Whilst it is important to look after our planet every day of the year, Earth Day is dedicated to raising awareness for global environmental issues with the aim of inspiring continuous action throughout the year. There are so many ways in which we as individuals can live greener, from recycling and using reusable products, to reducing our plastic use and opting to follow a plant-based vegan diet.
This Earth Day, Joe Gailani, COO BONRAW is providing you his top tips on making your baking more planet-friendly! During B-Corp month, we shared our favourite B-Corp brands for cake making (link), so now it’s Earth Day let’s use those ingredients to make an environmentally friendly Earth Day bake.
1. Minimise your waste
Minimising your waste decreases water toxicity by 6%-28%[i], it has such a big impact and it’s very easy to do.
Banana bread is a great example of this, instead of throwing out your black bananas, make them into a moist sponge. That tin of pineapples that’s been sitting in your pantry can be transformed into a stunning Hummingbird cake. The options are plentiful and tasty!
2. Make Whole Cakes
Whole cakes have the lowest environmental impact among all cake categories. The categories included cake slices, pies, cupcakes, and cheesecakes.
Cheesecakes have the biggest environmental impact, ranking highest for primary energy demand and water footprint in particular. This has a lot to do with its raw ingredients butter, milk powder, and soft cheese. These are extremely energy-demanding raw ingredients.
Whole cakes ranked the lowest in 13 out of 18 categories that measured their environmental impact.[ii]
When making whole cakes, minimise your waste by storing it in a lidded reusable glass container, so you can ensure your cake stays fresh and that every crumb gets eaten up.
3. Make your cake plant-based
As mentioned, raw ingredients such as butter, milk powder, and soft cheese have a high environmental impact. These ingredients contribute to the polluting of land, air, and water through both free-range and confined-cattle operations.[iii]
It’s very easy to make your cake plant based as there are many dairy alternatives available. Butter can be replaced with olive or coconut oil. Eggs can be switched out for aquafaba (the liquid chickpeas sit-in), and our options for plant-based milk are getting wider and wider.
By sticking to your standard eggs, milk, and butter you’re missing out on new taste experiences. Be more experimental with your baking and go plant based.
Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on indulging in chocolate, instead, we recommend Raw Halo for all your chocolate needs. They’re organic, vegan, and delicious!
4. Go-local
You may have only driven (or cycled – extra brownie points if you cycled) to your local supermarket, but you’d be impressed by how far your groceries travelled to get to you.
Sourcing locally milled flour or locally grown fruits will decrease the carbon impact of your cakes, as fewer greenhouse gases will be released during their transportation. Reducing the amount of energy used in the manufacturing of cakes would lower impacts by 9%-23%[iv], so supporting local will not only cultivate your community but will also lower the environmental impact of your baking.
5. Sugar Swaps for Good-Change
We’ve discussed some of the raw materials that have a high environmental impact, among them, we also have wheat flour, palm oil, and sugar.
Wheat flour can easily be swapped for oat flour. It’s almost identical in nutritional profile and it’s high in soluble fibre.
Sugar… now that’s where our expertise kicks in. Around the world, our trusted organic farmers and co-ops used age-old rituals and sustainable farming to protect the earth as well as the finest taste experiences. Naturally sourced with minimal processing and sustainable for your baking, we recommend you use our Organic Coconut Blossom Sugar for your whole cakes. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the World Bank has recognised coconut trees as one of the world's most sustainable sources of sweeteners. 50-70% more sugar per acre can be produced from the coconut tree than from sugar cane and the coconut tree uses less than 20% of the nutrients in the soil. Not only is it sustainable but it is packed with aromatic, rich flavour for your bakes.
If you want to cut your cake’s sugar content completely then our sugar-free natural sweeteners are the best option for your baking. Silver Birch Caster and Silver Birch Icing were developed specifically for your sugar-free baking needs.
6. It is not about looks!
To all the people who say that their bakes didn’t quite make the cut!... I raise you my beautifully imperfect chocolate sponge layer cake with a whole lot of figs, berries and whatever else I could find. It was crafted with lots scraps in the fridge and a whole lot of love. Is it instagrammable hell YES!
7. Get Outside
Lay down a picnic blanket, gather your close ones, and enjoy your delicious bake while admiring the scenery that Mother Nature is presenting to you.
Even if you don’t have time to bake this Earth Day, take some time to reconnect with nature and appreciate how truly lucky we are to live on this abundant and precious Earth.
Happy Earth Day!
With Love, Joe Gailani, COO.
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