Chocolate Cake recipe

This easy vegan recipe is perfect for class baking as all the ingredients are basic pantry staples and are also inexpensive. To make it gluten free, swap the flour for a commercial gluten free baking mix.

3 C flour
1 C sugar
⅔ C cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 cup veg/salad oil
2 C water

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C fan bake, or 180°C normal
2. Line the bottom of a 23cm cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides of the tin
3. Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl and make small depression in the middle
4. Add the vanilla, vinegar and oil in that order and mix lightly
5. Gradually add the water stirring until an even batter is formed
6. Beat or mix until there are no lumps
7. Pour mixture into cake tin
8. Bake for approx 45 mins if using fan bake, or 55 mins normal bake.
9. The cake is cooked when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If not clean, leave in oven for another 5 mins, then re-check
10. Do not over-cook – if in doubt, take cake out
11. Cool in the tin on top of a wire rack and then turn cake out onto the wire rack and leave until completely cool
12. Dust the top of the cooled cake with sifted icing sugar, or ice with Chocolate Buttercream Icing ( Beat together: 3 tbsp vegan margarine, 1½ C icing sugar, ½ tsp vanilla essence, 2 tbsp cocoa, and a little hot water to mix to icing consistency)

Variation: This recipe works well for cupcakes. Just pour the batter into paper cupcake liners and bake for 30-35 minutes. The cupcakes are cooked when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If not clean, leave in oven for another 5 mins, then re-check. Makes 18.

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Icing on the Quake (2013)