A vegan chocolate cake that is utterly delicious and beautiful to look at. I feel this is going to be a very popular recipe!
Vegan Chocolate Cake
100g/3 1/2 oz Lucy Bee coconut oil, melted plus extra for greasing.
200g/1 1/2 cups gluten-free plain
(all-purpose) flour
100g/1/2 cup coconut sugar
85g/2/3 cup Lucy Bee cacao powder
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 bananas
1 apple, peeled and cored
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g/7 oz coconut yoghurt, or vegan yoghurt of your choice
220ml/scant 1 cup hot water from the kettle
FOR THE FILLING AND TOPPING
320ml/1 1/4 cups coconut cream
(thick coconut milk), refrigerated
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp icing (confectioners') sugar, plus extra for dusting
200g/1 1/2 cups blackberries, strawberries and raspberries, or other berries of your choice.
SERVES 10
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Grease and line two 20cm/8 in cake tins.
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a food processor, purée the bananas and apple together until smooth then transfer to a second bowl. Add the melted coconut oil, vanilla and yoghurt to the purée. Mix together, add to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Slowly add the hot water, while stirring the mixture. Once combined, pour into the prepared tins and bake for 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of one comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the filling and topping, put the coconut cream into a bowl with the vanilla and icing (confectioners') sugar and, using an electric hand-held mixer, whip until combined. Store in the fridge until the cake is completely cool.
Smooth half the coconut cream over one cake, top with half the berries and place the second cake on top. Spread the remaining coconut cream on top and add the remaining berries. Finally, sift a light dusting of icing sugar over the top and serve.