VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE - How easy (and cheap!) is this?

[Posted originally in August 2011] There's a doubled-up recipe, plus cupcakes and Swiss roll - pics at the foot of this post. This is my up to date recipe - adapted from the original.

 Vegan Chocolate Cake (20cm or 8") (w. variations)

Ingredients:

200g sugar

200g self raising flour (or plain, plus 3 teaspoons baking powder)

25-30g cocoa powder (or 25-40g ground ginger, or 2 tsps vanilla extract)

Optional - good half a teaspoon baking powder, for a bit of extra lift

300g water
25g vegetable oil (I use olive oil)

Method:

Measure the dry ingredients* and mix, then add the water and oil. Stir, initially with a dessertspoon, and then with a whisk, and pour through a sieve*, into an oiled 20cm (8") silicon cake former.

*I now don't worry about sieving the dry ingredients, instead I sieve the batter as I'm pouring it into the cake former. This catches any lumps and you're good!

 

Place in the microwave (800w) for 8 minutes. In my experience, not only do you get a quicker cake, but the cake rises about 25% higher in the microwave.

No microwave?
Bake in the oven at 175C for 30-35 minutes.

No oven?

Then pour a little of the batter into an oiled frying pan, on a medium to hot heat, as if you were making pancakes. For a bit of fun, baking with your youngster, cut out circles of the (pan)cake, and sandwich them with - I don't know: jam, homemade fruit puree, homemade chocolate spread (recipe below). Or, why not invent your own fillings?

(It's also possible to make an excellent gluten-free version of this cake.)

Cost:
I'm amazed at how little this cake costs (these prices are from Lidl products):
Sugar 22p
S/raising flour 15p
Cocoa powder 15p
Veg oil 10p
Total 62p

Who says that it's expensive to be vegan? :)

The story:
Anybody who's taken a look at some of the bread conversations I've had on this blog will know I'm not a cake maker - bread's my thing.

Whenever anyone asks me if I make cakes I always tell them there isn't time - there's always another bread I haven't made yet!

However, it was the birthday of both my daughter and my son-in-law this week, and there are bound to be plenty of cakes when we meet up tomorrow. And none of them will be vegan.

Apart, that is, from the one I've just made!

I followed this recipe here:

And tweaked it slightly.

It was a bit of a faff, since each step is on a separate page - unless you sign up, which I didn't want to do. And it's in cups, which I've weighed off into gms for the next time I make it - which I will.

166g s/raising flour
30g cocoa powder
198g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
80g sunolive oil
250g water
2 tsps vanilla extract

Stir the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, mix together and pour into 2 18cm (7") lined cake tins. (I placed 354g of batter in each tin.)

Bake at 175C for 20 minutes.

I shall sandwich the cake with the vegan chocolate spread I made yesterday:

And probably spread a bit on top - just to finish it off!

Update, Sunday 31st July:

As I said I would, I 'iced' the cake with a little chocolate spread.

And it went down very well, I must say - much better than I thought it would. My mother-in-law said loudly, "But it's actually very nice!". Everyone at the party who had a taste thought it was lovely and moist - and I had to answer several queries as to the recipe and how it was made.

This was undoubtedly a success - and it's now firmly in my repertoire. This from a guy who'd only ever made one cake in the last 20 years prior to this!  

I'm beginning to wonder if we've been conned all these years into thinking that cakes naturally have to contain eggs and butter (or marge)? Clearly, they don't!

I have asked all my friends on Wildfood for  their opinion. There's a variety of opinions on there with some agreeing with me.

I decided to forgo the salt and the vanilla:  I never use salt in my sweet bread recipes, and I see no place for it here; I couldn't detect any vanilla flavour, but others may.

3 days later. I ate the last remnants of the cake - and it was as moist and lush as when it had just been made. I did think of seeing if it would keep into a 4th day - but who keeps chocolate cake for four days?

