VEGAN CAPPUCCINO CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM CAKE

By now, it is a well-known fact that I believe ice cream cakes should be enjoyed all year long, and not just during summer. And if it's a chocolate ice cream cake, even better.

I have had this chessboard cake idea for a while, and it is finally seeing the light of day. Sixty-four alternating pieces of chocolate and brown sugar and vanilla cakes, and vanilla and chocolate espresso ice cream fillings. A marvellous, show-stopping cake fit for any celebration.

My tips for success.

Take your time with both the cake layers and the fillings. This is one of those cakes that does require presence and effort, especially with the assembly. It relies on exact dimensions of each of the strips, so take your time with those. Lining them up is not difficult, and although you have to work quickly, it is an absolutely fun part of the assembly.

Even if you are not super precise with the height of the filling or layers themselves, as long as all the layers are the same height and the fillings are the same height, it will work. However, if you feel the cake is getting a bit too tall for your comfort, you can absolutely use thin cake dowels to support it.

Ingredients
For the chocolate cake layers
100 grams plain flour
100 grams granulated sugar
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
30 millilitres vegetable oil
125 millilitres water
For the vanilla cake layers
100 grams plain flour
100 grams dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
30 millilitres vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
125 millilitres water
For the fillings
700 millilitres soy milk, cold
80 grams cornflour
20 grams plain flour
120 grams granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
300 grams vegan block butter, room temperature; separated
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant vegan cappuccino powder, or to taste
For the frosting
150 grams dark chocolate (70%)
200 millilitres vegan double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Preparation

On day one, make the fillings, as they need to be frozen solid before assembling. Pour the cold soy milk into a heavy-bottomed pot, add in the flour and the cornflour, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk very well, place the pot over medium-high heat, and let it slowly heat up. As soon as it starts to steam, start whisking.

Let it come to a gentle boil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2-3 minutes, until it thickens. Remove from the heat and immediately add 50 grams of vegan block butter. Whisk until melted and incorporated or emulsify using an immersion blender. Cover the top with cling film or a piece of baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.

Once the filling is at room temperature and ready, place the remaining softened vegan butter into a large bowl, and whip it with an electric mixer on high for about 5 minutes, making it light and fluffy. Separately whip the custard until it becomes smooth, and without stopping the beaters, add a tablespoon of the custard at a time to the whipped butter, blending them together until smooth and creamy.

Weigh and divide the filling into two parts. Add sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and instant espresso powder to one half and whip very well. Set two cake frames or suitable moulds to 12x24 cm and line them with either a thin strip of acetate or fitted baking parchment. Spread the fillings into the prepared frames, making it around 1.5 cm tall, reserving any excess filling into a separate bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a piece of baking parchment, and place in the freezer overnight. Cover any remaining filling with plastic and place it into the refrigerator.

The next day, make the cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line two small square cake pans (12x12 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides.

For the chocolate layers, sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso, and baking soda. Add in the sugar and mix very well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add in the water, oil, vanilla, and the vinegar, and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into one of the the prepared pans.

For the vanilla layers, sift together the plain flour and baking soda, and add them to a medium bowl. Add in the sugar, and whisk it well. Finally, pour in the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla, and whisk everything together until just combined. Pour into the other prepared pan.

Bake the cakes immediately in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 30-35 minutes. Check them with a toothpick, making sure they stay soft and fudgy, and not dry. Let them cool in the pans completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap or baking parchment, and place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes, up to an hour.

When everything is ready, proceed to assemble the cake.

Take the cake layers out of the freezer and level them to be exactly 3 cm tall, and then split them in half, getting two sheets that are 12x12x1.5 cm. The dimensions are important for stacking. Slice each sheet into 8 equal rectangles, each 1.5x12x1.5 cm.

Take the frozen fillings out of the freezer and cut each block in half, again working with two sheets of each filling, each of them being 12x12x1.5 cm. Slice each of them into 8 equal rectangles, just like the cake layers.

