Vegan baking needn't be difficult or boring - it can be simple and delicious. In fact, Freya Cox's mission is to show that it's just as delicious, if not more so, than 'regular' baking and, when all the ingredients are available from your local supermarket, there's no reason not to give it a try.

And her book, Simply Vegan Baking, is the perfect place to start.

Russian buttercream is much silkier and slightly less sweet than traditional American buttercream, making it the perfect accompaniment to the crunchy walnut praline. A modern twist on a true classic.

Ingredients

For the sponge:

Vegan butter, for greasing

225ml soya milk

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

235g plain (all-purpose) flour

210g caster (granulated) sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

3 tbsp instant coffee powder (if you don't have powder, dissolve the same amount of granules in a small amount of water)

1/2 tsp salt

90ml vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Russian buttercream:

250g vegan butter (Flora Plant works well for this)

1 x 370g can of vegan condensed milk

3-4 tbsp instant coffee powder

50g icing (confectioners') sugar

For the walnut praline:

225g granulated sugar

7g vegan butter

100g walnuts, broken into pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) fan. Grease two 15cm (6 inch) cake tins with butter and line with baking parchment.

2. Put the soya milk in a jug and heat in the microwave for one minute to warm through (alternatively you can do this in a pan on the hob). Once warmed, mix in the apple cider vinegar and place to the side to curdle - this will take about five minutes.

3. Meanwhile sift the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, coffee powder and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

4. Once the soya milk has curdled, add the vegetable oil and the vanilla extract to the same jug and mix. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and combine using a balloon whisk until just combined - try not to over-whisk.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the cake tins. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Leave on a cooling rack in the tins until cool enough to touch before removing the cakes from the tins to cool completely.

6. For the Russian buttercream, put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one - or into a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand whisk - and mix on high speed until it is very pale in colour and fluffy. You don't want to rush this step - mix it for at least 10 minutes. Once the butter is light and fluffy, slowly add the condensed milk, 2 tbsp at a time, allowing it to combine fully between each addition.

7. Once all of the condensed milk has been added, add the coffee powder - I add 4 tbsp as I like it strong. Finally, add the icing sugar, beating until a smooth shiny buttercream is formed. Place in the fridge whilst you make the praline.

8. For the walnut praline, cover a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment and place to the side.

9. Put the sugar in a saucepan with 55ml water and set over a low-medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally until the sugar starts to dissolve and the liquid becomes clear. Once clear, turn the heat up to medium and leave, without stirring, until it starts to turn a golden amber colour. The edges will turn first so at this point you can swirl the pan a little, so it colours evenly.

10. Once the caramel is an amber colour, take the pan off the heat and quickly add the butter and the chopped walnuts. Stir until the nuts are evenly coated in caramel, then pour onto the lined baking tray and spread out, then leave to cool. Once cool, break the praline into shards and place in a food processor. Blitz the praline to a crumb, leaving a few slightly larger chunks. If you don't have a food processor, place the praline in a sandwich bag and use a rolling pin to bash the praline to crumbs.

11. To assemble, level the top of one of the sponges with a sharp knife - this will be the base sponge. Spread an even layer of the coffee buttercream over the base sponge (or you can pipe it on if you prefer). Sprinkle over a generous layer of praline crumbs, then place the second sponge on top. Cover the top of the cake with a thick layer of the buttercream, using a palate knife to spread it out and create a little swirl effect, if you wish.

12. Use the rest of the buttercream to roughly cover the sides of the cake, then coat them with the remaining praline - just use your hands to press it into the buttercream. Enjoy!

Tip: The great thing about blitzing the praline into a crumb is that it doesn't matter if your sugar crystallises - it works just as well!

Serves 8 to 10.

Sometimes all you want in life is a cookie and a brownie at the same time. The chewy cookie base and soft fudgy brownie top are made for each other.

Ingredients

For the cookie base:

120g vegan butter, plus extra for greasing

100g soft light brown sugar

120g caster (granulated) sugar

1/2 tsp salt

50ml plant milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

220g self-raising flour

150g vegan chocolate chunks

For the brownie top:

200g vegan dark chocolate, broken into pieces

140g plain (all-purpose) flour

40g cocoa powder

A pinch of salt

200g caster (granulated) sugar

80ml vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

240ml plant milk

75g vegan chocolate chunks

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C (315F) fan. Grease a 20cm (8 inch) square brownie tin with butter and line with baking parchment.

