Gluten free, vegan chocolate cake

(This is a GF variation on a vegan chocolate cake I developed for a family get-together last year.)

Ingredients:

165g Dove's gluten and wheat free self raising flour

25g cocoa powder

200g sugar

80g vegetable oil

250g water

Method:

Measure the dry ingredients, sifting the flour and the cocoa powder, then add the oil and water. Stir, initially with a dessertspoon, and then with a whisk, then pour into a prepared 20cm (8") cake tin.

Bake at 175C for 35-40 minutes.

Or: Use a micro-wave friendly cake form and microwave for 6-7 minutes (800W). Rises better!

Here's the original recipe.

VEGAN COFFEE AND WALNUT CAKE

Walnut&coffee cake #veganhour Nearly all gone already! pic.twitter.com/R6o9njTmF4
— Paul Youd (@PaulYoud) September 30, 2014

Vegan coffee cake


Ingredients:
200g sugar
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
165g self raising flour
80g vegetable oil
250g water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
Measure the dry ingredients and mix them together using a spoon and a whisk.
Add the liquids and continue stirring and whisking.
When the – very wet – mixture is smooth, pour into a prepared 20cm (8") cake tin.

Bake at 175C for 30-35 minutes.

Or: Use a silicon cake form and place in the microwave (800w) for 6 minutes. In my experience, not only do you get a quicker cake, but the cake rises about 25% higher in the microwave.


(It's also possible to make a gluten-free version, using a gluten-free self-raising flour mix.)

Topping:
Now, my daughter made this with a combination of coconut cream, icing sugar and coffee - and a sprinkle of crushed walnuts. She's left for home now, so I'll need to ask her tomorrow what proportions she used.

The icing is full of flavour - but it refused to set, so a rethink is needed on this. If you search online for vegan cake icing (or frosting, as our US friends call it) there are plenty of recipes.

VEGAN COFFEE MORNING FARE!

This was what I was left with: some GF carrot cake, couple of marzipan and apple tartlets, 2 Danish pastries, 2 Bialys  and some Pane al cioccolato

Every month or so, my friends and I hold a coffee morning - and this week it was my turn to play host.

I always do a bit of experimenting on these occasions, push the boat out a bit, and use the opportunity - I'll be honest - to show off a bit.

So the evening before, I set to and made a rich chocolate loaf,

following this recipe, followed by a gluten-free carrot cake.

I had intended to make a coconut cream topping on the following morning - but I ran out of time.

Although I did allow myself a couple of hours in which to do a bit of experimenting, making Danish pastries (using Pure soya spread), 

Bialys (bread shots) filled with marzipan and mincemeat or marzipan, dates and chocolate, and marzipan and apple tartlets.

The four Bialys on the left were filled with marzipan and mincemeat - the other four have marzipan, followed by chopped dates and topped with half a square of dark chocolate

All these were made from 400g white flour, plus 3 dessertspoons sugar, 15g of yeast and 240g water - in other words, a simple sweetened bread dough.

VEGAN CARROT CAKE

Monday 15th September 2014
Made a gluten-free version of this tonight, for tomorrow's coffee morning. No walnuts so I replaced them with  flaked almonds.

This time I baked it in the microwave! 

2 reasons for this:
1. Six minutes in there as against 30+ mins in an oven at 180C - talk about saving the planet!
2. And it rises about 25% more in the microwave than it does in the oven.

Also, if you're in a hurry, the microwave wins hands down!

I shall attempt to make a coconut cream topping for it in the morning.

[Pics to come]
31st August 2012

Ingredients:

165g s/r flour

200g sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground ginger

80g grated carrots

70g chopped walnuts
80g vegetable oil
220ml water

Method:

•       Preheat the oven to 180C

•       Measure the flour, sugar, spices,carrot and walnuts - stir to distribute 

•       Add the oil and water to the mix and stir – initially with a large spoon or spatula, then with a whisk

•       Pour in to an oiled and lined 20cm (8” inch) baking tin or cake tin

•       Put in the oven and cook for between 35-40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean

•       Leave on a cooling rack in the tin for ten minutes

•       Turn out on to the cooling tray

The only way I’ve found not to gorge on this cake is to, as soon as possible, cut it into, say, 50g pieces, then put them in the freezer. This way I can allow myself one piece per day.

Variation: For a gluten free version of this, simply use Dove’s gluten free flour in place of the flour