Inspired by our most popular video ever (15 million views to date), this is arguably the greatest chocolate cake we’ve ever tasted. Easy to make and delicious to eat, it’s perfect birthday-cake fodder. Just make sure you have a gym membership, as this one is super indulgent. How naughty? Very naughty. Go on. Do it.
SERVES 8
dairy-free butter, for greasing
120g plain flour
150g cocoa powder
1½ tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
250ml maple syrup
350ml plant-based milk
FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING
150g cocoa powder
200g icing sugar
60g dairy-free butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
65ml plant-based milk
Preheat oven to 180C fan (200C/gas 6) | 2 x 20cm cake tins | Baking parchment | Food processor or electric beater | Cooling rack | Spatula or long smooth knife
- Lay the cake tins on the parchment paper and draw circles around the bases, then cut out the circles. Grease the inside of the tins with dairy-free butter and lay the paper circles in the bottom. Grease with more dairy-free butter.
- First make the cake. Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla extract, maple syrup and plant-based milk in the food processor and whiz to a batter (or put in a bowl and whisk with the electric beater for 1-2 minutes).
- Pour half the cake batter into each tin, making sure it is divided equally. Put the tins in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 25 minutes. Don’t worry if the tops of the cakes crack a little while baking, this will all be covered in icing later. Wash the food processor.
- Take the cakes out of the oven and let them cool to room temperature in the tins. The sponges will be quite fragile, so carefully turn them out of the tins on to the cooling rack and put the rack in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (this will make the icing process easier).
- To make the icing, put the cocoa powder, icing sugar, dairy-free butter, vanilla extract and plant-based milk into the food processor and whiz to a really thick, smooth icing (or put them in a bowl and whisk with the electric beater).
- Take one layer of the cake and put it on a large plate. Using a spatula or long knife, cover the top with a third of the chocolate icing. Lay the second cake on top. Cover the whole cake with the rest of the icing. Put the cake in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up. Remove from the fridge, cut it into slices and serve.
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