My babies are 5 and 2!

Three late nights and one full day (with helper as pictured below!), but the cupcake stand turned out alright 🙌😅🌈 

We recently celebrated Lake turning 5 and Banks turning 2 with a rainbow themed party, I googled every possible avenue and search word humanly available, but no one (NO! ONE!) sold cupcake structures shaped as a rainbow. 

Business opportunity, people! 😜

I was highly conscious of the fact that parties weren’t an option for many of you for some time so I held off posting the cupcake recipe, but the requests kept coming...

Sooooo, here you are.

Vegan Cupcakes

For the dry ingredients

1.5 Cups (180g) GF Plain Flour

3/4 Cup Raw or Demerara Sugar

1.5 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Salt

For the wet ingredients

1 Cup (240g) Full Fat Coconut Milk from can*

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

*Ensure the can has been kept at room temperature and shaken really well. If you open the can and coconut milk is still separated into clear and creamy parts, then transfer the lot into a blender and blend to combine.

METHOD

-Preheat the oven to 180C.

-Whisk all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, making sure to smooth out any lumps. In a separate bowl, whisk all of the wet ingredients.

-Slowly pour the wet ingredients over the dry while whisking gently or stirring briskly. When the mixture is smooth, scoop it evenly among 12 muffin cases. Better to fill with less and slowly add spoonfuls at a time, than to overfill some cases and not others. You will notice that each case looks only about half full, but don’t be tempted to overfill it, because the cupcakes will rise A LOT! In fact, this mixture was enough for me to fill 14 muffin cases, since I was restricted by height and really couldn’t have  it rise above the muffin case or it wasn’t going to fit into my rainbow sculpture.

-Bake for 13-14 minutes. I ended up having to bake 7 x 12 muffin trays for the rainbow to be complete and set the timer for 13 minutes each time which was perfect for my oven. Just make sure they are golden on top.

Vegan Icing

1/2 Cup Icing Sugar

2 tablespoons Cashew Cream*

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

2-4 drops natural Food Colour

Optional: Hot Water**

*To make cashew cream, I soak 1 cup of cashews in hot water for 1 hour or in cold water overnight, rinse them and blend with 3/4 cup of filtered water until creamy.

**Only add if your icing is too thick after mixing really well and only add 1 teaspoon of hot water at a time.

-I made 5 different colours for my rainbow, so I used this recipe 5 times within separate bowls, the only variant was the food colour. I mixed everything using a spoon and got a beautiful thick glaze. 

-Once the cupcakes were completely cooled, I then poured a small spoonful at a time over each cupcake. Use the back of your spoon to glide the glaze over the top of the cupcake to cover it completely. Leave to set for 2-3 hours.

I also thought I’d post the step by step pictures of the sculpture incase it inspires you to make something similar with your kids. Lake had the time of her life helping me paint it and if she was a bit older, I would’ve had her manning the PVA and the glue gun too. 

A little bit excited over here, because while I continue to struggle with building a whole new website on my own, I'm pretty sure you'd agree that I have my priorities straight!...

The page with our available large and small whole cakes is now LIVE!

Not only that, but London delivery has just been confirmed and starts at only £4.50!

Check out this page for all the details: tanyasliving.com/collections

You already know that my cake isn't just ANY cake!

You do, don't you? :-P
 

It's Creamy, Delicious, Organic & made entirely from Plants. 

Cashews give it the creamy texture & because they've been activated (soaked), they are actually good for your gut. Plus since what holds it together is Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (or unrefined Cacao Butter), it makes Dessert good for your Digestion! 

There’s no gluten, dairy, preservatives or refined sugar inside & best of all- there’s no chemicals! Every seed and fruit used is Organic Certified, so it's even gentler on your body, making all the other nutrients & vitamins more readily available, energising & nourishing at the same time.

But you’ll never be able to tell any of that when indulging in the taste!

We have 2 sizes and 5 flavours available.

Pick up, take away, dine in or get it delivered within London, within one hour, any day of the week!


See this page with all the details: tanyasliving.com/collections/whole-large-raw-cheezecake

...and make someone's week already! 
...or their whole Birthday!
...or your own :)

Happy Monday!

xTanya

Hi my friends,

Whoa what a week it's been.

I don't remember the last time I felt this busy, excited, energised, exhausted, emotional, productive, behind, overwhelmed and calm all at the same time. Actually, I've never had a week this full on before.

To sum up just a portion of events that occurred in this short space of time, I had a birthday and my huge annual birthday sale which is always exciting and mega busy, my bestie threw us the most incredible and emotional gender reveal party (more on this next time), I took Tanya’s Cafe and book signing on the road for the first time ever, our dear friends and travel buddies got engaged, my first published book was officially released all over the UK, the massive competition with an insane amount of entries came to an end, prep for The Uncook Book launch was in full swing, followed by the exhilarating launch party itself and ending with travel outside of London for uncooking demonstrations and book signings.

