IRISH COFFEE CHOCOLATE CAKE: butter & egg free, no dairy option; higher fibre, healthier, vegan

Special occasion cake for St Patrick's Day that tastes and feels like proper cake but is vegan...

updated 3/25; first posted 2018;

'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 replaced some plain flour with wholemeal (Or try fine matzo flour, which 67 has not tested)  and cut back on sugar, adding sweet ground almonds instead. 

Cost: £6.00 plus topping (2025) 
Makes: 12-16 slices 

Ingreds:

   125g plain flour, organic if poss 
   100g wholemeal flour , organic if poss

        (Or 225g fine matzo flour)

   1.5 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

   ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

   1.5 teaspoons instant espresso powder OR strong instant

   75g/2.6oz cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate)

   375ml hot water, from a recently boiled kettle
   1 tsp vanilla

   90ml sunflower/light vegetable oil

   1.5 teaspoons vinegar 

   260gm/9.1oz soft dark brown sugar plus 
         40gm/1.4oz ground almonds
   (OR 300gm soft dark brown sugar)

  1-2 tbsp/30ml whisky (opt)

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 

Method: