No egg chocolate cake

Ingredients

1. Cut two 20cm circles from baking parchment and place on the base of two 20cm cake tins.

2. Preheat your oven to 180°c /160°c fan oven / gas mark 4.

3. Sift the cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Weigh in the self raising flour, bicarbonate
of soda, salt and light brown sugar and stir together.

4. Measure 250ml soya milk into a measuring jug and stir in the white wine vinegar. Melt the vegan margarine and add to the soya milk. Add a few drops of vanilla extract.

5. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a hand whisk until you have a smooth
thick batter. Add more soya milk if necessary, the consistency should be thicker than pancake
batter.

6. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes
until the cakes feel firm on top and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

7. Leave the sponges in the cake tin until needed. The cakes will be more crumbly while they’re hot.

8. Run a sharp knife around the outside of the cake to loosen from the tin. Place a large plate on top of the tin and carefully turn the cake onto the plate. Peel off the baking parchment. Place your serving plate on top of the cake then turn the cake and the two plates the right way up together. Take away the top plate.

9. Turn out the second cake out of the cake tin in the same way onto a plate or a flat tray before gently lifting on top of the first sponge.

Chocolate buttercream filling
Vegan margarine in a tub contains more water than block margarine. This needs more icing
sugar added to stop it splitting. A block margarine such as Naturli needs less icing sugar
added.

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the vegan margarine until softened. Add the icing sugar a little
at a time until it is all incorporated. This is easier with an electric mixer.

2. Sift in the cocoa powder. Stir to combine then whisk until soft. If the mixture is too thick, add
a drop of cooled boiled water until it is the correct consistency.

3. To assemble: Place one of the sponges onto your chosen plate or cake stand. Cover with a
generous layer of strawberry jam and chocolate buttercream. Carefully place the other sponge
on top and dust with icing sugar.