Vegonary 2022: Vegan Chocolate Cake

This is such an interesting recipe, combining 2 things so worth exploring: vegan food, and sourdough waste (which can be used if available, but the cake works equally well without). The result is dense and gooey; akin to brownies.

Since 2014, Vegonary has inspired and supported more than one million people across 192 countries to adopt a vegan diet – or simply to try vegan recipes, and perhaps increase their intake of plant based foods: fresh, tasty, and healthy for us, & the planet! January each year is flagged up by the Vegonary movement as a good time to think about increasing our intake of plant based foods; see their website for tips and inspiration. This is a quick and very tasty recipe in its own right, as well as ticking the box for those avoiding dairy or trying a vegan diet.

The art of Sourdough bread making necessitates ‘feeding’ and dividing the natural yeast ‘starter’ regularly. To avoid waste, a good repertoire of recipes for using that wonderfully bubbly mass is a must!

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NB: If you don’t have sourdough starter, just increase flour to 1.5 cups, and water to 1 cup.

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup unfed discarded starter (if you have it; if not, see note above)
• ½ cup  water
• 1 Tbs white or cider vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup olive oil plus extra for greasing the pan

Coconut buttercream frosting, optional – Combine & beat well:

• 2 Tbs coconut butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 to 2 Tbs of plant based milk of your choice
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180 C. Line an 8″ / 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
2. Combine sifted flour with dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Combine wet ingredients in a large jug or bowl and mix.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix.
5. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
7. Ice, if wished, once cool.
8. Serve alone, or with berry or cherry compote and / or dairy free yogurt or ice cream.

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Variation:

If you prefer smaller cakes, use x9 muffin cases, and bake for a shorter time: around 15 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Recipe originally from Zero Waste Chef.

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Sourdough facts:

An average slice of sourdough bread has a Glycemic Index of around 49. Any food with a score lower than 50 is considered to be a ‘low GI food’ – healthy, as our bodies break down their sugars more slowly than foods with a high GI; meaning that you feel full for longer. The effects of slow digestion are also a more stable blood sugar and insulin level: which is thought to be positive in terms of mood, energy and concentration – as well as avoiding diabetes.

For great resources to get you started with Sourdough look online – there’s so much advice. One of my ‘go to’ websites is ‘Clever Carrot’: see their guide to getting started with making artisan sourdough here.