Working very quickly, start assembling the cake. Place one strip of chocolate cake, and one strip of vanilla cake next to it. Continue until you have 8 strips lined up. Take one strip of vanilla filling and place it on the chocolate cake strip. Alternating the fillings, continue lining up strips of fillings until you have 8 of them. Repeat this three more times, so you end up with four layers of cake in alternating colours, and four layers of filling, also in alternating colours, as shown on the photo. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and place it into the freezer for about an hour.

To make the frosting, melt together the chocolate, vanilla, and vegan double cream, and let it cool down slightly. To that, add any filling that was leftover from the previous day, and blend them well.

Once again working quickly, frost the entire cake, and return it to the freezer in a sealed container so it stays fresh. Serve the cake as desired, preferably in thin slices, with strong espresso. Yields 12 rich servings.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE COCONUT FUDGE CAKE BARS

This type of dessert is my firm favourite when it comes to gatherings, especially the ones I attend and not host, as well as picnics. Incredibly easy to prepare, keeps well, and it can be served from the cake pan itself, which makes transport infinitely easier.

Cake bars were very popular when I was a child, and rightfully so, to be honest, and you can see many examples of my affection towards them on my blogs. You can think of them as frosted brownies, always topped with melted chocolate. Marvellous texture combination, with the fudge cake layer, gloriously creamy frosting, and the chocolate shell on top.

Using fresh coconut in fillings is something somewhat new to me, as I have used desiccated coconut for decades, mainly due to immediate availability, and it is quickly becoming a very beloved ingredient. The flavour is perhaps a touch milder than it would be with desiccated coconut, but the texture it gives is unmatched.

And finally, if you like your coconut desserts better with milk chocolate, so they resemble Bounty bars, you can use vegan milk chocolate and make the glaze sweeter that way. The same quantities and methods apply, of course.

Ingredients
For the chocolate fudge cake
100 grams plain flour
20 grams ground almonds
120 grams granulated sugar
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
150 millilitres water
30 millilitres vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ teaspoons vinegar
For the fresh coconut filling
200 grams fresh coconut
250 millilitres coconut milk
50 grams cornflour
60 grams granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
150 grams vegan block butter, diced
For the chocolate topping
100 grams dark chocolate (70%)
30 millilitres oil
40 grams flaked almonds, optional

Preparation

Start by making the chocolate fudge base. Line a small square baking pan (18x18 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set it aside. Let the oven preheat to 180°C.

Sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Add in the sugar and almonds, and mix very well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add in the water, oil, vanilla, and the vinegar, and whisk until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 12-15 minutes, or until done. Check it with a toothpick, making sure it stays soft and fudgy. Let the cake cool in the pan completely.

For the coconut cream filling, add the fresh coconut, coconut milk, cornflour, vanilla, and sugar into a blender, and let it run until the batter becomes completely smooth. Add it to a heavy-bottomed pot, place the pot over medium-high heat, and let it slowly heat up. As soon as it starts to steam, start whisking. Let it come to a gentle boil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, until it thickens.

Remove from the heat and immediately add the diced vegan block butter. Whisk until melted and incorporated or emulsify using an immersion blender. Spread the filling over the cooled cake loosely cover the top with cling film or a piece of baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.

Once cool, proceed to make the glaze. Melt together the chocolate and the oil, and if desired, blend them further with an immersion blender. Add in the flaked almonds, if using, and wait for it to cool down and thicken up slightly. Glaze the top generously and place the pan into the refrigerator overnight. Serve with strong coffee. Yields 9 generous servings.

VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHOCOLATE RUM CAKE

This little vegan chocolate cake is much more than just a dessert; it is utter indulgence on a plate, with an unexpected ingredient, the humble sweet potato. Combining the richness of dark chocolate with the subtle warmth of rum, the cake is sheer nostalgia, which honestly makes it perfect for cosy evenings and small gatherings. And if you love the flavour of rum in your cakes as much as I do, feel free to add a tiny splash to the cake itself, it will pair perfectly with the cinnamon and cocoa powder.

My tips for success.

