Angelica's Clean Vegan Mini Cakes 

This dish is a win, not just for vegans but for all who want to be healthy yet carry the burden of a sweet tooth. I happened upon Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Angelica, the creator of Vegan Clean Sweets as she was sampling with Erin Inglish at Caliwala (see this week's Flavor feature story). Of the flavors she was sampling, I was drawn to the soft pink mini cake, which Angelica told me was called Clean Strawberries and Cream. The texture and flavor were unlike any cake I had ever had: fluffy and packed with sweet berries. And it is indeed clean, as it's made from coconut and chickpea flours. Her plant-based mini cakes are layered with nuance. We health-conscious folks too often deal with alternative foods that taste like the bottom of a boot from a bus depot in Bakersfield. But those days are over—our very own chef Angelica has made mini cakes that break the stigma of healthy treats. More good news: Chef Angelica does recipe and menu development, catering, and meal plans.

Find Angelica's Vegan Clean Strawberries and Cream Mini Cakes and other fun flavors for $4.25 at Soto's True Earth Market at 2244 Main St. in Cambria. Check out chef Angelica's food portfolio on Instagram.com/PlantBasedConsciousCulinary; call (678) 512-9024 to reach her. Δ

Flavor writer Beth Giuffre is done with eating Bakersfield boot bottoms. Send your favorite fruit leather to [email protected].