This thrifty banana chocolate vegan honey cake is not only delicious, but it can be cut into eight generous slices. It’s really easy to make and it’s nice and sticky too.
Did you ever think it was possible to make a decent sized chocolate cake for a £1? I certainly didn’t. Not, that is, until I set myself the challenge of doing so.
Live Below The Line
As many of you will know some intrepid people are taking part in the Live Below the Line challenge this week. This is a campaign to raise both awareness and money for the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty around the world. Yes, some people live on £1 a day, or even less.
We are so lucky living in one of the richest countries of the world. Even though we moan about the cost of food and some families have been struggling in the current recession, it is as nothing compared to those who genuinely have little, or even no, food, fuel or home and certainly no welfare state to look after them.
Participants have been challenged to spend only £1 per person per day on food and drink for five days and raise funds whilst they are doing so. Vanesther of Bangers & Mash is putting her family through its paces and taking part this year as is Michelle of Utterly Scrummy.
Ceri of Natural Kitchen Adventures too the challenge earlier last month to help promote the cause. Hats off to them. Well if they can live off £1 for a whole day, surely I can have a go at making a cake for £1.
Chocolate Cake for a £1 Challenge
A few months ago Froogs of Frugal Queen challenged me to make a cake for £1. A chocolate cake for a £1? Really? I thought not, so let it sit on the back burner – until now.
So, I’m challenging you all for this month’s We Should Cocoa to try making a chocolate cake for £1 (or equivalent currency). I didn’t think it was even possible, so I will be particularly interested to find out how you fare.
Please make your best effort and if it can’t be managed, then let us know how much over £1 it cost. I know you are an inventive lot, so I’m pretty sure some of you will work wonders. I leave you to interpret the £1 as you will, but I’m thinking cost of ingredients rather than oven time.
Good luck and I look forward to seeing what you all come up with.
£1 Banana Chocolate Vegan Honey Cake
To get you all in the mood, this £1 banana chocolate vegan honey cake was the first of two I made for this challenge. The second one was this malted hot chocolate cake. I surprised myself hugely and managed to get them both within budget.
Granted, it’s not a rich chocolate cake, but it is the sort of chocolate cake that kids, as well as adults, will enjoy. It reminds me of a banana version of sticky gingerbread. It’s really good.
As the cake has a lovely sticky texture, it stands up well on it’s own. It doesn’t really need any adornment, but you could dust it with cocoa powder if you like. Although it’s meant to be a frugal cake, I have been known to serve it with whipped cream and homegrown strawberries.
Thrifty Vegan Chocolate Cake: Step-by-Step
This banana chocolate vegan honey cake is really easy to make and it takes very little time too. The recipe makes an eight inch (twenty centimetres) round cake and it serves eight people.
1. Mash the banana
Use a fork to mash the banana in a bowl along with the sugar. Add the dandelion honey, vinegar and oil and stir well until combined.
2. Sift the flour
Sift all of the dry ingredients, including the cocoa powder, into a large bowl.
3. Combine the two
Make a well in the flour and pour the banana mixture into the middle. Using the same fork, or a wooden spoon, mix gently from the inside out until everything is just combined.
4. Add water
Pour in the water and stir gently until just combined.
5. Pour into baking tin
Scrape the mixture into an eight inch (twenty centimetre) round silicone mould or lined cake tin. Gently tap the tin on a hard surface to remove any air bubbles.
6. Bake the cake
Bake the cake in the centre of a preheated oven. It will take around forty minutes to bake, but it’s a good idea to check it after thirty five minutes. If the cake is set and the top firm to the touch, it’s ready to come out.
Leave in the tin for ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
What To Use Instead
In fact, I was so impressed with this vegan banana chocolate honey cake, that I’ve made it several times since the original challenge. You don’t have to use the exact ingredients I’ve given in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. I’ve listed here, some of the substitutions you can use.
Flour
As I don’t need to count the pennies in quite the same way, I now use wholemeal spelt flour instead of ordinary plain flour. It works a treat and rises just as well. If you do use wholemeal flour instead of plain, it’s best to sift out any really large pieces of bran as they can inhibit the rise.
I just use a wide mesh sieve and try and get through as much as I can. Anything left over, which generally isn’t much, I put into the compost bin.
