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Chocolate fudge cake

Death by chocolate, what a way to go! No chocolate cake is too rich for me and this one is certainly rich and gooey, just like a brownie, topped with a wonderfully dark and fudgy ganache. Don’t worry if the top cracks and sinks a bit because, as with a good brownie, the top becomes crispy during baking and any defects are covered up with the fudge topping.

serves: 14

preparation: 40 minutes

baking: 1¼ to 1½ hours

cooling: Up to 1 hour

freeze: Yes, without the icing

for the cake mixture

200g (7oz) good-quality (60% cocoa) dark dairy-free chocolate

200g (7oz) dairy-free spread

1 tbsp instant coffee granules mixed with 125ml (5fl oz) cold water

85g (3oz) wheat- and gluten-free plain flour 85g (3 oz) wheat- and gluten-free self-raising flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g (7oz) light muscovado sugar

200g (7oz) golden caster sugar

25g (1oz) cocoa powder

75ml (2½fl oz) soya/rice/almond milk

½ tbsp lemon juice

3 large eggs, beaten

100g (3½oz) bar white dairy-free chocolate, for decoration

for the fudge ganache

225g (8oz) good-quality (60% cocoa) dark dairy-free chocolate

55g (2oz) dark

muscovado sugar

225g (8oz) dairy-free spread

5 tbsp dairy-free Evaporated Milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

equipment

20cm (8 inch) deep cake tin and swivel-bladed vegetable peeler

* Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. Grease the tin and line the base with baking parchment.

* Melt the chocolate, dairy-free spread and coffee mixture over a medium heat in a heavy-based saucepan until everything has just melted. Or, if it’s easier, in a suitable bowl in the microwave on high for about 1½ minutes. Remove from the microwave, stir and leave any unmelted bits of chocolate to finish melting.

* Whilst the chocolate is melting, in a big bowl mix the flours, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa powder. Use your fingers to get rid of any lumps caused by the muscovado sugar.

* Heat your milk in the microwave on high for about 20 seconds or heat for a couple of minutes in a small heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Take the milk off the heat, add the lemon juice and stir until the milk begins to thicken and look curdled. Congratulations, you now have dairy-free buttermilk.

* Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add the dairy-free buttermilk.

* Add the melted chocolate mixture and the beaten egg/milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a big metal spoon, stir until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, runny consistency.

* Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 1¼ to 1½ hours.

* Whilst the cake is baking, make the fudge ganache. Put the chocolate, muscovado sugar, dairy-free spread, dairy-free evaporated milk and vanilla extract into a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until everything has melted. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool. Once cool, cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or until spreadable.

* Once you think the cake is cooked, pierce the middle with a metal skewer and, if it comes out clean, then it is ready. Leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool completely on a metal cooling rack.

* When the cake has cooled, cut it in half horizontally, not worrying if the top cracks because this will be covered by the ganache. Sandwich the two halves together with a third of the ganache, then spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake, swirling it to give a frosted appearance.

* Holding the swivel-bladed vegetable peeler close to the edge of the bar of white dairy-free chocolate, run it along the top of the bar to shave off the curls. Sprinkle over the cake to decorate.

tip: Dab a small amount of apricot jam or glaze onto your cake board to hold the cake in place. It’s a heavy cake and you don’t want it to slip off.