Special occasion cake for St Patrick's Day that tastes and feels like proper cake but is vegan...
Irish Coffee Cake is truly worthy of a St Patrick's Day knees-up.
Dark, rich and gorgeously chocolate, the cake is fine-crumbed and hinting of whiskey. The frothy topping can be served on the side or made into icing (as in photo). It's very rich so portions can be kept small - it'll feed 16 happily.
67's tasters delivered their verdicts on the dessert before being told that the cake was vegan. They were stunned -- in a good way. The cake* passed the 'carnivores love it' test with flying colours, as well as meeting the 67 criteria for budget-conscious and low-cholesterol.
Butter and egg free, the cake is healthier than most. 67 also replaced some plain flour with wholemeal and cut back on sugar, adding sweet ground almonds instead.
Cost: £4.00 plus topping (2018 prices)
Makes: 12-16 slices
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| 'One of the best cakes you've made' 'Melt-in-the-mouth, spongy, cream v. silky' Tasters |
Irish Coffee Cake is truly worthy of a St Patrick's Day knees-up.
Dark, rich and gorgeously chocolate, the cake is fine-crumbed and hinting of whiskey. The frothy topping can be served on the side or made into icing (as in photo). It's very rich so portions can be kept small - it'll feed 16 happily.
67's tasters delivered their verdicts on the dessert before being told that the cake was vegan. They were stunned -- in a good way. The cake* passed the 'carnivores love it' test with flying colours, as well as meeting the 67 criteria for budget-conscious and low-cholesterol.
Butter and egg free, the cake is healthier than most. 67 also replaced some plain flour with wholemeal and cut back on sugar, adding sweet ground almonds instead.
Cost: £4.00 plus topping (2018 prices)
Makes: 12-16 slices
Ingreds:
125g plain flour
100g wholemeal flour
125g plain flour
100g wholemeal flour
1½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
75g/2.6oz cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate)
375ml hot water, from a recently boiled kettle
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vanilla
90ml sunflower/light vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons vinegar
1-2 tbsp/30ml whisky
Topping:
150ml vegan cream (or dairy for vegetarians) whipped to med firm peaks
1 tbsp whiskey
3-4 tbsp icing sugar (opt)
finely grated 70% dark chocolate
260gm/9.1oz soft dark brown sugar plus
40gm/1.4oz ground almonds
(OR 300gm soft dark brown sugar)
40gm/1.4oz ground almonds
(OR 300gm soft dark brown sugar)
Topping:
150ml vegan cream (or dairy for vegetarians) whipped to med firm peaks
1 tbsp whiskey
3-4 tbsp icing sugar (opt)
finely grated 70% dark chocolate
1 x 23cm/9in circular pan with removable sides
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350f/180C/gas 4
- Place pan on a piece of greaseproof paper, run a pen around the bottom, cut out the circle & use it (ink-side down) to line the base. Lightly brush veg oil over the sides.
- Mix flours, bicarb, salt, espresso & cocoa in lge bowl (NOT the sugar)
- In a separate bowl, blend sugar, water, oil and vinegar; add to dry ingred. Beat with whisk or electric beaters (3-4 mins) until thick & glossy.
- Pour into tin; bake 30-35 mins. It's ready when cake comes away from the tin and a cake tester comes out relatively clean. It's a fudgy cake; don't overdo the cooking
- Leave cake in tin; poke plenty of holes in surface with a skewer; brush with 1-2 tbsp good whiskey
- Let the cake go completely cold in its tin on a wire rack
- Remove sides; add topping
Topping:
- whip cream to medium-soft peaks
- stir in whiskey
- Either serve on the side dusted with cocoa
- OR add 3-4 tbsp sifted icing sugar until it holds its shape & sits nicely on the top of the cake; dust with cocoa
Comments:
On the cake being vegan: 'Really!!?? Wow. Amazing!'
Otherwise:
'It's yummy - one of the best cakes you've ever made; the sponge is very light and the icing is great.' Political agent
'Moist & lovely; a great cake.' Campaign manager
'Melts in the mouth; really nice and spongy; really silky cream.' Boston intern
Tips:
- 67's preferred topping is a (non-vegan) whipped cream with whisky & chocolate. Vegans can go with a non-dairy cream or buttercream icing made with non-dairy butter & milk
- If the cake is for a family with kids, divide the cake in 2, either in halves or 2/3:1/3. Decide which portion is for the kids and cover with buttercream icing and sprinkles. The adult portion can be sprinkled with finely chopped nuts as well as chocolate
- vegan cakes are not normally 67's choice; too many contain coconut oil (not good for the heart) and expensive seeds but recent recipes are very appealing. 67's vegan cakes are so tasty and beautifully textured, tasters are astonished that they're vegan.
*adapted from Nigella
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