DEVIL’S FOOD SHEET CAKE

A moist and fudgy cake,

perfect whether you’re vegan or just in need of a

great chocolate treat.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes, plus cooling and

chilling time COOKING TIME:

30 minutes

Serves 12-15

INGREDIENTS

For the cake

120ml neutral-tasting oil, such as sunflower, plus extra for greasing

250g plain flour 75g cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

(baking soda)

½ tsp fine sea salt 300g light brown sugar

240ml dairy-free milk 240ml hot black coffee

2 tsp cider vinegar

For the chocolate ganache

125g light brown sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp instant espresso powder

½ tsp fine sea salt 400ml can coconut

cream, chilled

75g vegan butter

2 tbsp golden syrup or

brown rice syrup 325g dark chocolate (60% cocoa

solids), finely chopped

METHOD

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 overhanging the long sides.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder,

bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl.

Make a well in the middle and pour in the remaining

ingredients. Whisk together until a smooth,

thin batter forms. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 30 minutes, or until

a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Set aside to cool completely in the tin. For the ganache, put the

sugar in a saucepan with the cocoa powder, espresso

powder and salt and whisk together. Pour the coconut water into a jug and reserve for another recipe. Add the

remaining coconut cream to the espresso mixture and

whisk to form a smooth paste. Add the vegan butter and golden syrup, then place the pan over a

medium heat and bring to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a large bowl and pour the

cream mixture over it. Allow to sit for a couple of

minutes before stirring together to form a smooth ganache. Refrigerate until chilled but still spreadable – around 1–1½ hours – then whip until light and fluffy.

If overwhipped, it can become too thick, so whip

just until thickened and spreadable, like soft peak

whipped cream. Spread the whipped ganache over the cake and serve. If stored in a sealed

container, the cake will keep for three to four days,

but the ganache is best made on the day of serving.