Happy Sunday, loves 💗 Nothing lifts my mood more and gets me in a meditative state than a good creative baking session. I wanted to try a vegan cake for a long time now. I also wanted to bake something that I could decorate afterwards. Thus, I turned to Pinterest (you know how much I love it for creative inspo) to look for the right recipe. The Vegan White Chocolate Berry Tart by Delight Fuel seemed like the perfect match. Seriously, who could resist the combination of white chocolate and berries?!

A quick run to the organic grocery store and I had everything I needed. I decided to switch out the oats for teff flour because I’m still experimenting with this ancient grain. And I also added some vanilla extract to the white chocolate layer. In my opinion, there can never be enough vanilla 😋

The cake was easily made. I taste-tested the white chocolate layer and liked it a lot! I then went all out decorating the cake with silver glitter spray, edible flowers, a few strawberries, paper butterflies, and of course my new obession: sprinkles by Happy Sprinkles. You know the #healthjunkie I am, I try to opt for the most natural options out there. So, all of the above were as natural as possible. Happy Sprinkles even offers a vegan version of their colorful baking decor.

As beautiful as the cake turned out, tastewise it was not really up our ally. Roman has a total sweettooth and will even have cake for breakfast. But he is not really into creamy cakes. I, on the other hand, love cakes like this. Back in the day, I would always opt for buttercream cakes. Everything else was just too dry and not sweet enough for me. Crazy to think how times have changed. Now I can barely stomach anything dairy anymore.

So yes, if you are also a fan of heavier cakes but want a more wholesome version, then this recipe is definitely a great alternative. I honestly have to say, though, that it was way too fatty for me and sat quite heavy in my stomach. Fat is fat. It doesn’t matter if it is a healthier fat or not. The white chocolate layer alone consists of a whole can of coconut milk, one cup soaked cashews, cacao butter, and coconut oil! Hallelujah! I once again realized that just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s less calories or neccessarily healthier for you. Especially when it comes to store-bought substitutes. These are definitely not healthier than the real deal because they are oftentimes loaded with fillers and all other kinds of unnatural stuff.

I’m not against the vegan diet as I mostly eat plant-based myself. I just want to make you aware to always check the labels and not be confused by any marketing claims on the packaging. When in doubt, always opt for natural food like veggies, grains, or fruits to get the most nutritious value.

Alright, enough on the food lecturing. This post should actually serve as in inspiration for you to get creative in your own kitchen. Baking and decorating has turned out to be quite meditative for me. Next to physical exercise, it’s something were I’m able to relax and be entirely in the present moment. As a kid, I found it way easier to engage in activities like this. Somehow when I grew older I stopped allowing myself to do things just for the joy of it. But with the pandemic and realizing that life is unpredictable and too short to be rushing from one thing to the next, I’m actively carving out time to do what makes me happy again.

What is your favorite activity to take your mind off of things? If you feel inspired now to get creative in the kitchen yourself, make sure to share your creations either in the comments below or over on the ‘Gram @champagnewithmadeleine . Can’t wait to see what you are coming up with! 🧁