versions of the same recipe. They look so crispy! Good to read the vegan alternative is still good. Sometimes that’s not the case, unfortunately. One of these days, I’ve got to give one of these a try. Thanks for sharing.
John, if you DO give it a go, maybe go the whole hog and render some lard the old fashioned way. I think you’d have fun with it! :)
I would have to, Celia. I cannot find “natural” lard anywhere. You may not have intended it but you’ve sent me on a scavenger hunt!
John, apparently you have to buy “leaf fat”, which is the fat around the kidneys of the pig. That makes the creamiest and cleanest tasting lard. We can’t get it here, so have had to settle for free range sow fat.
Hey, a little birdie told me you’re in for a fun day today! Enjoy! :) xx
PS. supermarket lard is apparently hydrogenated and quite foul stuff!
I would have loved to be in your kitchen when this was baking, the smell would have been gorgeous…perhaps I could have had a try…
Julie, that would have been fantastic fun! :)
Even the name “lardy cake” makes me gain weight. Looks wonderful & I like that you’ve made a vegan version.
You and me both, Mel. :)
You are so good to everyone, I would happily have nibbles of all your lovely lardies xxx
Our friend Matt, who is English, was appalled when I was making this, Jo. He wants the proper lardy version, thank you very much. :D
I fear I would double in size visiting in your home Celia – oh hang on, I’m sure you won’t mind if I have a session or 2 on your awesome rowing machine. :-)
Have a super day.
:-) Mandy xo
Mandy, I’m not sure the rower works, I’m rowing like a demon but I’m not thin! Ah well, life is for enjoying, eh? :)
Look at that swirling, twirling, lardy, golden cake ! Who would say “NO” to that beauty? :)
Hahaha…thank you! It did disappear pretty quickly! :)
Pretty and looks so yummy!
Norma, I have lard now! I want to make tamales! :)
I liked the previous version but hey, I’m not picky. That looks beautiful, Celia!
M, they’re all good, but I agree with you, the previous versions were better! :)
Hehe I wonder if my strict trainer would go for these? She loves coconut oil! Love the cross section shot :D
Hey, maybe she’d like them! I’m sure she could figure out a regular yeasted version of them (although they’d still have flour in them!)
I’m certainly glad you made these! Thanks :D
Thanks Kari! So glad you liked them! :)
vegan isn’t a word that comes up frequently on this blog Celia ;-)
It’s always a risky feeling to change up a recipe, you took this on so naturally and your results were beautiful. You’re so talented, Celia! I’m not surprised these were devoured!!
Wow that is so cool! Thanks for trying this out & including us vegans in your recipes :-)