This cake is divine, it is soft, moist and resembles a chocolate fudge/mud cake.

I’ve served this to non-vegans and chocolate eaters and they absolutely love it, they had no idea it was not made from cocoa.


Cake Ingredients:
½ cup Wholemeal flour

¾ cup unbleached white flour

2/3 Cup Raw Carob Powder*

2 Tbsp Coffee substitute (I use “Nature’s Cuppa, Rich Roast” – coffee alternative, caffeine free)

1 Cup Coconut Sugar (or 3/4 Cup raw sugar)

1 tsp Aluminium free baking Soda (optional – this makes the cake softer)

½ tsp fine Celtic Salt

2/3 Cup Vanilla/plain Soy Milk

1/3 Cup Rice Bran Oil (OR replace with 1/4 Cup Rice bran oil & 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Tahini paste)*

½ Cup water

1 Cup roasted chopped hazelnuts, slivered almonds, peanuts or desiccated coconut for topping later, optional

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Easy Carob Frosting Ingredients:

1 Cup Vegan Carob buttons (if these are not already sweeten, add Coconut Sugar or honey to taste - you can also get the ones we use here that are already sweeten)

¼-1/3 Cup Soy Milk (depending on your preference of consistency)

2 Tbsp Coffee Substitute

2 Tbsp Tahini paste

2 Tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter

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Please note that if eaten right away, this frosting will be more of a soft spreadable consistency. But if allowed to cool down even further for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving, it will have a firmer and fudgy consistency.

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Method:

Preheat Oven to 176 degrees C.

Use a 9-inch round pan, place the base of the pan on top of a piece of parchment paper and draw around the base of the pan, cut out the circled parchment paper and place it inside the pan. Oil the parchment paper and set aside (do not oil the sides of the pan, as the oil will not allow the cake to rise evenly).

In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients, mix well with a whisk.

Add all other ingredients into the same bowl and mix well.

Scoop mixture into the baking pan and spread out evenly.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25mins. You may need to turn the cake around after 10mins to ensure even baking, or test using a toothpick to see if it’s cooked, by inserting toothpick in the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean, then it’s cooked. Be careful not to overbake or it will be dry!

Transfer to a cake tray and place a lid on top of the cake while allowing it to cool down completely. I find that if the cake is covered, it will not let the cake dry out and will keep it nice and moist.


To make the Carob Frosting, add all frosting ingredients in the order listed into a medium saucepan, then turn on to medium-low heat. Constantly stir with a whisk as the carob chips melt and all is mixed well. Once the frosting is smooth, take off heat and pour onto the cake. Smooth the frosting over and around the cake.


Sprinkle with roasted hazel nuts, slivered almonds, peanuts or desiccated coconut if desired.


Serve slices of the cake with 1-2 Scoops of Coconut Cream (Make sure the bran you use is a pure full fat coconut cream that is actually thick and not runny - mix 1 cup coconut cream with ½-1 Tbsp Pure Maple syrup, mix well, scoop and serve with cake), and neither you nor your guests will ever know that this is not real dairy cream (in fact it tastes even better than dairy cream!)

I keep my cake in a cake carrier/display box with lid on, on the bench top somewhere in a cool place and it should be good for 4-5 days, although mine is usually gone by second day.


* When using Raw Carob powder in this recipe, it gives less of a carob after taste and with the added coffee substitute, it really mimics that of actual chocolate mud cake. I have tried using roasted carob powder in this recipe prior, but it had too much of a carob aftertaste that I did not really fancy. Though my kids didn't seem to mind, so if you don’t have raw carob powder, you can still try using roasted carob powder and see how you like it.

* I have tried substituting 1/3 cup oil with 1/4 cup oil and 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Tahini paste, and it also worked very well and tasted great. To me this slight difference, makes the cake that much healthier.