Fluffy and decadent, this egg- and dairy-free recipe is the only one you’ll need if you’re looking for a free-from birthday or celebration cake. While most baking powders are suitable for vegans, do check the brand you are using to be sure.
Replacing egg in intolerance-friendly cooking can seem like a tall order, but luckily there is now a selection of good egg-replacement products on the market. These egg-replacers won’t help a mixture to rise, so use in conjunction with raising agents if you’re baking.
This is a delicious moist and gooey egg free chocolate cake, perfect for tea time!
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Yields:
12 serving(s)
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
50 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Cal/Serv:
543
Ingredients
For the cake
125ml
vegetable oil, plus extra to grease
175g
caster sugar
250g
plain flour
50g
dairy-free raw cacao powder, we used Creative Nature
1tsp.
bicarbonate of soda
11/2tsp.
baking powder
2tsp.
vanilla extract
11/2Tbsp.
cider vinegar
300ml
dairy-free milk alternative, we used oat
150g
dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped, plus extra grated to decorate
150g
dairy-free sunflower spread, we used Pure, chilled
150g
baking block, we used Stork, softened
250g
icing sugar, sifted
50g
dairy-free cacao powder
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease and line a 20.5cm round cake tin with baking parchment. For the cake, sift sugar, flour, cacao, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl.
Step 2In a separate jug, mix oil, vanilla, vinegar and milk alternative. Pour wet ingredients on to dry ones and whisk to mix. Pour into prepared tin; bake for 45min or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cake to cool for 5min in tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 3To make the icing, melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set above a pan of gently simmering water. Set aside until completely cool but still melted.
Step 4In a large bowl using a handheld electric whisk, beat margarine and baking block until smooth and combined. Add icing sugar and cacao powder and beat (starting slowly) until combined. Beat in the cooled chocolate until combined.
Step 5Split cooled cake in half horizontally and sandwich back together with some of the icing. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Decorate with grated chocolate, if you like, and serve.
Get ahead
Make icing up to a day ahead. Cool, cover and chill. Allow to soften at room temperature for 30min and beat briefly with a handheld electric whisk before using.
To store
Loosely cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
