2009-10-18 - LFGSS Cake & Bake Off

Although no-one *specifically *asked for the recipe here is the awesome recipe for the vegan chocolate cake. Thanks Oliver - I would never have thought that the cake (and the icing) was going to be so fantastic. The secret is the vinegar/bicarb reaction.

Chocolate Cake

225g/8oz caster sugar
4 dssps cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
225g/9oz plain white flour
85g/3oz plain wholemeal flour
1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
170ml/6fl oz vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essence 4 tsp vinegar
350ml/2/3 pint cold water

Choc icing:
55g/2oz margarine 4tbsp soya milk 140g/5oz sugar
30g/1oz cocoa powder, sieved
1 tsp vanilla essence

Decoration:
50g/2oz plain chocolate

1. Mix thoroughly the sugar, cocoa, salt, flour and bicarbonate of soda in
   a mixing bowl.
   
2. Add the oil, vanilla essence and vinegar and pour cold water over the mixture. Beat well with fork.
   
3. Pour into two greased sandwich tins. Cook at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes or until the cake springs back lightly when pressed.
   
4. Cool thoroughly.
   
5. Make the icing: combine the first four ingredients in a saucepan and bring them to the boil slowly, stirring constantly.
   
6. Boil for 1 minute.
   
7. Remove from heat and beat until cold (you can do this in a bowl of cold water, but let it cool a bit first or the icing sticks to the bottom of the pan). Mix in the vanilla essence.
   
8. Sandwich the cakes together with a thin spread of hazelnut carobella and/or your favourite jam/fruit spread.
   
9. Put chocolate icing on the top, then flakes of chocolate (just cut the chocolate really finely with a sharp knife and/or grate the chocolate).