Are eggs really needed in baking?

Can you make a cake without eggs? What do eggs actually do in baking? And do we need to use them at all?

Here's my original post: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbYJBodsa3a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

“Eggs in baking. Are they really needed?  And what can you swap them for?  Welcome back to my Wednesday thoughts!

I often get asked, "What substitute do you use for eggs in your recipes?" But the answer isn't really a simple one because, honestly I usually don't!

There's no one-size-fits-all substitute for eggs in baking because it all depends on why the eggs were in the original recipe.  Are they there as a binder?  To add moisture?  For structure?  Or to help with leavening?  Knowing what role the egg is playing makes a huge difference to what, if anything, you should replace it with.

My recipes are created to be vegan from the very beginning, so there aren't any obvious 1:1 egg substitutes.  My cookie recipes have the perfect fat-to-flour ratio, so an egg replacer simply isn't needed, and my cake recipes are built around a plant-based buttermilk base, so there's no need to add extra ingredients.

That's one of the biggest misconceptions about vegan baking.  People often think you have to swap every egg for a replacement, but that's not how recipe development works.  If a recipe is designed to be vegan from the start, every ingredient has a purpose and works together to create the right texture, rise and flavour.  Baking is science!

Of course, there are times when an egg substitute is the right choice, especially if you're adapting a non vegan recipe.  But if you're following a tried-and-tested vegan recipe, trust the process!  You might be surprised by how often you don't need an egg replacement at all.

I'd love to know, what's your go-to egg substitute when you're baking?  Or have you discovered that vegan recipes don’t really need one?“