I’m not vegan but in the Netherlands it’s common to bring a sweet treat with you for your coworkers on your birthday and I like my treats to be inclusive, so I’m always on the hunt for vegan sweets.
I found this recipe for a super quick and easy vegan chocolate cake on Smitten Kitchen. She makes it with coffee but as I can’t handle caffeine I made mine with a spicy chocolate tea from Simon Lévelt.
The cake is super moist and chocolaty with a little hint of spice and will gone in no time, whether you share it or not.
Vegan Chocolate Tea Cake
This vegan chocolate tea cake by Smitten Kitchen is moist, delicious and disturbingly easy to make. She makes her with coffee, I make mine with tea.
Equipment
- Oven
- Round cake tin ⌀ 9.5"/ 24 cm
- Parchment
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Skewer, for testing
- Wire rack
- Microwave proof bowl
- Microwave
- Spatula or spoon
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 1/2 c - 180 gr all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c - 95 gr unsweetened cocoa any variety, sifted if lumpy
- 1 1/2 t - 7.5 gr baking soda
- 1/2 t - 2.5 gr salt
- 3/4 c - 95 gr sugar
- 3/4 c - 95 gr dark brown sugar
- 1/2 c - 120 ml olive oil
- 1 1/2 c - 360 ml tea of choice, coffee or water also work
- 1 T - 15 ml cider vinegar
For the glaze, optional but it makes all the difference
- 3/4 c - 95 gr dark chocolate vegan chocolate is 70% cocoa content or more
- 2 T - 30 gr cocoa powder
- 3 T - 45 ml olive oil
- 1 T - 15 ml corn syrup for shine, optional
- pinch Maldon salt or similar, for finishing
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat your oven to 175° C/ 350° F. Line the bottom of a round ⌀ 9.5"/ 24 cm cake tin with parchment and lightly coat the sides with olive oil.
- Mix together 1 1/2 c - 180 gr flour, 3/4 c - 95 gr cocoa, 1 1/2 t - 7.5 gr baking soda, 1/2 t - 2.5 gr salt and 3/4 c - 95 gr sugar in a bowl. Once combined add 3/4 c - 95 gr dark brown sugar and 1/2 c - 120 ml of olive oil and mix further.
- Add 1 1/2 c - 360 ml of tea and 1 T 15 ml vinegar and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. Use a skewer to test the center for doneness. The cake should be sticky but not wet.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool and set for 10 minutes in the cake pan, before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely. This should take 2 hours or so.
Once the cake is cooled, make the glaze
- To make the glaze, mix together 3/4 c - 95 gr of chopped chocolate, 2 T - 30 gr of cocoa powder, 3 T - 45 ml of olive oil and 1 T - 15 ml of corn syrup in a microwave proof dish and microwave at brief bursts, mixing it as you go along, until smooth.
- Pour the glaze over your cooled cake, using a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly and let it drizzle over the sides. Finish it off by sprinkling the cake with coarse sea salt to taste.
- The glaze is nicest when you let it harden overnight, but you can also eat it straight away. No one's stopping you.
Notes
70% cocoa content and higher chocolates tend to be vegan, but not all of them are. If you are baking this for the vegan in your life be sure to check the ingredients of whichever chocolate you end up buying.
This cake will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Be sure to let it get back up to room temperature before digging in for optimum flavor.
