Eggs are used to bind a dish and, when whipped incorporate air, making a cake or pudding very light
Vegan egg replacement powders are available from health food shops. These can be useful, especially for foods like meringues. Many recipes can be adapted using one of the suggestions below. Just remember to bear in mind what the final dish is, ie is it sweet or savoury and add an appropriate substitute
Replacement for one egg:
• 1 tbsp soya flour and 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp arrowroot, 1 tbsp soya flour and 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp flour, ½ tbsp shortening, ½ tsp baking powder and 2 tsp water
• 50g tofu blended with the liquid portion of the recipe
• ½ large banana, mashed
• 50 ml white sauce
Alternative raising agents:
• self-raising flour
• add extra oil and raising agent – for example baking powder
• use about 2 heaped tsp baking powder per cake
• instead of baking powder, use ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 dessertspoon cider vinegar – good for chocolate cakes
• sift the flour and other dry ingredients, then gently fold into the liquid to trap air
Alternative binding agents:
• soy milk
• mashed banana
• plain silken tofu
• soya cream
• sweet white sauce (soya milk, Vegan margarine, sugar and cornflour)
• agar-agar – vegetarian alternative to gelatine