If you've never made a vegan cake before, this simple vegan chocolate cake is a good place to start. It's ever so easy to make, tastes good and works like a dream. Keep it plain or stack it up with a delicious vegan chocolate tofu icing for a celebratory occasion.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.
260 g flour, 75 g cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 1 pinch sea salt
Stir in the sugar then make a well in the centre.
260 g golden caster sugar
Pour in the oils and water, then combine by stirring gently from the inside out. It's important not to over mix.
150 ml sunflower oil, 50 ml extra virgin olive oil, 225 ml warm water
Stir in the vinegars.
1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
Spoon the mixture into two 20 cm round silicone cake moulds or lined tins. Bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 30 minutes. The cakes should be well risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for ten minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cook completely.
Whilst the cake is baking, place the coffee and sugar in a pan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Add the chocolate, turn off the heat and leave it to melt.
100 ml coffee, 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, 250 g dark chocolate
Give the chocolate mixture a good stir then whisk in the tofu. You can do this with a hand or electric whisk, but you'll get a smoother result if you use electric beaters. Leave to cool.
90 g silken tofu
Sandwich the two cakes with half of the chocolate icing, then spread the remaining icing over the top. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, shave the remaining dark chocolate over the top, if liked.
20 g dark chocolate
Notes
If you'd prefer to make one cake and leave it plain, use the following quantities and bake it in a 22cm cake mould or tin.
175 g flour - half wholemeal and half plain (I use wholemeal spelt and white spelt)
50 g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch sea salt (I use Himalayan pink rock salt)
175 g golden caster sugar
100 ml sunflower oil
25 ml cold pressed olive oil
150 ml warm water
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tbsp white wine vinegar
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They're approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.