The Hamptons Vegan

Living the Vegan Lifestyle

desserts

Espresso Chocolate Cake Is Extra Especially Good

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espresso chocolate cake
espresso chocolate cake
espresso chocolate cake
Especially Espresso Chocolate cake for the holidays!
espresso chocolate cake
espresso chocolate cake in cupcake form

Espresso Chocolate Cake. Enough said.

But of course, there’s always something more to say about vegan cake, right? I mean, what’s not to love about this perfect dessert? And to think it involves no eggs, no dairy, hence no cruelty!

Miss Trunchbull’s punishment

If you saw the movie Matilda, you must remember the punishment Miss Trunchbull gave to Bruce Bogtrotter, right? Eat an entire chocolate layer cake in one sitting. OMG so how is that a punishment?! Well, I guess Miss Trunchbull did make everything seem scary and torturous but, chocolate cake?! That was a thing of beauty! That kid got off easy, IMHO.

Can you imagine just sitting down to a whole chocolate cake without any reservations? No thoughts of calories, getting sick, having to share? Just eating and eating as much as you want. Hmmm. Give me a minute.

Real life with Espresso Chocolate Cake

Okay, I’m back. And yeah, that’s only good for dreaming about but not really doing. But what a fun dreamy moment it was!

So whether you want to recreate the scene from Matilda or you just want to make a beautiful chocolate cake to share, our Especially Espresso Chocolate Cake is your go-to recipe.

This cake is a tried and trusted recipe that we make often at our house. And whether in cake or cupcake form, it has never failed to turn out perfect every time. Because the espresso (or coffee) addition gives a depth of flavor that makes this cake stand out from the rest.

Okay… I said the cake has never failed but I didn’t say my attempt at a layer cake with squishy filling was always successful… I was going for the Matilda cake, but…

vegan layer cake
Espresso chocolate cake win, layer cake failure :/
especially espresso chocolate cake
so yummy!

Will travel for chocolate cake

So this recipe is from a cookbook I’ve had for years that came from The Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY. Several years back, our family was travelling in upstate New York, visiting our oldest son Bryan in college. Finally an opportunity to eat at one of the iconic vegetarian/vegan friendly cornerstones of the restaurant world! We drove a bit out of our way that day to make a stop at Moosewood. But it was a delicious experience and now a fond memory. And in a perfect world, Moosewood’s vegan selections would take the place of all McDonald’s restaurant foods. Because we’d all be the better for it. Daydreams are a beautiful thing.

Keep making cake

But until that perfect world becomes a reality, we’ll all just have to keep pushing forward, making positive changes wherever we can and encouraging others to join us. And I will just keep making vegan cakes for everyone! You can too! (No Trunchbull force-feeding necessary!)

P.S. To top off this cake try our Better Buttercream Frosting or our Bougie Brown Sugar Frosting.

And for a light dinner to go with your rich dessert, how about the Miraculous Minestrone Soup

minestrone soup
a bowl of goodness also known as Miraculous Minestrone Soup!

or Elegant Eggplant Parmesan.

vegan eggplant parmesan
Elegant Eggplant Parmesan made vegan

copyright © thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025 All rights reserved.

chocolate cake
thehamptonsvegan

Espresso Chocolate Cake

A vegan chocolate cake with a rich depth of flavor from the addition of espresso.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups espresso or coffee, chilled
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 4 tablespoons vinegar

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 2 round 8 or 9-inch cake pans or 1 9×13-inch cake pan by greasing and lightly coating with flour or cocoa powder. Or prepare 24 cupcakes liners in a cupcake tin.
  2. Sift or whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Combine the vegetable oil, cold espresso or coffee, and vanilla.
  4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and blend until smooth. (1-2 minutes by hand)
  5. Add the vinegar and stir quickly to combine until the vinegar is evenly distributed. Don't over-blend it.
  6. Pour the batter into the pan right after blending.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes for 8 or 9-inch pans, 30-35 minutes for 9 x 13-inch pans, or 20-25 minutes for cupcakes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Cool on a wire rack.
  8. If making cupcakes, pop the cupcakes in liners out of tins after 3-5 minutes to prevent liners from peeling away from the cupcakes.
  9. Frost as desired. Try our better buttercream frosting. Link in notes.

Notes

If you don’t have coffee or espresso, you can still make this cake with an equal amount of water. It just won’t have the same depth of flavor. But still good!
Better Buttercream Frosting 

Have a Bunch of Bangin Banana Cake now!

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Bangin Banana Cake never goes out of style

vegan banana cake
Have a bite of banana cake!