(Well, my mother might - she used to extol the virtues of her madeira cake - "It'll keep for a fortnight!" she used to announce to all and sundry. And every time we went home and we were served cake, she felt she had to make good her claim. The damn cake was always well over a week old! In every other respect she was a decent cook. Well, I suppose we all have a chink in our armour!)

3rd November.
After telling my colleagues at my Thursday care home about my cake-making, I was prevailed upon to make one for the residents.

Since we needed a large cake, I doubled up the recipe:
330g s/raising flour

60g cocoa powder

400g sugar

160g sunflower oil

500g water

I left out the salt - decided it wasn't necessary - and the vanilla extract  - didn't have any, and didn't miss either of them! The cake, took about 35 minutes to cook.

I have to admit I was pretty bowled over by the size and appearance of the cake when it came out of the oven:

If you're going to make a cake - may as well make a big one!

That's Melissa's hand applying the chocolate icing

10th November.

The cake tin for last week's cake was borrowed from the care home next door - but this time it was decided we should make fairy cakes:

The doubled up recipe actually made 2 dozen of these. Thought at first we hadn't put enough batter in each one 

But when they came out of their cases and were iced - the size was just right! OK, the icing's not very neat - but that didn't affect the taste one iota!

Friday 16th December.
I've been making this cake weekly since I first made it - and today I made a chocolate log with it:

The cake was too thick so I knew it would split. But using the hints I picked up from Eric Lanlard last weekend (cut off the first 2 cm from the edge you're starting to roll from and place it on the edge if the cake and roll up around it) and those I received from Jemma the chef at Longrun (trim the side of the cake - this is where it gets crisp and prevents even rolling), we managed it.

Next time I'll divide the batter between two Swiss roll tins - and then it won't split! To keep it vegan it was spread with jam. I need a vegan filling for next time.

Monday 26th December.
Wanted to make a couple of Yule logs for the family - but I'm far away from my scales, so I did these with the original cup measurements in the link above.

I used a coffee mug to measure with and made enough to fill two Swiss roll tins and make three large cup cakes.

One was filled with sweet chestnut puree (the puree was mixed with some sugar and soya cream) and the other was consumed as it was - everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm planning to cover the cake with melted chocolate. I'll post a pic when I do.

VEGAN PARKIN - the concise recipe (And Ginger Cake)

(The story behind this recipe.) (Ginger cake recipe at the foot of this post)

Simple Parkin (vegan)

Ingredients:

100g porridge oats

100g wholemeal flour (for a gluten-free (ish) version, substitute with Dove's gluten free flour)

2 and 1/2 tsps baking powder

4 tsps ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

100g sugar

100g blackstrap molasses (or treacle if you can’t find molasses)

220g lukewarm water

25g vegetable oil

Method:

•       Preheat the oven to 180C [or see microwave version below - recommended]

•       Measure the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger and mixed spice and stir to distribute the ingredients

•       Gently heat the molasses and water together to approximately blood heat and add to dry ingredients

•       Add the oil 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) 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

With a traditional parkin it is recommended you leave it for several days to mature. This is supposed to enhance the taste. I’ve no idea whether this works with this recipe – as, in this house, the parkin disappears very quickly after cooling. It is simply gorgeous from the moment it is cool enough to eat.

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.

If anyone has the strength and fortitude to keep the parkin for several days to see if it does in fact improve with keeping, I’d be very glad to hear from them!

Variation: For a gluten free version of this, simply use Dove’s gluten free flour in place of the wholemeal flour - and you'll need GF oats.

27th July.
Following a conversation on the Wildfood forum about microwaving carrot cake, I decided I'd try this with parkin.

I put my 800w microwave on for 3 minutes - and the parkin looked like this:

Baked in the oven my silicon cake form contains the parkin easily - but it rose much more in the microwave, as you can see! 

Once it's turned out onto the cooling rack, you can't tell the difference between a cake made in the oven - or in the microwave!

Comparing the two methods of baking:
40 minutes in the oven (with 10 minutes warm-up time), as against 6 minutes in the microwave - and you get a better risen cake!

