For this recipe you will need a 7” non-stick loose bottomed deep cake tin. We made a fudge style filling and a separate chocolate frosting to cover our cake, however if you prefer you can just make the frosting and use some of this to fill the cake too.
Express vegan chocolate cake
Serves 6
250g plain flour
50g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
160ml plant based/nut milk
2 tsp cider vinegar
150g raw/coconut/vegan sugar of choice
2 tsp instant coffee
100ml vegetable oil
Zest of 1 orange, optional
Fudge Style Filling
250ml coconut cream
250g vegan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
Frosting
200g vegan butter, softened
200g icing sugar
50g cocoa powder
To prepare your tin, brush the base and sides sparingly with vegetable oil. Cut a circle of baking parchment to line the base of the tin and a longer strip of parchment to line the sides. As this cake is fudgy and moist you want to ensure it doesn’t stick once it’s cooked.
Also prepare a foil sling to easily remove the hot cake from the pot. Tear 2 larger pieces of foil approx. 60cm and fold lengthways to make 2 thinner strips.
Pour 2 cups of water into the base of the inner bowl and fit the trivet. Place the foil strips across the trivet at diagonals allowing the foil to run up the sides of the bowl.
Sieve the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
Into a separate suitable mixing bowl, add the milk and mix in the cider vinegar, don’t be alarmed if this begins to curdle.
Add the sugar and instant coffee and using a hand whisk, begin to mix together so that the sugar and the coffee both dissolve.
Pour in the vegetable oil and whisk for approx. 1 minute until fully combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl, adding in the zest of orange and whisk until smooth, do not overmix.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface, cover loosely with a circle of foil to prevent any moisture seeping onto the cake.
Secure the lid and cook on the Dessert setting, high pressure for 35 minutes.
Once the time has elapsed turn the unit off and allow NPR (natural pressure release).
Carefully remove the cake from the inner bowl by gathering the foil sling around the tin and lifting out.
Place onto a wire rack and allow to cool. After 5-10 minutes remove from the tin and set aside until cold.
Filling - Place the coconut cream into a microwave suitable mixing bowl, or alternatively you can use a pan on your hob.
Heat the cream until piping hot, remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and the topping has thickened.
Set aside to cool.
Slice the chocolate cake horizontally through the middle and sandwich both halves together with a generous amount of the chocolate filling.
Frosting – Place the softened butter into a suitable mixing bowl, whisk until creamy, add the icing sugar and cocoa and whisk slowly to incorporate, mix well for a smooth consistency.
Frost the top and sides of the cake, decorate with berries and mint sprigs.
Recipe courtesy of Crockpot.