Chocolate sponge cake

Sponge cake

• 600ml soya milk
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 2 tbsp milled chia seeds (you can grind in your blender)
• Generous pinch of sea/pink salt
• 350g wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 200ml vegetable oil (use coconut if you wish)
• 130g coconut sugar
• 50g cacao/cocoa powder

Frosting

• 450g icing sugar
• 5 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g vegan butter/spread
• 5-6 tbsp plant milk

Sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4
2. Mix the milk and vinegar and set aside for 15 minutes. The vinegar/juice curdles the milk making butter milk. Butter milk gives a creamy texture and it a great binder.
3. In a large bowl mix the flour, chia seeds, salt, baking powder, soda, sugar and cacao. Once combined pour in the butter milk, oil and vanilla.
4. Using a large spoon or whisk mix until you have a thick batter. If the batter is too thick add a dash more milk.
5. Set aside for ten minutes for the chia seeds to soak up some of the liquid. Mix again and pour into two lined/greased 7/8″ cake tins.
6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
7. Let the cakes rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before tipping out. Allow to cool fully before frosting the cake.

Frosting

1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until you have a thick frosting. If it’s too thick add 1 tbsp of milk and whisk again.
2. Place the sponge on a large plate and slice off the top to give a level finish.
3. Using a cake knife or spatula spread the frosting in the centre right up to the edges.
4. Place the second sponge on top and again level by slicing any excess sponge off.
5. Cover the top with the rest of the frosting and spread over the top then around the edges.