Ginger cake (latest attempt below)

Ingredients:

200g s/raising flour

100g sugar

4-5 tsps ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

100g blackstrap molasses (or treacle if no molasses)

300g water

Method:

Measure the flour, sugar, ginger and mixed spice and stir to distribute the ingredients

•       Gently heat the molasses and water together to approximately blood heat and add to dry ingredients

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

•       Pour in to 20cm (8” inch) silicon cake former
•       Place in the (800W) microwave for approx 8 minutes

Latest variation - 8th Feb 2020

This was merely leaving out the sugar and doubling up the blackstrap molasses. Gives a deeper flavour, I feel.

CREOLE SODA BREAD - CHOCOLATE AND BEETROOT AND VEGAN!

23rd January 2013.
Made this in the microwave, but, because other microwaved cakes of mine have over-flowed the silicon cake form I use, I reduced the amount by 20%:

Microwave version:

160g self raising flour (for a gluten free version, just substitute GF s/raising flour)

120g granulated sugar

20g cocoa powder

80g grated, cooked beetroot

100g water

60g apple juice 

40g vegetable oil

Using an 800W microwave, 7 minutes minutes on full power. Leave in the cake form for ten minutes to finish cooking.

[Pics to come]

4/5/12
Made this again, with oil this time and some apple juice instead of water. I also reduced the sugar by a quarter. I think this makes a nicer loaf.

Revised recipe:
200g self raising flour
150g granulated sugar
2 dessertspoons cocoa powder
100g grated, cooked beetroot
100g water
100g apple juice
50g vegetable oil

At work this morning, I was collared by the wife of one of my friends on the walk, who told me he hadn't stopped talking about the chocolate and beetroot loaf - and could she have the recipe, please!


2/5/12

Certainly looks the part

Risen quite well

I've been meaning to try this ever since I bought some of this bread at the 'Taste of Christmas' Show at the Excel Centre before Christmas last year. The bread was amazing. We were told it was vegan, and made with fruit juice - and whatever fruits they were making it with. There was an astonishing variety of cakes, all made to a basic formula.

Finally managed to track down the company - Global Fusion, of Stoke Newington, London, N16.

Since making vegan chocolate cake, which uses self raising flour, I've been wondering about the dividing line between that sort of cake and a soda bread. My thought was that the Creole breads come somewhere in the middle.

I'd also wanted to make a soda bread version of the chocolate and beetroot loaf I've made quite a few times.

So this is my attempt - and it's in the oven right this very minute. Another 25 minutes will tell me if I'm on the right track or not.

Ingredients:

200g self raising flour

200g sugar

25g cocoa powder

100g cooked beetroot, grated

200g water

Method:

Measure the dry ingredients (sifting the cocoa powder) into a mixing bowl, add the grated beetroot then the water. Stir with a large spoon, then whisk for a few seconds then pour into a prepared loaftin.

Only when I was pouring it in the loaftin did I realise - too late - that I'd forgot to include any oil.

So, we'll see shortly, just what sort of a cock-up I've made!

60 minutes later. The bread's out of the oven, sliced and tasted. It tastes fine, but we'll see what my fellow walkers think of it tomorrow.

Conclusions:

Well, it's different! It holds together well, but it's a little rubbery; it's slightly claggy in mouth feel; it's sweet - perhaps too sweet; but when I'd finished a taste, my mouth wanted to taste it again - so that's a positive.

I'll see what my mates think.

Next time I'll make one just as it was described to me by the stall holder - full of fruit juice. So I'll ditch the beetroot and make it just with apple juice - perhaps using 150g of sugar instead of 200g. Oh, and I'll definitely include some oil - perhaps 50g.

Wednesday 2nd May.
Beautiful day for a walk on the Quantocks with some good friends, and about an hour into the walk I brought out the bread - which went down very well! "Moist," "Delicious""Very nice!"

So even without any oil at all, it's still an excellent loaf!