Banana cake is great because you can make it any time of the year. There’s no special season you must wait for to enjoy this confection. And bananas are available all year long. Bangin banana cake is a beautiful thing. But the only thing that makes it difficult to make this treat, is if you have someone at home that eats bananas like they are going out of style!

And yes I do! No Banana Cake For Me!

So, yes, Zack eats bananas every day.

I used to have an excuse to make banana bread and banana muffins and my favorite, banana cake. You know when bananas start to turn brown they’re in the perfect condition to make a treat!

But my bunch of bananas never has a chance to turn brown anymore! They get eaten before they make it to the brown banana dessert level.

I even buy extra bananas so I’ll have too many!

But Zack always meets the challenge and just eats more bananas! He has them on cereal or for smoothies or peanut butter sandwiches. And mostly, he just eats them as is.

Last week, I tried wrapping up a couple of bananas, setting them apart from the rest of the bunch. When I returned to make the banana dessert, all that was left was the banana skin tops… Wrapped back up! Sigh… Maybe someday I’ll make a banana cake again.

There’s still hope for everyone else!

So if your family eats a normal amount of bananas like most of the rest of the population, and you have some that make it to the brown-speckled stage, rejoice! You now have the best part of the ingredients for a bangin’ banana cake of your own!

banana cake
Fresh from the oven
vegan banana cake
almost ready bananas for the making of bangin’ banana cake
vegan banana cake
the first slice of bangin’ banana cake

You’re making the banana cake? Can I come over?

I hope you try this recipe because it’s so good. And if you do, can I come over for a piece? I don’t know if I’ll ever see another speckled banana in my house again.

Here’s a recipe I highly recommend to top this cake: Bougie Brown Sugar Frosting.

But you could also make the Better Buttercream Frosting for a quicker yet just as yummy topping!

And, if you make the frosting, and you find there’s a lot left over, you could then make Especially Espresso Chocolate Cake.

And then we’ll all probably need a cleanse or a purging of the sugar from our cupboards or something besides dessert…until tomorrow?!

(For inspiration, cleanses, recipes, and great advice, I like to read Kris Carr‘s riveting words to help get back on track.)

Or fill up on a bountiful bowl of veggies to take the sugar guilts away with our Miraculous Minestrone Soup! There you go!

copyright © thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025 All rights reserved.

vegan banana cake
thehamptonsvegan

Bangin Banana Cake

One delicious vegan banana walnut cake!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 20 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 cups soy milk we like 2 ingredient brands like West Soy or Trader Joe's shelf-stable soymilk
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup canola oil or other mild cooking oil
  • 1 cup mashed bananas ( about 3)
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
  3. Mix soymilk in a measuring cup with vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes or more to thicken.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together oil, mashed bananas, sugar, and vanilla.
  5. In another bowl, whisk or sift together, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
  6. Next, mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
  7. Then mix in 1/2 of the milk mixture.
  8. Then add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and then the rest of the milk mixture, and lastly add the rest of the dry ingredients, along with the nuts, blending well.
  9. Pour batter into a 9 x 13-inch lightly greased cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, checking with a toothpick for no sign of wet batter.
  10. Let cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Notes

Top with Better Buttercream Frosting
or Bougie Brown Sugar Frosting

Pumped Pumpkin Pie for the Love of Pumpkin

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Pumped Pumpkin Pie for all (not just me!)

But if no one liked this pie, except me, I’d be fine with that. I LOVE pumpkin pie. And I will eat yours if you don’t want it. 😉

pumpkin pie
pumped pumpkin pie

It took me a while, after transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, to find a pumpkin pie I could embrace. To say I was feeling quite panicked would be an understatement. I wait all summer to get to fall (and I love summer) so I can finally eat pumpkin pie legally. You know, during the proper pumpkin pie-eating season.

So to abandon a perfect pumpkin pie recipe, that I used for years, was difficult but necessary. My food, no matter how much I enjoyed it, could not involve suffering from another being. I stayed focused on the task at hand. I must now find an equal, to my beloved pie, but without the dairy.

With conviction and passion, I set out on my quest. I tried so many paltry pumpkin pie recipes. Most ended up too liquidy and sad. It was pretty depressing, to say the least.

I received half-hearted encouragement from the family. They tried to console me and convince me that the pies I’d made were good enough. But I knew better. And I wasn’t going to give up.

The day came

One particular day, over four years ago, and just in time for the upcoming pumpkin season, I tried yet another recipe. I tried to temper my excitement when the pleasing aroma of all the provocative spices started wafting through the house.

Now normally, I like a lot of my pies still warm from the oven like apple, cherry, blueberry, peach, and one of my old favorite store-bought pies, Marie Callender’s Razzleberry Pie.

