Easy vegan chocolate cake
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Easy vegan chocolate cake

By Jane Hornby

This indulgent, fudgy vegan bake is topped with a rich frosting – you'd never guess that it's free from dairy, eggs, wheat and nuts

  • Prep:30 mins
    Cook:25 mins
    plus cooling
  • Serves 16
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 452
  • fat 24g
  • saturates 6g
  • carbs 53g
  • sugars 34g
  • fibre 3g
  • protein 4g
  • salt 0.9g

Ingredients

  • a little a little dairy-free sunflower spread, for greasing
  • 1 large, ripe avocado (about 150g)
  • 300g light muscovado sugar
  • 350g gluten-free plain flour
  • 50g good quality cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 400ml unsweetened soya milk
  • 150ml vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 85g ripe avocados flesh, mashed
  • 85g dairy-free sunflower spreads
  • 200g dairy-free chocolate, 70% cocoa, broken into chunks
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • 125ml unsweetened soya milk
  • 200g icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • gluten-free and vegan sprinkles, to decorate

Tip

Working quickly

You need to spread the frosting quite soon after it’s made, as it thickens quickly. If it does thicken, just warm the bowl over a pan of hot water, or give it a few seconds in the microwave, paddling the mixture around with a spatula until it’s smooth and shiny.

Method

  1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins, then line the bases with baking parchment. Put the avocado and the sugar in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Add the rest of the cake ingredients to the bowl with 1/2 tsp fine salt and process again to a velvety, liquid batter. Divide between the tins and bake for 25 mins or until fully risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.

  2. Cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. While you wait, start preparing the frosting. Beat together the avocado and sunflower spread with electric beaters until creamy and smooth. Pass through a sieve and set aside.

  3. Melt the chocolate, either over a bowl of water or in the microwave, then let it cool for a few mins. Sift the cocoa into a large bowl. Bring the soya milk to a simmer, then gradually beat into the cocoa until smooth. Cool for a few mins. Tip in the avocado mix, icing sugar, melted chocolate and vanilla, and keep mixing to make a shiny, thick frosting. Use this to sandwich and top the cake. Cover with sprinkles or your own decoration, then leave to set for 10 mins before slicing. Can be made 2 days ahead.

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