I baked often for my children and when they were growing up and this cake was one of their favourites.  It served me particularly well as a parent when it came time to provide a cake or cupcakes for school events and birthday parties.  Not only did the children love it, but the parents too, so this cake has been shared with many moms, friends and family members over the years.

Since becoming vegan, I have had to find a few ingredient substitutes in order to continue baking and enjoying a family favourite.

What you will need:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

1.5 cups cake flour (use Almond flour if you are gluten intolerant)

1 cup castor sugar

3 Tbsp cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 Tbsp maple syrup

3 flax eggs (see notes below)

1 cup almond or soy milk

Half a cup of melted unscented coconut oil

Icing:

2 cups of sifted icing sugar

Half a cup of cocoa powder

100ml baking margarine (plant based only)

10ml vanilla extract

Method for cake:

Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl and add all the wet ingredients. Using a handheld mixer, mix until a smooth batter is formed.

Place the batter into a greased cake tin and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until done or a skewer comes out clean.

Method for icing:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spoon until a smooth “paste” consistency has formed.  If the paste is too dry, add a Tbsp of water.  If the paste is too wet, add more icing sugar and continue to mix until the desired consistency is reached.

Notes:

1.  This recipe only makes a single layer of cake.  Double up the ingredients if you require a double layer cake
2. 1 Tbsp of flaxseed powder mixed with 3 Tbsp of warm water is equivalent to 1 egg