With Summer just around the corner, Nielsen-Massey, producers of premium extracts, has released three delicious fruity berry cake and pudding recipes that are perfect for the sunshine.

Nielsen-Massey was founded in Illinois, in the USA, in 1907, specialising in the production of vanilla extracts and pastes. The vanilla beans in Nielsen-Massey’s Gourmet Vanilla Extract are hand-picked and hand-cured. A week long gentle cold extraction process preserves more than 300 complex flavour notes from the vanilla, guaranteeing quality and distinct flavour.

Today the company also produces a range of extracts, including orange blossom, peppermint, rose water, coffee, almond and lemon, all made with the same strict quality standards as the vanilla. The extracts are available in distinctive 60ml, and 118ml brown bottles,and are all vegan-friendly, allergen-free, certified Kosher and Gluten-Free.

The following gourmet vegetarian cake and pudding recipes will appeal to all ages and are great fun to make.

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake

The sharp and crisp flavours of blueberries and lemon contrast well with the rich coffee flavour, while the sweet vanilla extract cuts through the acidity of the citrus notes, making this crumbly cake the perfect accompaniment to a morning cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

Coffee cake base:

• 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal
• 6 tablespoons of water
• 135g Demerara sugar
• 113 g vegan butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons of Nielsen-Massey Gourmet Vanilla Extract
• 113 g plain vegan yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 240g plain flour, plus more for dusting the blueberries
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• Half a teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
• 340g fresh blueberries dusted with flour

Crumble:

• 90g Demerara sugar
• 40g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 56g vegan butter – cold and cubed
• 1 teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey Gourmet Vanilla Extract

Lemon Glaze:

• 113g icing sugar
• 2-4 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Coffee cake:
- Pre-heat oven to 350˚F/180˚C
- Grease and flour an 8-inch cake tin
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flaxseed meal and water and leave it to stand for 5 minutes
- Add the sugar, butter, vanilla extract, yoghurt and lemon juice and whisk until blended
- Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt until the batter combines together
- Fold in the lemon zest and blueberries
- Transfer the cake batter to the cake tin and smooth flat
Crumble and glaze:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, butter and vanilla extract
- Using a fork, work the butter into the mixture until it forms a crumble
- Evenly distribute the crumble over the cake batter
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top bounces back to touch and the crumble is golden-brown
- While the cake is cooking, make the glaze by mixing the icing sugar with the lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency
- Let the cake cool completely before taking out of the tin, then add the glaze and serve

Vegan Orange Cake with Vanilla Coconut Frosting

If you’ve never made a vegan cake before, then this one is a good one to try. The citrusy orange flavour complements the rich vanilla, while the whipped vanilla coconut frosting makes an interesting tasty topping.

Ingredients:

• 384g plain flour
• 201 grams organic caster sugar
• Quarter teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 470ml orange juice
• 60ml grapeseed oil
• 2.5 teaspoons of Nielsen-Massey Orange Extract
• 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Gourmet Vanilla Extract, or Vanilla Paste

Vanilla Coconut Frosting:

• 592g coconut cream
• 45-60ml organic agave or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Gourmet Vanilla Extract, or Vanilla Paste

Toppings:

• Orange zest from 1 orange, or some fresh cranberries

Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350˚F/180˚C
- Grease and flour two 9 inch cake tins
- Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda in a medium mixing bowl
- In a large mixing bowl, combine orange juice, oil, orange extract and vanilla extract
- Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet cake mix then spread evenly between the two cake tins
- Bake for 22 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean
Vanilla Coconut Frosting:
- Chill two cans of coconut cream in the fridge for one hour, or overnight
- Refrigerate the bowl for a minimum 30 minutes before use, then scoop the cold coconut cream into the cold bowl, leaving any liquid behind
- Whip the coconut cream for 1-2 minutes until it thickens
- Add in the agave or maple syrup, and vanilla extract, and then whip on medium to high speed for 1-3 minutes or more, until stiff peaks form. Check the consistency every 30 seconds so it isn’t over-mixed
- After the cake cools, frost with the vanilla coconut whip and top with orange zest. Add optional cranberries and icing sugar for the ultimate tart yet sweet fruit topping

Rosewater Strawberry Smoothie Bowl

This is a light, floral, refreshing summer treat that is vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients:

Chia Pudding:

• 120ml organic cashew milk
• 2 tablespoons organic chia seeds
• Rose Water Strawberry Smoothie:
• 1 organic banana
• 75g organic sliced strawberries
• half a teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey Rose Water
• 1 green cardamom pod
• 80ml organic cashew milk

Garnish:

• A few chopped pistachios
• Chia seeds
• Fresh coconut shavings

Directions:

Chia pudding:
- Mix cashew milk and chia seeds together, then cover with cling film and chill overnight
- Chop a few pistachios and set aside


Smoothie:
- In a food processor, mix frozen banana, frozen strawberries, rose water, cardamom pod and cashew milk and pulse until a creamy, smooth texture is formed
- Take the chia pudding from the fridge and mix gently. The pudding should be thick.
- Add the contents to a serving bowl and top with the frozen strawberry smoothie.
- Garnish with pistachios, chia seeds and fresh coconut shavings.

You can find more delicious recipes from Nielsen Massey here.