But pumpkin pie, I like to eat cold. However, this time I could not wait. I had a good feeling this was a winner, so I dug in straight from the oven.

Well, I wasn’t disappointed. It was a precious moment when time stood still. I closed my eyes and inhaled that lovely pumped pumpkin pie. And the flavor was perfect. The consistency was on point. So I am now pumped for pumpkin pie again. And don’t you love it when it all works out?

Pumpkin Pie Police

Now if there was ever a career I’d aspire to, it would definitely be the pumpkin pie police. If that ever becomes a thing ( we can’t have people eating pumpkin pie in the off seasons), then sign me up! I’d happily confiscate the illegal pies and squirrel them away. I could partake of their precious scent any time I liked. Then, when the time came to release the pies back into the world when it was allowed again, I’d exchange all those pies with my vegan pumpkin pies and nobody would know the difference. And nobody would get hurt. Then all would be right with the world. But perhaps I’m a bit too enamored with pumpkin pie?

Pumpkin all year!

Anyway, I have a better idea! Why don’t we get a little badass and make pumpkin a year-round treat? Not just one time of year but all the time! No long lines queuing up for a pumpkin latte, no more Instagram pushes of all things pumpkin at the start of autumn, and no sad long faces when the pumpkin season ends far too soon!

We don’t do that to tomatoes, corn, or potatoes! Why the exclusion of pumpkin? I’m here to defend the super squash! I vote for pumpkin all year long!! Who’s with me?!

pumpkin pie
You can almost smell the pumpkin pie spice aroma…

Always save room for pumped pumpkin pie

So whatever happens with our pumpkin love plan may I suggest we start with the making of the pumped pumpkin pie recipe? It will make you smile with joy at the first scent of those irresistible spices.

And if you find you crave a slice during the heart of the summer, never fear!

If I am on the pumpkin police squad and you have made our vegan version of the pie, I will look the other way.

pumpkin pie
a slice of pumped pumpkin pie with Cocowhip topping for the holidays, OR ANYTIME!

Enjoy- my fellow pumpkin people!

P.S. If you want to enjoy a little whipped topping on your perfect pie, I recommend So Delicious Cocowhip.

pumpkin pie
Pumped Pumpkin Pie

P.P.S. To help avoid cracks in your pie (like the one above), try using a deep dish pie pan, and don’t overbake. If using a store-bought pre-formed pie crust, just transfer it to a deep dish pan from the tin it came in, for best results. Cracks do not affect the taste though! 🙂

One more thing! If you find yourself without any pumpkin, but a desire for pie, try our Scrumptious Strawberry Pie

strawberry pie or pumpkin pie, your choice
the Scrumptious strawberry pie

copyright © thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025 All rights reserved.

pumpkin pie
thehamptonsvegan

Pumped Pumpkin Pie for all!

A vegan version of pumpkin pie that rivals the original dairy recipe. Rejoice, pumpkin pie people!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 14-16 ounce can 100% pure pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup organic sugar can sub with an qual amount of maple syrup
  • 10-12 ounces extra firm silken tofu like mori-nu shelf stable tofu
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon all spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 9 inch pie crust like Wholly Wholesome organic pie shell

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Blend everything together in a high-speed blender, mixing well to leave no white bits of tofu.
  3. Pour the pumpkin filling into the unbaked pie shell. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
  4. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for another 45-50 minutes.
  5. Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate.

Notes

For a store bought pie crust try:
Wholly Wholesome Organic Pie Shells

Sunflower Cupcakes Are Beautiful Blooms To Eat!

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 SUMMER SUNFLOWER CUPCAKES

sunflower cupcakes
summer sunflower cupcakes all in a row

There’s nothing like beautiful big summer sunflowers or summer sunflower cupcakes!

Inspiration for baking up a batch of sunflower cupcakes came this way:

I woke up this summer morning to find a bright beautiful bouquet of sunflowers gracing my kitchen table.  My son, Zack (also a Hampton’s vegan) had been out and stopped by a farm stand in East Quogue, NY. When he saw rows of sunflowers for sale he couldn’t resist picking up a bunch to bring home. I love that!

Summer sunflowers are one of the many things that define the season out here. They are just the thing that inspired our summer sunflower cupcakes.

sunflower cupcakes
summer sunflower chocolate cupcakes growing in the garden

Signs of summer in the Hamptons (besides sunflower cupcakes)

Some of the other sure signs of summer around the Hamptons are more traffic, fund-raisers for a variety of good causes, celebrity sightings, sand in the shower, sand in the car, and sand just about everywhere. And a lot more shops and restaurants are open than at any other time of year.  It’s fun to finally go out to eat a little more often.

