Chocolate fudge cake

Eggless cakes can have a leathery texture, but this chocolatey version is irresistible.

SERVES 8 PREP 25min, plus cooling COOK about 40min

• 75ml (3fl oz) vegetable oil, plus extra to grease

• 125g (4oz) caster sugar

• 175g (6oz) plain flour

• 25g (1oz) cocoa powder

• ¾tsp bicarbonate of soda

• ¾tsp baking powder

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 2tsp cider vinegar

• 200ml (7fl oz) milk

FOR THE ICING

• 300g (11oz) full-fat cream cheese

• 2tbsp cocoa powder

• 125g (4oz) icing sugar, sifted

• 2tbsp maple syrup

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease and line an 18cm (7in) round cake tin with baking parchment. Sift sugar, flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl.

2 In a separate jug, mix the oil, vanilla extract, vinegar and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour bowl. Quickly whisk together to combine (the mixture will be quite liquid). Pour into prepared tin and quickly put into the oven. Bake for 40min or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool for 5min in tin. Lift out and cool completely on a wire rack.

3 To ice, cut the cake in half horizontally. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese to soften. Sift over the cocoa and icing sugar, then add the syrup. Whisk until smooth. Use some of the icing to sandwich cake layers back together. Spread remaining icing over top of cake.

PER SERVING: CALS 473; FAT 27G; SAT FAT 13G; CARBS 56G

COOK’S TIP The vinegar reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to help the cake to rise.