86. Vegan Baking with The Great British Bake Off’s First Vegan Contestant, Freya Cox

Plant-Powered People Podcast

Freya Cox was the first vegan contestant on The Great British Bake Off, showing the world that vegan baking can be as good—and even better—than baked goods made with animal products. On this episode, she shares the details of her new book Simply Vegan Baking, and she dishes out lots of plant-based baking tips for fellow home bakers!

Show Notes:

• How Freya became a vegan baker
• The meal that got Freya to go vegan
• Freya’s impulsive application to The Great British Bake Off
• Freya’s tips for vegan bakers who want to be on the show
• How Freya prepared for the show while balancing work, school, and taking care of her animals
• How Freya’s vegan morals prevailed even when baking challenges would have been easier made non-vegan
• How Freya’s experience on the show influenced her career and ignited the drive to write her cookbook
• The recipe that took Freya the most tries to make into a vegan replica
• Freya’s favorite vegan baked good recipe from her cookbook and the show
• The impact that Freya had on others on The Great British Bake Off
• A peek behind the scenes of the show
• Freya’s biggest struggles with vegan baking both at home and on the show
• The practical tips for common vegan baking substitutes like aquafaba, cream or tartar, and more
• The secret to making amazing vegan meringue
• Why egg replacements rarely work the same as eggs and what to do about it
• What you need to look for in vegan butter
• Why Freya always uses soy milk as plant-based milk in cakes
• How to pick the right plant-based milk for your recipe
• Tips for using agar-agar as a vegan gelatin substitute
• What’s next for Freya’s vegan baking career
• Thank you to our sponsor Caraway Home (check out their cyber season event)

Resources:

• Freya’s book Simply Vegan Baking
• Freya’s Instagram