Hamptons restaurants with a water view. They’d be even better with sunflower cupcakes!

sunflower cupcakes
a bouquet of summer dessert flowers

But I digress.

So anyway, I especially love to eat outside. And even more than that, I love to eat outside by the water. Some fun restaurants to try around the east end of Long Island include Cowfish in Hampton Bays and John Scott’s Surf Shack In Westhampton Beach.

Cowfish

This waterside restaurant has a very yummy hummus with pita bread appetizer but just ask them to hold the cheese they put on top.

Fridays are great to sit outside by the water, have a drink and an app, and watch the boats go by on Shinnecock Bay, while a band plays. Plus, they have a tiki boat that travels back and forth to their sister restaurant, Rumba!

John Scott’s Surf Shack

John Scott’s Surf Shack is a favorite with my son and his friends.  And it’s a great stop after a day at the beach for a come-as-you-are, kick-back kind of place.  It’s on the bay side of Dune Road, across the street from the ocean.

For vegans, their menu is limited. So it’s fries or a salad and not much else.  But they do list a veggie burger and when I called to ask if it is vegan or vegetarian she checked, returning to say it is vegan. Yay for vegan veggie burgers at John Scott’s Surf Shack!

My summer homework

So, I will continue to explore local restaurants in the name of vegan research. Because somebody’s gotta do it. 😉 And I will report back often. I will also request vegan options at all the places I frequent and (fingers crossed) more and more places will see the need and follow suit. I’ve seen many restaurants adding vegan options lately so I’m encouraged, but there’s still a long way to go.

I still do most of my eating at home and that’s ok.  I like to go out for the atmosphere and to experience a night out and, okay, a fancy cocktail too. Then come home to summer sunflower chocolate cupcakes for the perfect ending.

If you want to add a little summer flair to your dessert table, here is a little cupcake recipe that brings it.  I hope you have a great week and I will report back with my restaurant research and a new recipe soon!

If you don’t feel like a chocolate-based summer sunflower cupcake, then try our very vegan vanilla cupcakes, instead!

vanilla cupcakes
very vegan vanilla cupcakes

copyright © thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025 All rights reserved.

sunflower cupcakes
thehamptonsvegan

Summer Sunflower Cupcakes

Chocolate vegan cupcakes decorated with vegan buttercream frosting piped like a sunflower for your summer dessert table. Blooming beauties!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

cupcakes
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar organic
  • 1 cup vegan mayo
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup cold water
Frosting
  • 1/2 cup vegan shortening I use Spectrum or Nutiva
  • 3 – 3 3/4 cups vegan powdered sugar any organic powdered sugar is vegan
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 – 6 tablespoons soymilk or other non-dairy milk
  • yellow food coloring like Watkins all vegetable food color or use a pinch of turmeric
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (to represent seeds in the center) like enjoy life chocolate chips

Method
 

CUPCAKE DIRECTIONS
  1. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl beat together sugar, mayo, and vanilla.
  4. Beat the flour mixture into the wet mixture in thirds, alternating with the water until blended.
  5. Divide the batter evenly among cupcake tins.
  6. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 3 minutes in tin on a wire rack. Then remove the cupcakes from the tin and finish cooling them completely on a wire rack.
FROSTING DIRECTIONS
  1. Cream shortening in a large bowl.
  2. Add sugar and beat well.
  3. Add vanilla.
  4. Add milk a little at a time, beating well until desired consistency.
  5. If necessary, add a little more milk if too thick or a little more powdered sugar if too thin.
SUNFLOWER DESIGN DIRECTIONS
  1. To create a sunflower design you will need a piping bag or decorating press with a petal tip. See the image in the notes.
  2. Lightly frost each cupcake with a thin layer of frosting.
  3. In the center of each cupcake score a circle with a toothpick or knife point about the size of a quarter or a little smaller to use as a guide.
  4. Mix in yellow food color to the rest of the frosting to achieve the desired shade.
  5. Spoon frosting into a piping bag or decorator press with a petal tip
  6. Starting at the outside circle, squeeze out a petal all the way to the edge of a cupcake. Continue this all the way around the circle.
  7. Now put another layer of petals on top of the first layer and end just a little shorter from the edge of the cupcake so some of the first layer still shows.
  8. When two layers are completely around the cupcake, fill the middle section with the mini chocolate chips to represent the seeds.

Notes

frosting tips to create sunflowers

tips for frosting sunflower cupcakes

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes- a Very Big Victory!

