Her vegan bakes have quite a story

Of all the reasons to go vegan, a search for an egg-less black forest cake is the least unlikely.

But once 43-year-old Sonjuhi Malhotra accomplished baking one for her father after years of trying, she took it a step further and decided to go all-out vegan.

Today, she is perhaps one among a handful of people in the city who deliver bakes that use no egg and no milk products.

“My vegan cakes are for all those who want to enjoy a good, tasty cake without worrying about whether it goes against their beliefs,” says Malhotra, a Jain, adding that all her cakes are completely vegetarian and sans chemicals or preservatives. That means no eggs or milk and sometimes no butter and sugar too.

To compensate, Malhotra balances the recipe with alternatives so that the absence of the seemingly key ingredients is not felt.

Sugar is replaced with rice syrup, butter with soy margarine and a mixture of mashed banana, and pureed apples are used instead of eggs. The result: light, fluffy and deliciously healthy cakes.

Her quest has led her through a course at the Catering College and the bakery and confectionery course at the Sophia College where she

finally found that perfect recipe for the black forest cake that started it all. Through all this, she kept experimenting with different mixes, amassing an enviable collection of books and recipes of cakes, cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, puddings, truffles and mousses. Malhotra’s repertoire of vegan specials alone spans 20 different cake varieties, besides brownies and cookies.

Malhotra, known as ‘Cake Aunty’ among her five-year-old son’s friends, has also been conducting monthly cooking classes for the last 20 years. Barring the special cake mix and vegan recipes that are secret, she generously shares recipes for multiple cuisines and an array of desserts.

For more details visit www.sonjuhi.com