Taking the challenge out of making vegan sweet goods

Did you know that there are currently more than 3 million Canadians who are vegetarian or vegan? That is 10% of the Canadian population! It was also found that those under the age of 35 are three times more likely to consider themselves vegans or vegetarians, which means they are also more likely to be raising families with similar eating habits (source: Dalhousie University). This data is confirmed by the Taste Tomorrow global research study which states that 60% of Canadians want to incorporate a more vegan diet (source: Taste Tomorrow, 2018). Turning more towards a vegan diet is not just a food choice for overall better health but also focuses on another important factor – sustainability. Consumers around the world are paying more attention to the effects on the environment and 34% of Canadians in the Taste Tomorrow study feel vegan food has a positive impact on the environment.

These numbers continue to grow year over year because consumers are more aware of their food choices for both their own health and the health of our planet. Therefore, consuming a vegan diet is becoming more of a lifestyle change than simply a dietary fad. 

Consuming plant-based foods regularly can mean eating less saturated fat and more fibre, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant-based proteins which are good for overall health. As consumers are continuously striving for healthier lifestyles, the need for vegan or plant-based food options is growing. However, vegan foods, especially vegan sweet baked goods, have not always ranked high on the taste scale. 

We asked Alison Marczenko, our Patisserie R&D Specialist, to shed some light on this question. “A food is considered vegan if it contains no animal products – this includes milk and eggs, which are so important when making sweet baked goods. These ingredients are very functional, as they help to create structure, achieving a pleasant texture in the final product. When eliminating these functional ingredients, cakes can often turn out dense or gummy.”

Eggs can especially be a challenge as the loss of this ingredient may compromise on the structure and texture of sweet baked goods when trying to find success with vegan baking. Consumers want to be able to enjoy products which contain no animal-sourced ingredients, while still expecting that the texture and flavour of these products meet their high standards. For that reason, we have introduced the Tegral Satin Vegan Cake Mix to help customers tackle this challenge. 

Alison explains, “When embarking on our vegan cake journey, we put a lot of focus into the texture and taste of the final product. We had to replace the animal proteins that are used in traditional cakes with plant-based building blocks, like protein-enriched flours and native starches. Using our enzyme technology, we were able to alleviate the gumminess often associated with these ingredients, creating a cake that people can’t believe is vegan!”

Our Satin Vegan Cake Mix is a versatile, vanilla flavoured mix that can be used to create many sweet baked good applications such as loaf cakes, cupcakes, layer cakes, Swiss rolls, cookies, etc. Satin Vegan Cake Mix is 100% Vegan Certified under the Vegecert Vegan/Vegetarian by COR – The Kosher Council. We have used simple, easy to understand ingredients for a clean(er) label product. As the vegan lifestyle continues to grow, we want to help our customers be able to innovate in this particularly difficult area with a cake mix that is unique in taste and texture, creating a positive food experience for consumers without sacrificing indulgence.