VEGAN, NO FAT, CHOCOLATE CAKE

Vegan chocolate cake (with banana instead of oil)

Ingredients:

150g sugar

25g cocoa powder

150g self raising flour
1 mashed banana

250g water

Method:

Measure the sugar and the cocoa powder, and mix them together. The sharp edges of the granulated sugar break up the clumps of cocoa powder, so sieving is not necessary. Add the flour and mix, first with a dessertspoon, then with a whisk, then add the banana and water. Stir, initially with a dessertspoon, and then with a whisk, and 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 an excellent gluten-free version of this cake. The recipe uses vegetable oil - but you can always substitute a mashed banana.)


Notes:
You can play around with this recipe as you wish. Here I've reduced the sugar from 200g in my original recipe. I've also substituted 250g of stewed apricots and dates for the sugar - and my daughter simply used 4 bananas along with the flour, cocoa powder and water.

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.

5:2 DIET - SIMPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE (VEGAN) - revised version

Here's my original recipe - but when you've made something as often as I've made this, you're bound to come up with a few tweaks. Hence the need for this recipe.

The finished article - I'm not bothered about icing, or filling, I just love it on its  own.

Ingredients:200g granulated sugar

25g cocoa powder

165g self raising flour (I use the cheapest I can find)

80g vegetable oil
250g water

Method:
Place the sugar and the cocoa powder in a mixing bowl and stir quite briskly - this prevents the cocoa powder from forming lumps, then add the flour. Stir the dry ingredients together using a whisk - once again, this should prevent the flour from forming clumps*. Now add the oil and water and stir, initially with a dessertspoon, then with the whisk. When this mix is smooth, pour into a prepared 20cm (8") silicon cake form. (all I do is place a disc of baking paper on the bottom of the cake form - just to make sure it comes away cleanly.)

After baking and before turning out

Place in a microwave (800W) for 6 minutes. This cake (most cakes, probably) rises quite a bit higher when baked in a microwave - perhaps by as much as 25%!

*All this to save using a sieve! :)
Calories:
165 flour = 355 x 1.65 = 586
200 sugar = 400 x 2 = 800
25 cocoa powder = 355 x .25 = 89
80 oil = 900 x .8 = 720

Total= 2195

The finished cake weighed 640g. 13 slices at around 50g each, say, would give 170 calories a slice.

Cost:

Last time I checked, the ingredients came to 70p – or 5.5p a slice.

PANETONNE (vegan)

Panettone

Ingredients:

200g (or 1 mug) strong white flour

1-2 dessertspoons sugar

50g sultanas

50g candied peel

Lemon zest

125ml (or 1/3rd mug) lukewarm liquid including a dessertspoon lemon juice

1 dessertspoon fresh yeast

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Up to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Topping:

A sprinkle of icing sugar

Method:

1. Place the flour, sugar, dried fruit, mixed peel and zest in a large mixing bowl. Measure the water and lemon juice and stir in the fresh yeast. Add the olive oil. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight).

2. Hold the bowl with one hand and begin to mix with the other. Use one hand to turn the bowl round, whilst the other hand begins to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water. When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – and stop before you get fed up!

4. Take a large (800g) tin of fruit (or chopped tomotoes, or similar), emptied and cleaned, and line it with baking parchment with the paper extending above the tin. I place a circle of the paper, just a bit larger than the bottom of the tin at the bottom, then take a long, thin piece of paper, roll it up then drop it into the tin. Use your fingers to press it to the sides.

5. Take the dough and shape it into a small baton then drop it into the tin. Leave to prove until it has doubled in size.

6. Bake for between 20 and 25 minutes at 180C or gas mark 4 in the centre of the oven. But check after 15 minutes.

7. Check the colour – it should be a lovely shade of yellowy brown; and an inserted skewer should come out clean when it is ready.

8. Leave it in the tin for a few minutes before removing it and placing it – still in the baking parchment – to cool on a wire rack.

9. Finally, when it is cool, sprinkle with icing sugar.