Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cake

. June, 2016
Photography by Eleanor Ozich.
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cake

A deeply moist vegan chocolate cake, this is the kind that sticks to your knife, crumbling gently. Luscious coconut cream and peppermint ganache is entirely necessary. 

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

1¼ cups coconut or almond milk
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons pure peppermint extract or essential oil
1 cup flour of your choice
¾ cup ground almonds/almond meal
1 cup muscovado, rapadura or coconut sugar
1 cup good-quality cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of sea salt
23cm cake tin, lined fully with baking paper
Ganache

1 cup coconut cream
¼ cup maple or rice malt syrup
½ cup cocoa or cacao powder
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cake tin with baking paper.

Whisk together the coconut or almond milk, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and peppermint extract.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, and then gradually stir in the wet ingredients. The batter will be quite thick and sticky.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth out evenly.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cake feels firm in the middle when touched.

Remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool completely before carefully turning out on to a plate.

Ganache: Combine icing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy. You can also do this in a blender if you prefer. Pop the icing in the fridge to thicken up for half an hour or so while the cake cools.

Top the cake with the icing and smooth out evenly. I like to decorate the cake with a few edible flowers for a finishing touch.

Will keep for 2–3 days stored in an airtight container.

Pantry note: I used breadfruit flour, although spelt, quinoa, or buckwheat flour would all work well.