Sounds super fun (and it really really was), but during all the celebrations, my inbox nearly exploded and I’m now weeks behind replying to everyone (if it’s you, now you know why, love you!), my sister’s flight was so delayed that she missed the gender reveal party which she was looking forward to since the moment she learned she was going to be an aunty, the wheels on my giant suitcase broke off on the way to the Birmingham demo which made the 30kg of equipment not only too heavy for helpful strangers to drag, but especially for me with a growing baby bump, which brought on a meltdown even I didn’t anticipate, and meanwhile ‘interesting’ events kept occurring at our cafes which needed my immediate attention.

The last thing I wanted to do is to write a post full of what sounds like complaints, but I hope you can see that I am just like everyone else 

I cry, I get tired, I experience stress, I forget to drink water, I worry, I think too much and I take off my cape when it needs a good clean.

Amazing how just one day, sometimes even one moment, can remind you that you do live the best life ever and that there’s nothing in the world which would have you trading it for another.

For me that moment was last Thursday…

The Uncook Book launch party with some of my favourite people in the world, at my very own happy place, with my dream publisher, blessing my pride and joy into the world, may have just topped all the best nights of all time!

Aaaand finding out that during the first week of its release, The Uncook Book has already gone into its SECOND printing. Just wow.

Thank you so so much, it's all because of YOU!

Here are some of the pictorial highlights from my best night ever...

The Uncook Book ready to party

Peanut Butter Cups from the Kid's Section (really, Adult's section, but it was going to sound strange if I had an 'Adult's Section' in the book)

Prep in full swing. Vodka Lavendade (less the vodka for a non-alcoholic version) and Pina Colada (scroll down for recipe), both from the Party Section

Here I am with my book baby and a 5 months baby bump

See? There really is a bump. I love it!

The adorable Hay House team, from left: Jo, Alexandra, Jessica, Julie (the incredible and talented editor), Karen and Ruth (the hard working cutie responsible for this awesome night). But where's Amy?

Here she is! My sweet editor Amy and her bright smile as always. Fab and Lauren in deep convo

No uncooking party without a cold-pressed organic green juice

And another super adorable Amy. I've come to a conclusion that the best and cutest humans are named Amy

Sister Party! From left: my soul sister (and the one responsible for introducing me to Hay House) Michelle, my sissy-in-law Saskia and my own sister-face Alissa

The stunning Nikki Salamony, PR for Tanya's Cafe

Serious chocolate talk with Kris from The Raw Chocolate Company and Richi Qi from The Wellbeing Now Conference

The always gorgeous Christy, American Girl in Chelsea

Food glorious raw food from various sections in the book

Alkalising Cucumber Rolls from the Party Section

My sis of Universe + Chorus , a Pina Colada (scroll down for recipe) and a summer roll

Luigi and my Goji Berry Trifles from the Party Section of the book

A few words turned into such a long gratitude list, you couldn't stop me talking

That little muffin inside was all blissed out and still with so much gratitude pouring though my body

The love squad. Thank you all so so much for your support

Happy times with the lovely Maxine there in the back ground and Bronwen from NZ Biz Women's Network here to support too

A tad proud of my cake, made using a combination of recipes from the book, especially having had my sister rolling the cute energy balls, my chef Eddie decorating the cake and Rebecca Campbell blessing it

The amazing Linda Barker of BBC's Changing Rooms

The Uncook Book launch

Blogger and co-creator of Plant-based Picnic, Natasha Lipman

The Uncook Book launch

My favourite human, personal recipe taster and loving husband, Elliot

And the prize for THE BEST goodie bag goes to... Can you believe how much goodness is in here? And all in support of the book launch! Thank you so much for such generous gifts: Superfoodies, Dr. Organic, Hay House UK, Neal's Yard Remedies, Udo's Choice, The Raw Chocolate Company, Planet Organic and Seasoul & Snow

And because I believe that every successful party post deserves a recipe, here is one you will LOVE...

It was a hit and a half at The Uncook Book launch (above), it's the first recipe of the Party Section in the book and it includes my favourite ingredient combination EVER. Introducing...

Pina Colada

(serves 1)

45ml (1.5fl oz) light rum

120g (4.25 oz) ripe pineapple, peeled and chopped, reserving leaves from the crown to garnish

90ml (3.25fl oz) fresh apple or pineapple juice (6 apples or 1 pineapple will usually produce enough juice for 4-6 servings)

2 tbsp coconut butter

2 tbsp manuka honey

handful of ice

-Blend all the ingredients, except the ice and garnish, in a blender until creamy, then add the ice and blend again.

-Pour into a chilled highball glass or a goblet, garnish with the pineapple leaves and serve with a pretty straw.