Vegan & Gluten-free Chocolate Easter Cake
Photography by Simeon Crofts
DIETARY – Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-free/Nut-free
Easter is just a few weeks away and for many of us, this time of year means over-indulging in chocolate! But, if you have an allergy or intolerance to dairy, this often means missing out on the good stuff, which was the very inspiration behind this recipe. I wanted to create a straightforward dessert that was big on flavour, richness and, most importantly, a chocoholic’s dream while avoiding two of the most common allergens, dairy and gluten.
The first layer is a light, delicious chocolate sponge that is topped with a second layer of decadent mousse decorated with some fun Easter chocolates. While it does take a little time to make, the results are more than worth it! I promise you’ll be hard-pushed to know it’s vegan and gluten-free, and you definitely won’t feel you’re missing out this Easter!
The secret to a flavoursome chocolate cake is coffee. If you’re not a coffee fan, don’t worry, as you won’t taste it in the end, but adding coffee to chocolate intensifies the flavour.
As we’re not working with gluten, we need to give our cake a helping hand to rise, hold together and form a beautifully light, springy sponge, which is where the baking powder, bicarb and xanthan gum come in. The apple sauce in this recipe replaces eggs – no need to go to the trouble of making flaxseed eggs, as so many vegan recipes call for! Personally, I find flaxseed eggs make a cake quite dense and add a slight crunch to the texture from the seeds. Apple sauce is smooth and becomes flavourless against the other ingredients, making it a great egg replacement that will bind everything together without compromising taste or texture.
If you’re wondering why I have opted for vegetable oil over vegan butter in this recipe, it’s because oil more reliably contributes to the moistness of a cake as it doesn’t solidify, and it usually results in a lighter cake too, compared to butter.
When it comes to the mousse later, don’t be put off by the chickpeas! You’ll only be using the brine from the tin of chickpeas, and I assure you, there will be no chickpea flavour in your finished mousse! I don’t know who first discovered that whipping chickpea brine creates an almost identical texture to whipped egg whites. Still, it works a treat and results in a really light, creamy mousse that tastes identical to mousse made with dairy, in my opinion. The chickpeas left behind can be used in another recipe, like homemade hummus. If your mousse ends up a little lumpy or has a few bits of solidified chocolate in it, don’t worry, it will still taste great, but if you want to, you can pass it through a sieve for a totally smooth finish. Happy baking!
Vegan & Gluten-free Chocolate Easter Cake
Ingredients
- 225g gluten-free plain flour
- 250g caster sugar
- 50g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 130ml vegetable oil
- 110g apple sauce
- 180ml soy milk
- 80ml coffee (can be from a machine or 1 tsp mixed with 80ml water)
- 255g dark chocolate
- 1½ tins chickpeas (you’ll be draining and using the brine)
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 60g caster sugar
- ¾ cup (approx. 180ml) coconut cream
- Easter chocolates of your choice
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan)/ 350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line the base of a 10-inch cake tin with baking paper. Grease the sides with a little vegetable oil.
- For the chocolate cake, combine all the dry ingredients in a clean bowl.
- In a separate clean bowl, add all the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and fold until combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake tin and cook for 30-35 minutes. You want to wait until a knife or skewer comes out relatively clean with only a few crumbs or a bit of batter. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin. This will take around 2 hours.
- Next, make the mousse by melting the chocolate in a bain-marie (a glass bowl set over a saucepan of lightly simmering water – ensure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl, or this will burn the chocolate). Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between. Set aside to cool a little.
- Next, drain and reserve the brine from the first tin of chickpeas and weigh. This will help you calculate how much brine equals half of the second tin. I used a 400g tin of chickpeas, and the brine weighed approximately 76ml from the first tin, so I measured out 38ml of brine from the second tin. You can set aside the chickpeas for use in another recipe.
- Using an electric hand or stand mixer, whisk the brine and cream of tartar together on high speed until beginning to foam; at this stage, continue to whisk, and within 3-6 minutes, you’ll have stiff peaks.
- Once stiff peaks have formed, gradually add the sugar one spoonful at a time, mixing until fully incorporated before adding the next.
- In a clean bowl, whip the coconut cream until thickened. When measuring out your cream, shake the can first to ensure the solids and liquids haven’t separated.
- Finally, pour the slightly cooled melted chocolate into the chickpea ‘egg’ whites and gently fold until thoroughly combined. Then, add the cream and fold gently until incorporated, being careful not to knock too much air out. You will notice the whipped chickpea whites reduce down to half their original size, but this is normal and completely fine.
- Pour your mousse over the top of the cooled chocolate cake and use a spoon or spatula to smooth and spread it out evenly. Place into the fridge to set for at least six hours or overnight. Decorate with your choice of Easter chocolate. I used gluten-free, vegan mini golden eggs from Australian chocolatier Only Mine. This cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Best enjoyed at room temperature.