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vanilla cupcakes
very vegan vanilla cupcakes
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The cupcake challenge: Very Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

So, very vegan vanilla cupcakes have been an elusive and almost impossible dream. They had to pass the test of our family. Everyone tasted samples until we got THE ONE.

We may or may not have woken certain people up from a deep sleep in order to subject them to yet another taste test. ( Sorry, Zookie!)

It was challenging and brutal. (Nah, it was fun). Anyway, we have finally found it!

We all came to the same conclusion and are here to present to you the vegan vanilla cupcake that came out on top. And this recipe is a hands-down winner.

Birthdays, holidays, and special occasion celebrations will need this cupcake for sure. It is the perfect base for any and all icing and topping. These are delicious, don’t sink in the middle, and have a tight/light crumb. Best, these very vegan vanilla cupcakes are dairy-free and vegan/plant-based. So, more people can enjoy them.

This cupcake recipe is our number one winner but we sampled many other recipes on the web. Some of our other favorites included the minimalist baker version here. We also liked it doesn’t taste like chicken‘s vanilla cupcake here. More cupcakes, more happiness!

Now for the surprise…

The ingredients in the very vegan vanilla cupcakes are all common and conventional except for one thing. And if you’ve never heard of adding mayonnaise to a cake recipe, you may wrinkle your nose at first but we urge you to try it.

No one will know the secret ingredient except you. But you won’t believe it either. Because it’s so simple to make this recipe. You can whip this up as quickly as a box! So if you want good vegan vanilla cupcakes these won’t disappoint, we promise!

vegan vanilla cupcakes
very vegan vanilla cupcakes

After fifteen minutes of mixing it up and then 25 minutes in the oven, you will have twelve very vegan vanilla cupcakes for yourself! Or you could share, that’s up to you.

Now make our better buttercream frosting recipe to complete the cupcakes.

2 vegan cupcakes frosted with Better Buttercream Frosting
Cupcakes!

Then use this recipe to make our Summer Sunflower Cupcakes!

summer sunflower chocolate cupcakes
a bouquet of summer dessert flowers

We hope you enjoy your very own vegan vanilla cupcakes as much as our family does!      xoxo

copyright © thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025 All rights reserved.

vanilla cupcakes
thehamptonsvegan

VEGAN VANILLA CUPCAKES- A VERY BIG VICTORY!

Vegan vanilla cupcakes with a surprise ingredient!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 cup vegan mayo *see note
  • 1 cup icy cold water

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, mayo, and vanilla.
  4. Mix the flour mixture into the wet mixture in thirds alternating with cold water. Blend well. Divide batter evenly among cupcake tins lined with cupcake papers.
  5. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool cupcakes in tin on a wire rack for 3 minutes. Then tip them out of the tin onto the wire rack to finish cooling. When the cupcakes are cooled completely, frost them as desired.

Notes

Better Buttercream Frosting Is For Everyone

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better buttercream frosting
cupcakes with Better Buttercream Frosting

 Vegan Better Buttercream Frosting is a big deal.

Vegan buttercream frosting seems like an oxymoron, I know.  Because can anything named “butter” or “cream” or the ultimate, “buttercream” really be a non-dairy, vegan food?

But it seemed unthinkable to try to recreate all the cupcakes, birthday cakes, or “just because” cakes without a buttercream frosting to top them off.

So the search began.

And some of our first sampled recipes involved store-bought vegan butter. But I wasn’t a fan of the aftertaste. (The taste of vegan butter has gotten better though since I started trying out frosting recipes with vegan butter several years ago.)

So then I thought I’d have to ice my cakes with non-dairy whipped cream forever. And whipped cream is good but not always an ideal choice.

Life without frosting is almost unthinkable.

The dreamy, light, fluffy frosting was a part of every reason to celebrate. Birthday cake celebrations, holiday sugar cookies, and school celebration cupcakes. And fundraiser desserts! They all included our topping of choice!

Yes, buttercream frosting is a shameless constant in our family. It’s bonded to our history like Elmer’s glue to paper. Our life wouldn’t be the same without it!

So giving up frosting was non-negotiable! We must find a substitute!

Therefore, finding a better buttercream frosting (aka vegan buttercream) was the only solution.

Finally, the better buttercream frosting favorite.

So, I experimented with many recipes. Then we discovered vegan shortening. And it was the solution we were looking for. Using this helped create better buttercream frosting. Because vegan shortening works perfectly. (Also, try vegan butter combined with shortening.)

However, we only recommend vegan shortenings that are sustainably sourced, because palm oil deforestation is devastating many areas.

Bonus! Because vegan shortening is shelf-stable, too! We always keep it in the pantry whenever the desire (or family demand for sweets) arises.