Sugar
These days, I also tend to use light muscovado sugar instead of golden caster sugar as it gives such nice caramel tones. It also helps to keep the cake moist.
Dandelion Honey
I still use my homemade dandelion honey, but if you don’t have any, there are a number of other options. You can now buy vegan honey, so that’s a possibility if you’re vegan. If you’re not, use regular honey instead. Alternatively, go with golden syrup, which is generally much cheaper.
Vinegar
Malt vinegar is usually the cheapest vinegar to buy, so that’s why I used it in my original recipe. However, any vinegar will do. I usually use my own kombucha vinegar, but wine or cider vinegar would be fine too. Balsamic vinegar works really well in this celebratory vegan chocolate cake recipe, so use that if you fancy it.
How Much Does It Cost To Make Vegan Chocolate Cake?
This is how much my vegan banana chocolate honey cake cost me. Bear in mind that the prices are from May 2014, so it’s really only a snapshot.
The banana was the most expensive part of the whole cake and accounted for twenty percent of the total. I also made my own dandelion honey. If you use real honey or even golden syrup, it’s likely to be a bit higher. Having said that, I used a couple of organic ingredients, which cost more than non-organic ones. So you could make a couple of price wins there.
Here are the costings:
- 190g plain flour – 15p
- 100g golden caster sugar – 17p
- 40ml organic sunflower oil – 12p
- 9 tsp G&B cocoa powder – 27p
- 1 large banana – 20p
- 2 scant tbsp dandelion honey – 6p
- 1 tsp baking powder + pinch salt – 2p
- 1 tbsp malt vinegar + ¼ tsp bicarb of soda – 1p
- 150 ml water – 0p
Grand Total = £1
Extreme Poverty – The Facts
- 870 million people do not have enough to eat — more than the populations of USA and the European Union combined.
- 98% of the world’s undernourished people live in developing countries.
- Two-thirds of the world’s hungry live in just 7 countries: Bangladesh, China, DR Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia and Pakistan.
- Around 60 percent of the world’s hungry are women.
- 1 in 6 infants are born with a low birth weight in developing countries – Malnutrition is the key factor contributing to more than one-third of all global child deaths, resulting in 2.3 million deaths per year.
- Every fifteen seconds, a child dies from hunger-related diseases.
- 13 million people (1 in 5 of the population) live below the poverty line in the UK, 2.3 million of these are children.
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this vegan banana chocolate honey cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more vegan recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Thrifty Vegan Chocolate Cake. PIN IT.
£1 Banana Chocolate Vegan Honey Cake – The Recipe
£1 Banana Chocolate Honey Cake
Ingredients
- 190 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 pinch sea or rock salt
- 1 large banana
- 100 g golden caster sugar
- 2 tbsp dandelion honey
- 40 ml sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp malt vinegar
- 150 ml water
Instructions
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Mash the banana in with the sugar, oil and vegan honey, then add the vinegar and water.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and slowly add the liquid stirring gently as you go until everything is just mixed.
- Pour batter into a prepared 8″ (20 cm) cake tin or mould and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Rebecca says
I’d be happy to host again if you still need someone for June or July.
Choclette says
Hi Rebecca, apologies for not replying before now. It would be great if you were able to host in August. Let me know if this is possible?
Alison says
Interesting idea. I hope I get time to give it a go
Choclette says
I hope you do too Alison.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I’ve added it to the diary Choclette.
Choclette says
Thanks Jac 🙂
ManjiriK says
This is a brilliant Idea, I must say it would be an achievement of sorts if anyone can manage in £1 The cheapest chocolate treats are the bars in discount stores but a cake! It’s a great opportunity for those not participating in the Live Below the Line challenge , Kudos to Vanesther for doing that!Eagerly waiting to see all the entries that link up!
Choclette says
Thanks Manjirilk. It’s a difficult thing for sure. Are you planning to take part?
Jean says
I have priced up my standard all-in-one chocolate cake and it comes out at £1.39 using cheapest own brand ingredients.
The only way to do it would be to make a smaller cake, say 6″ instead of 8″.
But as it’s not possible to buy just 100gm of flour, 2 eggs and so on, it would require a total investment of £6.80 to buy the full packs of ingredients. Then there’s the cost of the baking in the oven.
