Luscious Dark Chocolate & Carob Pudding Cake with a Rich Chocolate & Carob Glossy Frosting

Here’s a fantastic ‘must-keep’ recipe I created for you. Again, ideal for Birthday parties, a Christmas tea-time surprise, Thanksgiving, or any other festive occasion that calls for celebration. This cake is luscious, moist, fresh, very chocolaty, and rich in a light kind of way. I created a glossy frosting, which is beautifully decadent. Once you make this, there’s no going back. I love carob, and that is why I added it to this cake (if you don’t wish to add it or don’t have it, no worries just add cocoa powder instead), which gives it wonderful undertones.  This cake is also ideal for non-vegans !

 

Serving suggestion : Please do not serve this cake straight out from the fridge, but rather let it reach room temperature first, otherwise the texture will be too dense, and the flavour will not be fully experienced. Also it’s perfect when served with vegan whipped vegan cream or make your own nut cream (see recipe for it below), this serves to balance out all the chocolate overtones perfectly – I suggest making the white cream beforehand, and keeping in the fridge.

 

NOTE : Be organized when making this cake – you will need a tidy kitchen, a clean, tidy worktop, and your ingredients and utensils all ready to go beforehand.

 

 

CASHEW NUT CREAM

¾ cup presoaked cashew nuts

½ tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup cold water

1/8 tsp xanthan gum (for a creamier taste)

1 to 2 Tbsp sweetener of your choice (I recommend maple or agave syrup, and use less if you wish – try 1 Tbsp first, test, and then mix in more if you wish)

 

METHOD

Place the ingredients in your food blender/liquidizer, and process until smooth, rich and creamy. Then decant into an airtight container, refrigerate, and spoon onto the cake as desired.

 

CAKE DRY INGREDIENTS

3 full cups of fine plain flour (about 330 grams)

¼ tsp of fine sea salt

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tsp carob powder

70g dark cocoa powder – or 3 heaped Tbsp

250g dark muscovado sugar

 

DRY INGREDIENTS METHOD

Place your dried ingredients in a large bowl, and using clean hands, break down to form small refined crumbs (yes, you can also do this in a food processor). Then pass the result through a sieve, and discard the few hard bits that remain in the sieve. You should be left with a mix that resembles fine flour. Keep this in your bowl, and form a little well in the centre in readiness for the liquid.

 

 

 

CAKE WET INGREDIENTS

350 ml very hot water

85 ml refined melted coconut oil (Fair trade, such as Biona)

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

a few drops of vanilla extract

 

WET INGREDIENTS METHOD

Stir them well together, in readiness for adding to the dried mix.

 

INCORPORATING YOUR CAKE

Pre-heat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC).. Then start by pouring a quarter of the liquid to the well of the dried cake mix and stir – continue doing this until it is totally incorporated. You will be left with a ganache consistency – a little thick but very pourable.

 

Now using greaseproof/parchment paper, line and grease a cake springform pan – 7 inch in diameter and 3 inches high should do you – be sure to cut the circle base a half inch larger than the base, to ensure none of the cake mix seeps out. Then pour the cake mix in carefully.

 

Place in your hot oven for half an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean(ish).

 

INGREDIENTS & PREPARATION FOR GARNISH

½ cup whole pecans – roast for 5 minutes until they’ve taken some colour. You can do this whilst your cake is in the oven. When they have cooled, process them until medium to small in size and set aside in a ramekin dish to sprinkle at the end.

 

Meanwhile, whilst the cake is baking, stay close, but make your Rich Chocolate & Carob Frosting. This frosting is delicious, and is made with the addition of whole dark chocolate to add to its premium rich quality. You will be able to pour it on top once the cake has baked and cooled off on a wire rack.

 

When the cake is ready, gently remove the springform pan, so the cake remains on the base. Place your cake upside down on a plate, and turn over again onto your wire rack. Allow for it to totally cool off (an hour or so). Make your frosting as per below in the meantime.

 

CHOCOLATE & CAROB FROSTING INGREDIENTS

85g melted refined coconut oil

3 Tbsp water

a few drops of vanilla essence

1/8 tsp salt

45g muscovado sugar (use more if you want it sweeter)

2 tsp carob powder

150g dark chocolate (process this so it forms bits in your food processor)

 

FROSTING METHOD

Place all the ingredients, except for the chocolate pieces, in a saucepan, and heat up gently, mixing all the time. When the ingredients are incorporated, add the chocolate pieces a little at a time and using a hand whisk, whisk through gently until you have added it all. Then allow it to cool down.

 

FINAL FROSTING & GARNISH

With a very large spoon, spoon on the glossy choc frosting to cover all the cake – pour this gently, and finally garnish with the roasted broken down pecan nuts.

 

Let the cake rest well before cutting.

 

Store in the fridge, but remove an hour or so in advance, then cut and take from it as your sweet heart desires, and remember my suggestion to serve with a vegan cream.

 

Enjoy and please, do let me know how it works for you ! X

 

 

 

All recipes and content © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010

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