This is our go-to choice for the buttercream frosting fix our family often craves.

Vegan buttercream frosting rocks for everyone!

buttercream frosting
whipping up the sweet stuff

Another frosting creation we like is bougie brown sugar frosting. You won’t be sorry for spending a bit more time on this one. It is so tasty and worth the extra effort. Plus, if you’re out of powdered sugar, this is your salvation!

Better buttercream frosting for everyone!

So be sure to let us know how you like our Better Buttercream Frosting. Try it on our Summer Sunflower Cupcakes,

summer sunflower chocolate cupcakessummer sunflower chocolate cupcakes
a bouquet of summer dessert flowers

or our

Very Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes.

vanilla vegan cupcake
very vegan vanilla cupcake

Or our happy half-moon cookies.

half-moon cookie (black-and-whites)
Childhood favorite

Then, please, post pictures on Instagram or Facebook! Because we all need more photos of frosting. And sweet dreams are made of these. 😉

copyright © thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025 All rights reserved.

better buttercream frosting
thehamptonsvegan

Better Buttercream Frosting

A creamy, fluffy vegan buttercream-like frosting
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3- 3 1/2 cups vegan powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup sustainably sourced vegan shortening
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1-4 Tablespoons non dairy milk

Method
 

  1. Beat shortening until light and fluffy.
  2. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well.
  3. Add vanilla and check consistency.
  4. If it is too stiff, add 1 tablespoon milk and continue beating and checking consistency, adding more milk gradually as needed until spreadable, light, and fluffy.
  5. *Chocolate Better Buttercream Frosting*
    Add 1/4 -1/3 cup cocoa powder to vanilla frosting and a little bit more milk to reach desired consistency. Probably no more than an extra 1-2 tablespoons milk needed.

Happy Half-Moon Cookies for Some Lunar Love

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The solar eclipse is coming, the solar eclipse is coming!

UPDATE:

Well, the solar eclipse of 2017 has passed but these half-moon cookies will always stay relevant! …

So, let’s celebrate!

half-moon cookies aka black-and-whites

Happy Half-Moon Cookies for the solar eclipse

Half-moon cookies! That’s what they’re called. They’re half-moon cookies and I don’t care what you say. Well, I do care what you say, but I have to agree to disagree on what you call black-and-white cookies and what I call half-moon cookies.

The big cake-like cookie with equal parts white and chocolate frosting was always my favorite.

Happy Half-Moon Cookies Under Glass

Upstate New York Half-Moon Cookie Memories

Full disclosure: I was born in Binghamton, NY. I’m an upstate girl. But I’ve been living the last twenty-plus years, in the Hamptons.

My confectionary dreams as a child consisted of half-moon cookies. I also loved my Aunt Bonnie’s penuche fudge but that was only available on Christmas day when we gathered at my Great Grandma’s house (insert wistful sigh here).

But I always just called them moon cookies. I lost the “half” somewhere along the line.

There was no favorite side. I’d go back and forth taking bites of the chocolate side then bites of the vanilla. I loved them both so much. Double the pleasure was a bite right in the middle where the two flavors meet. Whoa, just whoa.

You’re not in Kansas anymore! (er, I mean, upstate New York anymore!)

Then I grew up, married my prince charming, aka the big guy, and moved far, far away to live happily ever after. With a pit stop along the way to Virginia Beach, VA for about 4 years (fond memories), we landed more permanently on the Eastern End of Long Island, NY.

While raising four little Hampton Vegans into adulthood, we lived a busy life. And when treats were in order, the Beach Bakery played a big part if I didn’t have time to make any homemade treats like our Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies or the Perfect and Easy Peanut Butter Cookie.

The black-and-white cookie phase

The Beach Bakery in the center of Main Street, Westhampton Beach was where our family spent many days, picking up fresh-baked bread, amazing jelly-filled croissants with a sugary coating, key lime pie, chocolate mousse cake, and my favorite- those cookies.

Everyone in our family knew, that in a box of Beach Bakery treats, the moon cookies were mine. I never really noticed what they called them at the Beach Bakery but as the years went by and our family would venture into the city (NYC), it began to sink in, after many “moon cookie” purchases at various bakeries and delis, that in this neck of the woods, they’re called black-and-white cookies.

The mysterious half-moon cookies

So much time had passed since I’d eaten a cookie officially called a half-moon cookie, that I started to believe this was a childhood name I gave them. It felt like I was the only one that called those cookies by that name.

Then I decided to google it.

Eureka! There it was. Finally, the answer was right on the World Wide Web! I found my people. The half-moon cookie lived in upstate and New England traditions. Wicked cool. (My Upstate NY/New England people know what I’m talking about).

