As long as you are not burning an animal or animal product to bake, it is very much Vegan :-)
Extacts are vegan. Many vegan baking recipes call for extract.
Yes, leavening is typically vegan as it consists of ingredients like yeast, baking powder, or baking soda that do not contain animal products.
A suitable aquafaba substitute for vegan baking recipes is whipped chickpea brine or whipped flaxseed gel.
A suitable substitute for aquafaba in vegan baking recipes is whipped chickpea brine or a mixture of water and flaxseed meal.
Agar agar can be used in vegan cooking and baking as a gelatin substitute. It can be used to make vegan jellies, custards, puddings, and even vegan cheese. Agar agar can also be used to thicken sauces and soups, and to create vegan marshmallows and gummy candies.
There is as wide a variety of vegan desserts as non-vegan desserts. I do a fair amount of vegan baking and there are great vegan baking books. Essentially you have to replace the milk, eggs and butter with vegan counterparts which is not hard to do with all the great products available these days. If you don't already have favorite recipes try some that are already created for (and tested for) vegans. The book "The Joy of Vegan Baking" is great. We use Earth Balance butter substitute at my house, EnerG egg replacer and different non dairy milks (soy, almond, coconut) depending on what dessert it is. Good luck from Bunni Dot Com
There are many vegan meat substitutes available, good for people transitioning to a vegan diet. Also there are dairy and egg substitutes for baking.
A good vegan baking egg substitute to use in recipes is a flaxseed or chia seed mixture. Simply mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg in baking recipes.
Some vegan alternatives to traditional lard in cooking and baking include coconut oil, vegetable shortening, and plant-based margarine. These options can be used in similar ways to lard in recipes to achieve similar results.
It might be that you attempted to make vegan cupcakes from a regular mix or recipe calling for eggs. The eggs provide leavening (rise) and structure to the batter as it bakes. To make vegan cupcakes you would need some other ingredient to replace the eggs. Some vegan recipes use additional oil to replace the fat in the egg yolks, along with cider vinegar and both baking powder and baking soda to provide leavening. See link below for some examples.
Yes, Baker's unsweetened baking chocolate squares are considered vegan, as they are made from pure cocoa mass without any added dairy or animal-derived ingredients. However, it's always a good idea to check the packaging for any potential cross-contamination or changes in formulation.
You can use chickpea liquid, known as aquafaba, as a vegan egg substitute in baking by whipping it until it forms stiff peaks, similar to egg whites. This can be used in recipes like meringues, macarons, and cakes to provide structure and moisture without using eggs.