Settling into June and now coming dangerously close to summer, we’re in for quite a few beautiful days in the next couple of months, so it’s time to prepare for one of my favorite warm weather past times: Picnics! My article on sweet picnic ideas will be appearing in the July/August issue of VegNews, so short of spoiling the whole piece, I thought I’d give you one little taste of it. You may have already seen it in the VegNews Recipe Club Newsletter if you’re a subscriber, but if not, I would hate for anyone to miss out on this dessert that’s ideal for outdoor dining.

Although I’m not normally a fan of sheet cakes, I’ll make an exception for this one. Bursting with fresh berries and citrus, it packs a serious punch of flavor that can stand up to any amount of heat, be it from the sun or a spicy meal. It’s perfect for a picnic because after baking, you can just leave it in the pan to cool, cover it with plastic wrap, and bring the whole thing with you, no muss, no fuss. Big enough to feed a crowd, there would be plenty to go around for a potluck party, too.

Raspberry Lime Sheet Cake

3/4 Cup Plain Soymilk
Zest of 2 Key Limes
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
1/4 Cup Vegan “Sour Cream,” or Pureed Silken Tofu
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Fresh Raspberries

Lime Icing:

1 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1 – 3 Tablespoons Lime Juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Combine the soymilk, lime zest, and juice together in a medium bowl and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes before proceeding to allow it to curdle slightly.Add in the oil, “sour cream” or tofu puree, and vanilla, and whisk thoroughly until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt so that all of the ingredients are well-distributed. Add in the raspberries, and toss them briefly to coat them with flour so that they don’t sink to the bottom of the cake. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix just until mostly incorporated- A few lumps are just fine here.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for 28 – 36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, simply whisk the confectioner’s sugar and lime juice together, adding in juice 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Drizzle over the cake and serve.

Makes 12 – 16 servings

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