A post for New Vegans and how to "veganize" a boxed cake mix!

I know most of you probably already know this but for any new vegans out there I wanted to make a post about “veganizing” boxed cake mix because not everyone is so ready to jump right into “from scratch” baking! This process is actually way easier than you might think. First and foremost,  you have to make sure that the base of the cake mix is vegan which means making sure there are no hidden dairy products in it. Most likely the box will say something like “CONTAINS: MILK” but for a more extensive list of ingredients here is part of the list from godairyfree.com (check out the website for the complete list):

    * Acidophilus milk
    * Ammonium Caseinate
    * Artificial butter flavor
    * Butter
    * Butter Fat
    * Butter Oil
    * Butter Solids Buttermilk
    * Calcium caseinate
    * Casein
    * Caseinate
    * Cheese (All)
    * Condensed Milk
    * Cottage Cheese

I know that might seem overwhelming but you’ll get used to recognizing which ingredients are dairy and lately manufacturers have made more of an effort to let consumers know when there are allergen related ingredients in their products so don’t stress about it! Also, isitvegan.com is a simple and quick source when you're concerned about whether or not a certain product is vegan so be sure to check it out!

The next step in creating a yummy vegan treat from a box mix is replacing the eggs, oil, milk etc with vegan ingredients. One of the easiest ways to do is with pureed pumpkin which is also my favorite alternative! A 15oz can replaces the eggs, liquids and oil so that’s all you need which is great when you’re in the mood for a quick treat. To replace eggs you can use: flaxseed, chia seeds, applesauce, chickpea flour, banana, non-dairy yogurt and Ener-G egg replacer. The only thing to keep in mind is that when using these egg replacers it might result in a longer cooking time but just check whatever you’re making regularly! All other ingredients needed for boxed cake mix are really simple to substitute such as the oil, butter or milk just substitute butter for vegan butter and non-dairy milk for the milk. Veganbaking.net is a great resource for beginners to vegan baking and I highly recommend it. 

I hope this post was helpful!

- Alexis ♥