I was actually going to share a detox plan for the coming Spring, but the dreadful weather outside made me think better about it… I took my recipe notebook and went fishing for a cheer me up recipe… And what about some seriously decadent vegan chocolate cake? Hell, yes!
Simple and quick to prepare
I love this simple recipe, easy to prepare and quite healthy too: being vegan, I cut down on saturated fats and calories, so that what might appear as a guilty pleasure is not so guilty after all! And I can assure you that the flavour is still amazingly rich and decadent, no compromise there.
I like to use wholemeal flour, as it goes very well with chocolate, giving the cake a subtle nutty flavour. Furthermore, I am using EVO oil for this recipe, little trick that I learnt from the cook of a family run restaurant in Trevignano Romano many years ago. She was lactose intolerant, and explained that her amazing chocolate cake she just served us, was baked with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter, and that actually contributed to the bold and rich flavour of the cake.
My suggestion is to put your favourite playlist on, get the ingredients ready, and begin to prepare the cake. Your mood will be uplifted in during the preparation already, and as soon as the cake is in the oven, the heavenly chocolate scent will do the rest!
Vegan chocolate cake recipe
Ingredients:
240g wholemeal flour
60g cocoa powder mixed with a bit of cinnamon
160g brown sugar
Baking soda or cake raising powder
300ml oat drink (plus a little more to adjust the consistency if needed!)
50ml EVO oil
60g of dark chocolate (I’m using a luxurious 100% cocoa one with orange flavour)
A splash of agave syrup
Powdered sugar to garnish
Preparation
Swift the flour, the cocoa, the yeast and the sugar in a big bowl, and mix them together carefully ensuring there are no clumps.
Add the 300ml oat drink little by little, mixing carefully, then add the oil, and keep mixing until you reach an homogenous texture. If needed, you can add a splash more of oat milk, as different flours might require a bit more to obtain the right consistency.
On the side, chop the chocolate bar in very small pieces, and then add it to cake mixture.
Add it while stirring, and keep mixing until the chocolate is evenly distributed.
Pre heat the oven at 180 degrees and in the meantime transfer the cake into the baking tin for it to settle before going into the oven.
When the oven is ready, bake the cake for 40 minutes (always at 180 degrees).
After 40 minutes, test the inside of the cake with a tooth picker to ensure it perfectly cooked, and when it is, take it out and leave it to cool down slightly.
Serving
After 20/30 minutes, sprinkle it with the powdered sugar and serve it!
Fancy other vegan recipes? Have a look at this super tasty Apple cake, or these delicious Harvest muffins!
Looking for the perfect place to find all the ingredients?
Have a look at Planet Organic! Just click on the image below to shop on site.