VEGAN BROWN SUGAR BUTTERSCOTCH CAKE

The sauce here provides more than you’ll need for this cake, so store it in the fridge for another occasion.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes,

plus cooling time COOKING TIME:

50 minutes

Serves 12-15 INGREDIENTS

For the butterscotch sauce 120g light brown sugar

80g vegan butter

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

½ tsp fine sea salt 120ml coconut cream

For the cake

210ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

420g plain flour 345g light brown sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 vegan eggs (3 tbsp ground flaxseed or psyllium husks mixed with 9 tbsp water

to make a thickened, slightly gloopy mixture like whisked egg)

350ml soya milk Cacao nibs, for sprinkling

For the vanilla buttercream 170g vegan butter

350g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

¼ tsp fine sea salt 2 tbsp non-dairy milk

METHOD

h For the butterscotch

sauce, place the sugar, vegan butter, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan and heat until the butter has

melted and everything is bubbling. Heat for another

two to three minutes, then pour in the coconut cream

and heat for a further two minutes, until reduced to a slightly syrupy consistency. Pour into a jug and set aside to cool; it should have

a pourable caramel consistency. The sauce can

be refrigerated until needed, but might need

to be warmed gently to make it pourable again.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 23 x 33cm baking tin and line with a strip of parchment paper that overhangs the

long sides. the cake, put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the

vegan eggs, oil and soya milk and whisk to form a

smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared tin

and spread evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in

the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave to

cool in the tin for 20 minutes before using the parchment paper to lift the cake onto a wire rack to

cool completely. For the buttercream, put the vegan butter into a large

bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the icing

sugar a few spoonfuls at a time, beating well between each addition. Once all the

sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla and salt and beat on a high speed for about five minutes, or until light and

fluffy. Add the non-dairy milk and beat to combine. To assemble the cake,

spread it with the buttercream, then drizzle

over some butterscotch sauce, gently swirling it into the buttercream. Sprinkle

over the cacao nibs. If stored in a sealed container, this will keep for two to

three days.