Toronto’s Fifth Annual Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake Off

This weekend was the “Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake Off” and I think it was probably the best one yet.  Really organized, great treats, and an accessible indoor venue. I’ve been to three of the bake off’s (For a trip down memory lane: 3rd Annual Vegan Bake Off, 4th Annual Vegan Bake Off) and while I’ll never forget my first, I can see all the improvements from feedback from previous years.

I know the 6th annual bake off will be even better and I can’t wait.

This year’s Bake Off happened at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Center (though if you lived here, you’d probably just call it the JCC) 750 Spadina Ave, Toronto and at 2 pm things really got started. Over 47 amateur, professional, and professional amateur vegan bakers or bakeries put in hours and hours into preparing mini versions of their specialties.

I had a slightly different experience from the previous years, since as per my 101 in 1001 days food goals, I entered the Vegan Bake Off this year. So in addition to coming to the bake off to eat several plates of delicious mini vegan treats, I also got to feel the intense bake off pressure, and then later taste that sharp flavour of defeat (not really, but I’ll admit it, kind of.)

It was actually a lot of fun making 100 cannoli, in a zen kind of mindless repetitive task kind of way, but I don’t think I’ll ever do something like that again. At least not tiny unwieldy cannoli.

The menu was pretty impressive (but it is every year), both visually, and with all the creative titles. If you missed it, or you want to relive the event, brace yourselves, there are a lot of pictures behind the cut.

Winners are in Bold and have an Asterix(*) beside them.

Decadent Raw Desserts (I didn’t try this one)

1. Raw Blueberry Vegan ‘Cheese’ Cake with Crumb Topping
2. Zesty Sexy Key Lime Pies

3. Raw Banana Cream Pie
4. Fruit Sushi (I really loved the presentation on this one)

5. Tijana’s Tropical Treat *

Delicious Donuts and Pastries

6. Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles

7. Lemon Donuts by Je Suis Alimentageuse (recipe here)

8. Marvelous Mini Baked Donuts*

9. Once Upon a Cannoli

10. Blue & White Maple Zigbit (Zigomini’s)

Glorious Gluten-Free Sweets

11. BanNChocNut
12. The Break-up Cookie
13. Choco-pb Pan-wich
14. Attack of the killer brownie!

15. One Drop Macaroons (Also Won Best In Show – Non-Professional)*

Professionally Crafted Vegan Classics

16. Nutty Monkey Tart by Michelle Gatien

17. PinkHart Diner’s Barking Mad (won a special “thinking outside the box” award)

18. Snickerdoodle darlings from Sweets by Ally

19. Apiecalypse Now’s Black Magic Squares * (Won Best In Show – Professional)

20. the lovemuffin bakery’s Banana Carob Chip Bread

Professionally Crafted Gluten-Free Goodies

22. Caramel Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake by Bunners

23. Apiecalypse Now’s Dark Chocolate & Mint Marshmallow

24. Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Tower by the Saucy Baker – Katie Brock*

25. CrudaCafe’s Love Me Forever Tart

26. PinkHart Diner’s Heavenly Bites

27. Maple Ba”con” Donut by Tori’s Bakeshop

Blissful Brownies and Bars

28. Mr. Beetiful Caramelo Brownie
29. Espresso Brownie
30. Choco Coco Deluxe Bar

31. Dashing Dans Peanut Butter Dream *

32. Salted Caramel Brownie

Charming Vegan Cookies

33. Not For Diets Florentine

34. ooey gooey coconut chocolate chip cookies

35. Chocolate chip peanut butter cup extravaganza! *

36. Orange Chocolate Biscotti

37. Choco-Cherry Clouds

Clever Cakes and Cupcakes

38. Nutty Monkey Cupcake

39. The Triple Whammy

40. “How Do You Milk Almonds Anyways?” Hot Milk Cake

41. Volcano Cupcakes

42. Tropical Coquito Pineapple Paradise (Also Won Best Presentation)*

Perfect Pies and Squares

43. Heavenly Strawberry Tofutti-cake Crumble
44. Oh My! Brownie Pumpkin Pie!

45. Walnut Cream Tart-feasor

46. Lemon Raspberry Bars
47. Ginger-Mango Tango Tarts

I am missing a few pictures, but you can also check out the collection of photos over at the Vegan BakeOff Flickr group for the event as well (there are some really great pictures from LOFPhotography.)

There were definitely some surprise winners this year, and some interesting overlaps with previous years, I enjoyed everything on our plates this year, but I think the one thing that really blew my mind was the Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Tower from Katie Brock. Amazing.

On a more serious note, while I felt it was a nice event, but did find it unfortunate that people don’t seem to get what vegan means, at least from it’s original ethical origins. Even those that should actively know better. I got called out for this opinion on twitter, but  There were quite a few people with fur trim on their jackets at the event it was genuinely surprising. While I know not everyone in the world is vegan, be it for ethical reasons, or otherwise, I’m always surprised when fur is still a thing. It feels like it was passe in the early 90’s but yet, here we go again. Please visit Fur Trim is Trap for more information.

Until next year, keep baking, and have fun!