2. For the cookie base, put the butter and both sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one - or into a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand whisk - and beat together until light in colour and fluffy.

3. Add the salt, plant milk and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour and mix again until a smooth cookie dough forms. Finally, fold in the chocolate chunks. Tip the cookie dough into the lined tin and flatten down evenly to cover the base. Place in the freezer whilst making the brownie batter.

4. For the brownie layer, place the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt either in the microwave in 30 second increments, or over a pan of gently simmering water.

5. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and caster sugar. Add the oil, vanilla and plant milk to the dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Pour in the melted chocolate and thoroughly combine, then fold in the chocolate chunks.

6. Take the cookie dough out of the freezer and pour the brownie batter over the base. Level out with a spatula.

7. Bake for 45 minutes until you have a nice shiny top. Leave to cool for about 30 minutes until the tin is cool enough to touch. Then remove the brookies from the tin and place in the fridge to cool completely before slicing into nine squares. Enjoy!

Tip: These brookies require a slightly longer bake than other recipes, but be patient as they are worth the wait.

Makes 9

This is a classic dessert that seems complex to perfect, but these simple steps result in soft pillowy meringue on top of a smooth but sharp lemony filling - what's not to love. Take it along to a dinner party and impress your guests!

Ingredients

For the sweet shortcrust pastry (you can use shop-bought pastry if preferred):

200g plain (all-purpose) flour

30g icing (confectioners') sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Zest of one lemon

100g vegan butter

2 tbsp ice-cold water

For the lemon filling:

200ml lemon juice (four to five large lemons)

60ml soya milk

200g granulated sugar

30g cornflour (cornstarch)

A pinch of turmeric powder

70g vegan butter

For the meringue:

100g aquafaba (see note)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

75g caster (superfine) sugar

1/2 tsp agar agar powder

Method

1. For the pastry, put all the ingredients except the water in a food processor and pulse until it has a texture like breadcrumbs. Add the water and pulse until it starts to come together into a ball. Tip it out onto a work surface and bring it together into a smooth dough, kneading gently. Alternatively, if you don't have a food processor you can do this by hand. Combine the flour, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl, then rub in the butter between your fingertips until it forms rough breadcrumbs. Add the water and bring together into a ball. Knead until smooth.

2. Roll out the pastry on a flour-dusted surface - or between two sheets of baking parchment - until it is around 3mm (1/8 inch) thick. Lay the pastry over a 23cm (9 inch) tart tin, then carefully push the pastry into the sides allowing the excess to hang over the edges. Place the pastry case into the freezer to chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C (350F) fan.

3. Once chilled, remove from the freezer and place a sheet of baking parchment into the case. Fill with baking beans (pie weights) or rice and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and take out the beans and parchment, then return to the oven for a further 12-15 minutes until the edges are a light golden brown.

4. Place the tin on a cooling rack to cool until the pastry is just warm to the touch. Trim the excess pastry around the top edge with a serrated knife.

5. For the lemon filling, put the lemon juice and soya milk in a saucepan with 100ml (31/2fl oz) water and set over a low-medium heat. Mix the sugar and cornflour together in a bowl, then add to the pan. Whisk the ingredients together over a medium heat, adding the turmeric for the yellow colour. Whisk continuously until the mixture has thickened and large bubbles start to form. Take off the heat and whisk in the vegan butter until fully incorporated, then leave to cool slightly in the pan.

6. Once the pastry case is cool (still in the tart tin), pour in the lemon filling and level the top with a spatula. Leave to cool and set fully - place in the fridge once cool enough to do so.

7. For the meringue topping, put the aquafaba and cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one - or into a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand whisk - and whisk on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks. Meanwhile, put the sugar and agar agar into a saucepan with 25ml water and set over a medium heat, swirling until the sugar and agar agar have dissolved and the liquid becomes clear. Increase the heat slightly and allow to boil until a sugar thermometer reads 116C (240F).