According to some websites, it was invented at a bakery called Hemstrought’s in Utica, NY back in the early 1900s. Other sites claim the credit goes to Zaro’s in NYC around 1940. Yet another claim they came from Europe with Dutch immigration. I’ve read that in Germany, these cookies are called Amerikaners! American cookies!

It’s all good for half-moon cookies

Whichever source you believe, does it matter where they came from or what you call them as long as you can eat them?! I think not!

So today, in honor of the solar eclipse by the moon (appearing on August 21, 2017), I dedicate these cookies to it.

And to all those, like me, who will indeed be gazing with our eclipse glasses at the solar-lunar-earthly alignment (partial for Long Island) and thinking, Mmmmm moon cookies. Or is that just me?

Shoutout to a displaced Hampton Vegan

Because a member of our crew-a Hamptons Vegan, living in Austin, Texas will be traveling to witness the solar eclipse in a prime spot in Missouri, I want to send my best wishes for a sunny day, a cloudless sky and lots and lots of lunar love to her, her partner, and to all those watching the skies on August 21.

Now make a batch of these Happy half-moon cookies for this stellar occasion!

P.S. You want to know why they’re “Happy” half-moon cookies? Because they’re vegan, of course!

P.P.S.

The original recipe from the Hemstrought bakery in Utica, NY appeared in Sauveur magazine. It featured a chocolate cake bottom. Get that recipe here.

To veganize Hemstrought’s recipe, just change the margarine to vegan margarine, the 2 eggs to 2 Tablespoon ground flax-seed mixed with 6 tablespoons water (let gel for 5 minutes), and the milk to non-dairy milk like soy or almond. Then frost with vanilla and chocolate icing.

Additionally, you could try the original fudge icing from Hemstrought’s. I loved it but just be careful! Because that frosting is hot if your hands get dripped on. So consider yourself warned.

It makes enough for 30 cookies so you’ll need to halve the recipe unless you want a lot of leftover fudge frosting. And there’s nothing wrong with some extra fudge frosting! But to veganize that recipe, switch out the butter for vegan butter.

A Step-by-Step of The Happy Half-Moon Cookies in Photos

First, whip up the vegan butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy.
Second, add in the flax egg and vanilla.
Now you have the wet mixture.
Then add flour in thirds alternately with the soymilk mixture.
The soymilk and vinegar mix is added in 2 parts alternately with flour
Then we have the final mixed batter.
Now scoop approximately 2 ounces of rounded batter (at least 3 inches apart) onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Voila! Behold the 4-inch cookies after baking for 18 to 20 minutes.
So now we see the moon cookie bottoms, ready to be frosted after cooling.
And finally, the frosted moon cookies drying on a wire rack.
Ahhh, the beloved Happy Half-Moon Cookie.

copyright © thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025 All rights reserved.

thehamptonsvegan

Happy half-moon cookies

Delicious half-moon cookies, also known as black-and-whites, that won't disappoint- whatever you call them!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
icing time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 4 inch cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 340 grams
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 4.6 grams
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 4.6 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 grams
  • 3/4 cup shortening or vegan butter 170 grams
  • 1 cup sugar 200 grams
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed 22 grams
  • 6 tablespoons water 88.7 ml (or 3 fluid ounces)
  • 3/4 cup soy milk 177 ml
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar 16 ml
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla 14.8 ml
Vanilla icing
  • 2 cups organic powdered sugar sifted. 240 grams
  • 2 tablespoons water add more, a few drops at a time, if too thick
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup make our corn syrup sub recipe or use store-bought
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
chocolate icing
  • 2 cups organic powdered sugar sifted 240 grams
  • 2+ tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup Make our corn syrup recipe or use store-bought
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder 36 grams

Method
 

Cookie Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium size bowl.
  3. Add vinegar to soymilk to sour and set aside.
  4. Mix ground flax seed with water and let set for about 5 minutes to gel.
  5. Cream shortening (or vegan butter) until light
  6. Add sugar to shortening and blend very well until light and fluffy.
  7. Add flax and water mixture, and vanilla to shortening and sugar and mixture.
  8. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir to incorporate. Then add 1/2 of the soymilk mixture, and stir. Then add 1/2 of the dry mixture, then the rest of the milk mixture, and then the last of the flour mix, stirring to incorporate the mixture together after each addition.
  9. Drop 1/4 cup for each cookie onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Cookies will spread so leave at least 3 inches between each cookie.
  10. Cook for about 18-20 minutes until a light golden brown.
  11. Cool on a wire rack.
  12. When cooled, frost the bottoms (flat side of cookie) with 1/2 vanilla. Let dry for about 30 minutes. Then frost the other half of the cookie with chocolate icing.
  13. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Can freeze.
vanilla icing
  1. Mix all vanilla icing ingredients together until smooth and easy to stir.
chocolate icing
  1. Mix all the chocolate icing ingredients together, adding more water as needed if it's too thick.

