Dairy Free Baking - fail proof go to ideas?

[Hereforthedramaz]

Hi
I’d like to bake something for a group who have been really lovely to me as a thank you for being so lovely and supporting me!

But a couple of problems, one the person who has been particularly wonderful can’t eat dairy, and he is the usual baker (and is very very good) where I am not a natural so it needs to be quite easy.

But obviously ideally I’d like everyone to be wowed by it too, even people who would normally dairy cakes.

So does anyone have any amazing dairy free baking recipes that are actually very impressive (and ideally easy!)?

Yes. Easy cake recipe

200g s/r flour
120g -150g sugar (depending on how sweet your tooth i)
quarter teaspoon each of bicarb of soda and baking powder
60ml vegetable oil
200ml soya or oat milk
20ml apple cider vinegar
Top vanilla essence

Mix the vinegar and milk together, let sit.
Put oven on to 180/gas 4
Prepare cake tin (either a 20cm round, or small loaf tin, or about 16 fairy cakes)
Mix all the dry ingredients together

Tip the milk mix into the dry
Add vanilla essence and the oil
Mix until combined but don't beat

Bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean

Cool and decorate

You could also bake as usual, with eggs but use stork vegan marg instead of butter

My daughter is dairy free and all we do is replace the butter with dairy free spread. We use flora buttery and it works very well indeed - including for buttercream icing etc. I’d avoid anything that usually chocolate, as dairy free chocolate is a bit hit and miss. But otherwise pretty much anything is on the table!

If there’s anything you’re used to baking just swap stork.

If not a regular baker, then carrot cake with glacé icing is a solid option.

This is a lovely, moist cake which is not only dairy free but gluten free too.

https://www.recipetineats.com/flourless-orange-cake/#h-what-goes-in-orange-cake

https://vegetarianforlife.org.uk/recipes/cakes-and-puddings/orange-lemon-pistachio-cake

This is easy and fab, I usually spread the icing on then sprinkle the pistachios over, then put strips of something (like strips of cereal box) over the top and finish with a dusting of icing sugar, take the strips off and it looks good with the stripes

Cocoa powder perhaps?

Diary free brownies/chocolate cake op?

Thank you these are all great so far!

I have a few go to-s but they all involve a lot of chocolate, condensed milk or Philadelphia cream cheese icing!

Is dairy free the same as egg free?

If not, and he can have eggs then brownies but use oil or coconut instead of the butter

I’m best avoiding anything down the brownie route as phenomenal guey chocolate orange brownie has been made for the group recently!

It was incredible and I couldn’t top it even with real chocolate!

This is the best dairy free cake I’ve tried - I do love ginger though ☺️.
Edited to say it is definitely worth adding some stem ginger as that really makes it delicious!
https://domesticgothess.com/blog/2019/02/05/easy-ginger-cake-vegan/

philip khoury does vegan baking, might be a source of inspiration

I make this for my gluten-free, dairy-free family. It's very rich - despite that, I add dark chocolate pieces which make it even richer 😋

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-olive-oil-cake

This is an easy recipe for classic Victoria sponge: https://hillfarmoils.com/blogs/recipes/all-in-one-sponge-cake

Then jam and buttercream with a dairy-free spread as PP said. Think you need less spread than butter as the margarines tend to contain more water but don't have exact proportions.

Floral- even Flora buttery- is dairy free. Just use that in normal recipes. Mary Berry recipes are good and often use marg in the recipe.

Following for ideas!

I’m would second the chocolate olive oil cake from nigella though! I’m a hopeless baker and this turned out well.