I think If I only had £1, I would be tempted to buy a cheap cake from Aldi or Lidl. I will be fascinated to see how people make a good quality home-made chocolate cake for £1, and will be full of admiration for those that do.
Choclette says
Well I hope you take part Jean and do a post with your findings, because it’s really interesting and useful information to know.
Rachel Cotterill says
I just priced up my standard vegan loaf cake and it works out at 58p if you buy the cheapest ingredients from Tesco. So now I have 42p to spend on making it chocolatey 😉
Choclette says
Well done Rachel, you seem to be running well ahead here – looking forward to seeing the entry.
Corina says
It’s a great idea and I’ll do my best. Looking forward to it.
Choclette says
Good to have you on board Corina
Kelly Palmer says
I haven’t done a blog challenge before, but since my blog is vegan and I love chocolate this could be interesting. Count me in 🙂
Choclette says
Hi Kelly, would be great to have you join in. Eggs and butter are expensive, so you might find this easier than some.
Lucy Corry says
That’s brilliant, truly brilliant. What on earth am I going to make?
Choclette says
Haha, that’s what I’m wondering Lucy.
Elizabeth says
A great idea! I opted out of the the live below the line challenge. It costs me £5 in fuel just to get to the nearest supermarket where the cheap food is. It would be impossible to do if I shopped at my local village shop! I will get my thinking cap on for a £1 chocolate cake 🙂
Choclette says
Yes, there are so many factors to take into account, but it’s really interesting to here the whys and wherefores from different people. But it is best attempt
Elizabeth says
I’ve linked up my recipe 🙂 I’d be delighted to host WSC this June if you are still looking for guest hosts?
Jibber JabberUK says
I’ve got ideas! *gets out abacus*
Choclette says
Goody 🙂
Ceri @ Natural Kitchen Adventures says
What a great idea for a challenger. I just think I might light to take this on! Thanks so much for mentioning my blog above. Taking part in the live below the line challenge was one of the most thought provoking things I’ve done.
Choclette says
Would be lovely if you could join us Ceri and you should be in good practice by now 😉
Suelle says
Tricky! I’ve just priced up what I thought would be the cheapest cake I know, and it was just under £1 if I used eggs which weren’t free range. No money left for a filling though! I’ll have to rethink; I’m determined to produce something!
Choclette says
Yay Suelle, you’re back 🙂 Tricky this most certainly is, because there’s not much point making something that isn’t tasty too.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
What a great challenge! I am looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with 🙂
Choclette says
Thanks Dannii, me too – including me 😉
Sarah Trivuncic says
Nice challenge… I used to be quite partial to Sainsbury’s Basics chocolate for 29p a bar, if I get my act together this month I’ll have a bash 🙂
Choclette says
Hmm Sarah, I certainly won’t be able to use my normal chocolate, or probably any of my normal ingredients.
belleau kitchen says
such a brilliant idea C!… plus it means that those of us who couldn’t do the £1 challenge can take part in some form… I LOVE it and am looking forward to trying!
Choclette says
Yay Dom, I’m looking forward to the challenge too – good to make us think once in a while.
Chloe King says
Great idea, tricky though! I reckon I might have it with my grandma’s ration book chocolate baskets recipe, it’s on my blog – will check the maths!
Choclette says
Definitely tricky Chloe – you might come a cropper with the cream! Will be interesting to see how you get on.
lapin d'or says
As a child my favourite chocolate cake recipe was ‘Mrs Beetons Economical Cocoa Cake’ I will price it up and see if I can get anywhere near the £1 spend. May have to halve the ingredients, but it was a large cake.
Choclette says
Hooray for Mrs Beeton Jill 🙂
Laura Denman says
I can’t wait to have a go at this one =) I’ve got an idea already but I’ll have to check costings first!
Choclette says
Hooray, I was hoping for a bit of excitement 🙂
hungryhinny says
This is such a fabulous idea and a real challenge, I love it!
Can you work out the cost of the ingredients for the amount you use, rather than the total cost? So if you used 200g of flour from a 1kg bag would you account for a fifth of the cost of the whole bag?
Choclette says
Glad you’re up for it Nat. Cost of ingredients used only – really would be unrealistic otherwise.