Chocolate cake
A chocolate cake that requires no eggs, no dairy, and absolutely zero apologies. This decadent, rich beauty will make you the star of any birthday party or Tuesday night couch session.
ingredients
For the cake
140 g of wheat flour — or sifted wheat flour, if you want a slightly lighter crumb.
60 g of cocoa powder
2 ½ tsp of baking powder
¼ tsp of salt
240 ml of soy milk
200 g of sugar
80 ml of vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp of vanilla extract — if you're a vanilla-type-of-person, add to your liking. We won't judge.
Mulberry jam (optional) — for a sweet, fruity filling.
For the icing
80 ml of soy milk
125 g of dark chocolate — not all dark chocolate is vegan. Milk often gets slipped in, so make sure to check the label.
PREPARATION
THE CAKE
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Grab a 22 cm springform pan and grease it up with oil or vegan margarine. Greasy is good. Greasy will make your cake come out easily and in one piece.
In a bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
Grab another large bowl (nobody said we would go easy on the dishes) and thoroughly whisk the soy milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla together.
Sift half of your dry mixture into the wet mixture and give it a good stir. Now sift the second half in and stir until a thin batter forms. A few small lumps are not a problem—we are making a cake, not mixing concrete.
Pour the batter into your lined baking tin and place it in the oven.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the thin layer of cake is cooked.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before carefully removing it from the tin. Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to baked goods.
If you want to fill the cake, carefully cut it in half horizontally into two layers. Spread your mulberry jam on the bottom layer and place the top layer back on top.
THE GLAZE
Heat the 80 ml of soy milk in a small saucepan.
Turn the heat down low and add the dark chocolate.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir with a fork until the chocolate has melted and dissolved.
Let the mixture cool and set for 15 to 20 minutes. While you wait, you can finally tackle those two mixing bowls you used earlier.
Pour the semi-set glaze over the cake and spread it out gracefully with the back of a spoon.
Place the cake in a cool place (or the refrigerator) so the frosting can set further.
Cut the cake into thick slices and serve with fresh fruit and/or a generous dollop of plant-based whipped cream. Devour!