No eggs? No problem

Swapping in one ingredient for another can not only save your cake mixture, it can also reduce waste, write the good folks at Love Food Hate Waste.

We love using bananas and apples in creative ways but did you know they can also be used as baking substitutes in place of eggs, butter, and yoghurt?

This is especially handy if you often find partly eaten apples coming home inside lunch boxes. Chop them up and place in freezer bags until you have enough, then cook them up to make apple sauce. Stored in a container, it will last up to three days in the fridge or longer in the freezer. Use ¼ cup as a substitute for 1 egg, or ½ cup of apple sauce instead of 1 cup of butter, and swap equal amounts for yoghurt. If it’s brown bananas you’re dealing with, half a large banana can be used instead of 1 egg, or 1 cup of mashed banana substituted for 1 cup of butter or yoghurt. Note that using ingredient substitutes may affect the texture and flavour.

Here are more ideas for egg, butter, and yoghurt substitutes:

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF EGGS?

 - To replace one egg, you can use:

 - Mayonnaise — use 2 or 3 tablespoons.

 - 1 teaspoon of baking soda plus 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.

 - Ground flaxseed — mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of cold water, stir then leave to stand for 10 minutes to thicken.

 - Whole chia seeds — mix 1 tablespoon of whole chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of cold water, stir, then leave to stand for 10 minutes to thicken.

 - Silken tofu — use ¼ cup of silken tofu, blended.

 - Aquafaba, chickpea brine — use 2 tablespoons of aquafaba instead of 1 egg white or 3 tablespoons for 1 whole egg.

 - For glazing, in place of an egg wash, milk also works or heated apricot jam brushed over the cooked bread or pastry.

 - For breading, a mix of cornstarch or cornflour and water can work before coating with breadcrumbs.

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF BUTTER?

Here is a general guide for the ratio of butter : substitute.

 - Avocado 1:1

 - Coconut oil 1:1

 - Pumpkin puree 1:¾ (Pureed squash, butternut, and sometimes kumara can also be used)

 - Olive and vegetable oil 1:¾

 - Applesauce 1:½

 - Nut butters 1:1 (but use half nut butter and half oil)

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF YOGHURT?

Sour cream, silken tofu, coconut yoghurt or cream/milk all make great substitutes for yoghurt and work using a 1:1 ratio!

Chocolate mayonnaise cake

Want to try out a classic dessert using an ingredient substitute? Give this decadent chocolate cake, which uses mayonnaise instead of egg, a go! We’d love to see it if you do, tag us @lovefoodhatewastenz on your Instagram post or send us a message on Facebook. Visit our website, www.lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz for more ideas and recipes!

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking soda

½ cup cocoa powder

1 cup water or cooled black coffee

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Heat oven to 175degC or 155degC fan bake. Prepare a 20cm cake tin or baking dish by greasing it or lining with baking paper.

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, mix using a whisk then make a well in the centre.

Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin. Cool completely if icing.

Tips:

 - Ice with you favourite icing or glaze.

 - Bake into two tins to shorten the cooking time to about 25-30 minutes.

 - Turn into cupcakes by baking in muffin or cupcake pans — bake for about 15 minutes.