Vegan bakes that travel well
By Hannah
My first market stall had a beautiful layered cake with whipped cream on the top. By 11am, in the June sun, it had collapsed. The lesson stayed with me: a good market bake has to look good at 3pm as well as at 9am.
Bakes that hold up
- Brownies and blondies: sturdy, easy to cut and wrap, and always popular.
- Loaf cakes: banana bread, lemon drizzle, carrot and walnut. They slice cleanly and keep for days.
- Flapjacks and traybakes: easy to portion and transport.
- Cookies: stack them in bags of three or four.
- Scones: best sold the same day, with jam in small pots.
Bakes to avoid in summer
Anything with whipped toppings, soft buttercream or chilled fillings struggles outdoors. Save cheesecakes and cream cakes for indoor winter markets, or bring a cool box and keep only a few on display.
The swaps that work
Butter: plant-based block butters behave much like dairy butter in baking. Spreads contain more water and give softer results.
Eggs: in cakes, a mix of plant milk and a little vinegar with baking powder does most of the work. Ground flaxseed mixed with water binds cookies and loaf cakes. Aquafaba, the liquid from a tin of chickpeas, whips like egg whites for meringues.
Milk: soya and oat milks are the most reliable for baking.
Packing and transport
- Bake the day before for loaf cakes, the same morning for scones.
- Use flat, stackable tins and keep them level in the car.
- Bring a cake knife, a board, gloves and spare labels.
Labels
If you sell, every pre-packed bake needs an ingredients list with allergens in bold. Our guide to selling at a vegan market covers the rules in more detail.