Notes

Make our Corn Syrup/Honey Substitute Recipe. (No corn or Bee vomit!) 🙂

Strawberry Pie is a Beautiful Thing

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Strawberry Pie
Scrumptious Strawberry Pie
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Ahhh, Strawberry Pie

Strawberry pie is one of my favorites. But my strawberry love goes deep. I love them in a shortcake, on pancakes, on cereal, in a muffin, as jam, and on vegan ice cream. Oh, and dipped in chocolate, too!

However, this scrumptious strawberry pie takes strawberries to the next level and then some. Look at that mouth-watering beauty of a berry!

A picture paints a thousand words

There aren’t enough words to do this sweet berry pie justice, that a simple photo does in an instant. A strawberry pie photograph is all you need to know you will love it.

It’s not complicated, and there’s no secret to it. It’s strawberries and a pie crust with glaze. That’s what makes it beautiful. It’s perfect with no fancy flourishes or extra, needless ingredients.

You can add whipped topping, but it isn’t necessary. It’s simple perfection at its finest. Glorious strawberries. I may be their number-one fan. At least in the top ten!

So, while you’re en route to the east end of Long Island, why not stop and pick up a few baskets of these beauties at any of the farmers’ markets listed on the Long Island Pulse website?

Strawberry Pie- It’s simply delicious and simple to make

This recipe is based on one I found sometime back in the ’80s in a book just for making pies. You can buy a tried and true (vegan) crust or make your own. Either way, it’s mostly about the filling of this pie.

Now, for complete simplicity, I will use a store-bought crust to assemble this pie in no time. And you can too! But it’s a pie that didn’t even need a vegan substitute. And it’s always been a recipe for vegans before vegan was cool. A progressive pie for the ages. Yes, it’s a pie that begs to be photographed.

Show-stopping strawberry pie

So, to sum it up, this pie is not only simple and scrumptious, but it’s so pretty it needs to be seen. Therefore, this pie needs an audience!

So, take this pie to a special celebration or picnic. Gift it to impress someone. And at the very least, please take a photo of this beauty because it would make nice kitchen art! No?

strawberry pie

the scrumptious strawberry pie

This pie makes me want to sing to the tune of Sweet Caroline. You know how it goes, come on:

“SWEET strawberry pie! bom, bom, bom…good pie never tasted so good, SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD!!

strawberry pie
So good, so good, so good!

Or make another one of our yummy pies, the Pumped Pumpkin Pie!

Pumped pumpkin pie
You can almost smell the pumpkin pie spice aroma…

More pie, please!

So, my favorite treat would have to be pie. All sorts of pie! And here’s a savory one: Peaceful Pot Pie.

So, how about pie for dinner and pie for dessert?

peaceful pot pie for dinner
Peaceful Pot Pie

copyright © thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025. All rights reserved.

strawberry pie
thehamptonsvegan

Scrumptious Strawberry Pie

The perfect dessert for a Spring or Summer treat! Its beautiful. It tastes amazing and it is so easy to make. Take this to someone you want to impress. It wont disappoint!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6-7 cups strawberries
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 pie shell your own homemade or store bought crust
  • vegan whipped cream for topping optional (I like Sprouts Oatmilk whipped topping)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Prepare the pie shell in a pie plate and prick the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork.
  3. Bake the pie shell for 12 to 15 minutes. Let it cool on a wire rack.
  4. Mash 1 cup of berries in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. Sieve berries to reserve the liquid and discard the berries.
  6. Add the sugar and cornstarch to the empty saucepan and stir together. Add reserved strawberry liquid and stir together well. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously until the liquid thickens and appears more clear, not cloudy. Set aside to cool.
  7. Prepare the remaining strawberries by removing the green tops but keeping them whole.
  8. Spread about 1/4 cup of strawberry sauce over the bottom and sides of the cooled pie shell. Arrange 1/2 the hulled berries in the pie crust, top side down, bottoms facing up. Coat the berries with 1/2 of the strawberry sauce, covering each one. Arrange the rest of the berries in the pie shell. Top with remaining strawberry sauce, coating well. Done!
  9. Best to refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. Serve with whipped topping if using.

Notes

The pie crust I recommend is Wholly Wholesome organic pie shell.