Vegan Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Serves 10 | Prep time: 45 mins + chilling time | Cooking time: 25 mins

INGREDIENTS

Wet ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/3 cup neutral oil (eg. sunflower oil)
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Choc spread filling

• 120g/4.2oz cacao butter
• 60g/2.1oz cocoa powder
• 5 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp soy milk
• 4-5 Tbsp warm water
• 5-6 fresh strawberries

Whipped cream topping

• 1 can full fat coconut cream (refrigerate overnight)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp pure icing sugar (sifted)
• 1/4 tsp rose water
• 1 drop vegan red food colouring
• 4-5 fresh strawberries

METHOD

1. Grease 2 x 20cm (8in) round cake tins and insert baking paper at the bottom of the tins. Preheat oven to 180C/355F.
2. Batter – Combine all the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk and set aside. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Then pour the wet mix into the dry and whisk well. Divide the batter evenly into the two tins. Lift and drop each tin on a flat surface to remove any air bubbles.
3. Bake – Place both tins in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before decorating.
4. Choc spread filling – While the cake is baking, using a double boiler, melt the cacao butter. If the cacao butter pieces are large, chop them into smaller pieces, before placing them in the double boiler, so that they melt faster. Once melted, remove from the heat then stir in the cocoa powder, maple syrup and soy milk. Set aside at room temperature. It may harden a little but you will mix in the water to soften it when the cake is ready for the choc filling.
5. Whipped cream topping – Once the cake has cooled, it’s time to make the whipped cream. Ensure that you’ve chilled the can of coconut cream at least a day before you make that whipped cream. Chill a mixing bowl for 15 minutes in the fridge. Open the can of coconut cream and scoop out the hardened part at the top and place in the chilled mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, fluff up the coconut cream for about one minute. Then add the icing sugar, rose water and drop of red food colouring, and mix for another minute, until smooth and creamy.
6. Prep before layering the cake – Now that the cake has cooled and the whipped cream is ready, add a 4 to 5 tablespoons of warm water to the choc filling and whip with a hand mixer so that it’s ready to spread. Wash all the strawberries then slice 5-6 strawberries lengthwise in three to be used with the choc spread filling. Keep the remaining strawberries whole or cut them as you and set them aside for decorating the top of the cake.
7. Layer the cake – place one of the cake layers upside down onto a cake stand and line the circumference of the cake with the sliced strawberries. Position them with the pointy end toward the middle of the cake. Then cover the rest of the cake layer with the sliced strawberries. Spread the choc filling on the cake layer filling in any gaps between the strawberries. Next, place the second cake layer on top. Decorate the cake with the whipped cream and strawberries on top. Enjoy!