8. Once it reaches this temperature, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the aquafaba in a steady stream whilst still whisking. Keep whisking until the bowl no longer feels warm to the touch - this may take a while so be patient with it. Once ready, the mixture will be glossy and stiff.

9. Once the filling has set, take the pastry case out of the fridge. Spoon the meringue on top to cover the lemon filling and use an angled spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the meringue evenly and create small peaks. To finish, use a blowtorch (or grill - see tip) to brown the meringue. Enjoy!

Note: A few baking recipes use aquafaba - the liquid from a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans). There are a few key tips to working with aquafaba, one being that the bowl and whisk must be completely clean and grease-free for it to whip up properly. To ensure this, I always get a little apple cider vinegar on a piece of kitchen paper and wipe it round the bowl and the whisk to remove any dirt. Secondly, some aquafaba is thicker than others. The ideal liquid is a thick, light brown colour, so if you have access to a slightly fancier brand, I would recommend you try that. You can also buy aquafaba that is pre-packaged, which I tend to buy if I'm making a pavlova as I know it is nice and thick. If you do find your aquafaba is too liquid, you can place it in a pan over a medium heat and reduce it down a little to remove some of the excess liquid - just make sure you let it cool again before using. Finally, cream of tartar really helps the aquafaba to whip to stiff peaks and is generally available in all supermarkets.

Tip: If you don't have a blowtorch, place the lemon meringue pie under the grill (broiler) until lightly browned, but keep your eye on it as it will burn quickly.

Serves 8 to 10.

This is a simple version of a classic Italian dessert, but with all the key flavours and textures. The silky-smooth filling sits on top of softened homemade lady fingers, however you can also use shop-bought vegan ones for an even easier dessert. This tastes even better the next day when it has been kept in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients

For the lady fingers:

180ml aquafaba

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

170g caster (superfine) sugar

80g plain vegan yogurt

60ml vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

310g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

For the cream filling:

250ml vegan double (heavy) cream (I like Oatly Whippable)

100g icing (confectioners') sugar

170g vegan cream cheese

1 to 2 tsp Tia Maria or other coffee liqueur

To assemble:

1 tbsp Tia Maria or other coffee liqueur

200ml freshly brewed strong coffee

Cocoa powder, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) fan. Line two baking trays with baking parchment - you might need a third baking tray lined, depending on how large your lady fingers are.

2. Put the aquafaba and cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one - or into a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand whisk - making sure the bowl and whisk are very clean and have no grease on them. Whisk on high speed until the mixture reaches stiff peaks, then add the sugar, one spoonful at a time. Once fully incorporated, whisk on high speed for two minutes until glossy and stiff.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil and vanilla until combined. Fold this mixture into the aquafaba one spoonful at a time until fully incorporated. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl, then very gently fold it in until fully combined, trying to knock as little air out as possible.

4. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm (1/2 inch) round nozzle. Pipe lines of the mixture, each around 7cm (23/4 inch) long, leaving a gap between each one to allow them room to spread. This will make between 30 and 40 fingers. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden on the edges. Once baked, leave to cool on the trays.

5. For the cream filling, whip the cream and icing sugar together until it is very thick and holds stiff peaks. Add the cream cheese and Tia Maria, then whip again until fully combined and you have a smooth cream. Spoon this into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle.

6. For the coffee soak, mix the Tia Maria into the coffee, then pour this into a shallow dish. Once the lady fingers are cool, dip them into the coffee mixture, flipping them over so they are fully covered. They want to soak up the coffee mixture, but not become soggy. Dip half of the lady fingers, then arrange them in an even layer in the base of a 20cm (8 inch) square dish or cake tin. Pipe a layer of the cream over the lady fingers so they are completely covered, then dust cocoa powder over the cream. Repeat with the remaining lady fingers, dipping them in coffee, then placing on top of the cream.

7. Pipe the remaining cream in small blobs across the top, then finish with a last dusting of cocoa powder. Enjoy!

Tip: If you don't have fresh coffee, you can use 200ml (7fl oz) of boiling water and 2 tbsp of instant coffee.

Serves 9.

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