Easy Campervan Cake Baking Recipes and Ideas

5 Easy Campervan Cake Baking Recipes

Firstly- How do you bake in a Camper Van? 

If you have a built in oven in your van then the answer is easy-just like in a house! If like us- you chose not to, then there is a very simple and cheap solution- an Omnia Oven. Yes I know we bang on about these a lot, but honestly- you can cook virtually anything you would normally cook in an oven in them….even cakes! 

How to Bake a Cake in an Omnia Oven

It’s simple- you just put the cake mixture in the Omnia and then place on top of the hob. 

We just have 2 bits of advice for baking cakes in an omnia:

1.    Cook on a much lower flame than normal- otherwise your cake might get a burnt bum! 

2.    Use an Omnia silicone liner - It makes getting the cakes out much easier and are also much easier to clean. 

If you are looking to buy an Omnia Oven or any accessories then please take a look at our Omnia Oven UK Shop here. 

Our Top 5 Cakes Recipes Baked in the Van 

We thought we would share our top 5 cake recipes that have been simple and super tasty cooked in our campervan. As we are vegans they are vegan recipes but are easily made back into non-vegan if you prefer. We cook all ours with an Omnia but you could use a built in oven and just replace the omnia with a cake tin.

Here it goes: 

Carrot and Pecan Cake 

 Ingredients 

-      225ml vegetable oil 

-      200g plain flour

-      1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

-      275g light brown sugar (white also works)

-      3 tsp egg replacer

-      8 tbs water

-      2 tsp ground cinnamon 

-      250g grated carrots

-      100g pecans 

For the optional topping 

-      150g vegan cream cheese

-      75g caster sugar

-      50g vegan butter 

 Method

1.    Grate the carrots and chop the pecans into small pieces. Leave 5-6 whole for the topping

2.    Add the vegetable oil, flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, egg replacer, water and cinnamon to a bowl and mix.

3.    Add in the carrots and pecans

4.    Place in the omnia on a low flame for 50-60 minutes. 

5.    Meanwhile mix the cream cheese, sugar and butter in a bowl. Whisk until all the lumps have gone and leave somewhere cool (A fridge ideally) 

6.    Once the cake has cooked (use a skewer to see if it comes out clean) remove from the Omnia and allow to cool 

7. Once cooled spoon on the cream cheese and arrange whole pecans 

Coffee and Walnut Cake

Ingredients 

-      225g vegetable oil 

-      100g walnuts roughly chopped

-      125g dark brown sugar 

-      100g white sugar

-      1 tsp baking powder

-      225g plain flour

-      2 tbs instant espresso dissolved in 1 tbs boiling water

-      4 tsp egg replacer

-      10 tbs water 

For the icing:

-      250g icing sugar

-      100g vegan butter or margarine

-      1.5 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in boiling water

 Method

1.    Grease the Omnia or liner (advised) 

2.    Mix the walnuts, brown and white sugar, baking powder and plain flour in a mixing bowl 

3.    Preheat the Omnia on a low flame

4.    Make a well in the centre and add the vegetable oil, espresso, egg replacer and water and mix thoroughly until you have a smooth batter

5.    Add the mixture to the omnia/liner and bake for 60 minutes or when a skewer comes out clean 

6.    Leave to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the Omnia onto a plate or cake tin to cool fully

7.    Meanwhile to make the icing- beat the icing sugar and butter until light and fluffy then add the dissolved coffee whisk and keep somewhere cool until the cake is ready for it to be spread on top. 

Sticky Ginger Cake (Adapted from The Domestic Gothess recipe ) 

Ingredients 

-      225g plain flour

-      1 tsp baking powder

-      1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

-      2.5 tsp ground ginger

-      1 tsp mixed spice 

-      80g caster sugar

-      80ml sunflower oil 

-      100g golden syrup 

-      100g treacle 

-      180ml boiling water 

 Method

1.    Grease the omnia / liner (advised) and preheat the omnia on a low flame 

2.    Whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, mixed spice and caster sugar in a bowl 

3.    Add the golden syrup, treacle, sunflower oil and boiling water and whisk until smooth

4.    Pour the mixture into the Omnia / liner and bake for approx. 25 mins or until the skewer comes out clean

5. Leave to cool in the Omnia and then flip out into a tin or a plate 

Original recipe on The Domestic Gothess website. 

 

 

Cinnamon Buns (Adapted from The Van Taste recipe)

Ingredients 

-      350g plain flour

-      200ml soya milk

-      100g + 40g Margarine 

-      2 tbs + 1 tbs sugar 

-      1 tsp egg replacer

-      2 tbs water

-      1 tbs cinnamon

-      1 tbs dry yeast

-      Pinch of salt 

Method

1.    Grease the Omnia/liner in preparation

2.    Melt 40g butter in a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk to combine. Add the dry yeast and let it rise for 10 minutes

3.    After 10 minutes add the egg replacer, water, 2 tbsp of sugar and salt and mix 

4.    Add the flour slowly and knead the dough until it becomes soft. Let it rise for 1 hour in a warm place (In the van we cover the bowl with a tea towel and place in from of the heater vent to help it rise!)

5.    Once risen, flour a worksurface and roll out the dough to a rectangular shape with an approx. thickness of 2cm. 

6.    Mix 100g warm butter with 1 tbs of sugar and the cinnamon and spread onto the dough. 

7.    Roll the dough into 1 long roll and cut into 3cm thick slices. 

8.    Place the slices next to each other in the Omnia and bake for 25 minutes on a low flame. 

Original recipe on The Van Taste website.

Golden Syrup Cake

Ingredients 

-      150g margarine 

-      64g caster sugar

-      380g plain flour

-      2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

-      Pinch of salt

-      2 tsp baking powder

-      600ml of golden syrup 

-      450ml boiling water 

Method

1.    Grease the Omnia / liner (recommended) 

2.    Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth (The mixture will be quite runny)

3.    Add the mixture to the Omnia/liner on a low flame for 40-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean

4.    Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes then flip onto a bowl or cake tin

5.    Drizzle with extra golden syrup and enjoy! 

We use products from The Vegan Kind who have a subscription service and online vegan supermarket with a fantastic selection of vegan products. Click their logo below to have a browse of their products:

If you have any questions following reading this blog or any general van life questions then please do contact us-  we are always happy to help. Please do also feel free to leave us a comment below.