Sweet potato can be baked, boiled and drained well, or even steamed - as long as it is mashed well and not watery, it will be perfect. Its natural sweetness pairs really well with the chocolate flavour, and the texture is simply perfectly fudgy.

If your filling seems a bit too soft, which can happen due to differences in vegan cream or how dry the sweet potatoes were, feel free to add a bit more of unsweetened cocoa powder or even two teaspoons of whipped cream stabiliser (modified starch, essentially). Both will work well.

The chocolate I used is the 75% one, as that is my absolute favourite, but feel free to use an even darker, more intense chocolate bar, if you prefer that. Because of the sugar content in the cake, it will be fine to go even up to 90% of cocoa solids for the frosting.

Ingredients
For the sweet potato chocolate cake
90 grams plain flour, sifted
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
120 grams sweet potato, cooked and mashed
130 grams light brown sugar
50 millilitres vegetable oil
1 heaping teaspoon vanilla bean paste
120 millilitres boiling water
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
For the sweet potato chocolate rum filling
80 grams sweet potato, cooked and mashed
80 grams dark chocolate (75%)
20 millilitres dark rum
20 grams icing sugar, sifted
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
120 millilitres vegan double cream
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Preparation

Start by making the chocolate fudge cake. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line a small (16 cm) round cake tin with baking parchment. Mix the cocoa powder and sugar with the boiling water and let it cool down slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the somewhat cooled bloomed cocoa powder and the sugar, and mix well.

Finally, sift in the dry ingredients and fold them through gently, making sure not to overmix the batter. Pour it into the prepared cake tin, level the top, and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 20-25 minutes. Just like any cake or brownies, check it with a toothpick to make sure it does not dry out. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely in the tin.

Once the cake is cool, proceed to make the filling. Melt the dark chocolate over low heat or in the microwave, and let it cool down. Place the mashed sweet potatoes in a medium bowl, add in the rum, icing sugar, and the cocoa powder, and mix well. Add in the cooled chocolate, and fold it through. Take a large bowl and whip the chilled vegan double cream and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Add in the chocolate batter and keep mixing on the medium setting until very stiff peaks form. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, and place the whole tin in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Once ready to serve, remove from the cake tin, top with chocolate shavings or some unsweetened cocoa powder, and serve with freshly brewed coffee. Yields 6 servings.

VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ORANGE DOUGHNUTS

There's something so timeless about the simple pleasure that is a doughnut; soft, sweet, and warm from the pan or the oven, lightly dusted with icing sugar or generously rolled in granulated sugar. For many, doughnuts are the first dessert ever sampled, which makes them even more special. Like I always say, a blend of sweetness and nostalgia on each bite.

And these lovely doughnuts are a combination of flavours that works wonders in every possible dessert - chocolate and orange. With melted chocolate in the dough itself, melted chocolate on top, and tangy homemade orange jam in the heart of every one of them, they are an effortless holiday comfort loved by everyone.

My tips for success.

Any type of mashed potatoes works, as long as they are unseasoned. Freshly made, reheated, and even the ones made from instant flakes. That is the beauty of this recipe; it is so infinitely adaptable and works well in many scenarios.

If using leftover potatoes, place them in a small pot or a microwave-safe dish, add in the chocolate, vegan butter, vanilla, and orange zest, and heat it all up until melted and combined. Same goes for the instant potato flakes. Cook enough of the flakes with water, according to the package directions, to get 100 grams, and proceed with the recipe as mentioned.

If the dough feels a bit on the drier side, which can happen depending on your potatoes, feel free to add a splash of water or even a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil, just to give it some hydration and elasticity. And if it feels way too soft and sticky to knead, add a bit of flour and continue.

As for the jam, the longer you cook it, the thicker it will be. It thickens considerably after cooling, which is fine, as we need it to stay inside the doughnuts as they bake, but it will affect how easily you can pipe or spoon it onto the dough. If it becomes too thick, gently warm it up before filling the doughnuts.

And finally, the glaze. I used a 60% dark chocolate because I find it works amazingly well in this recipe; however, feel free to use any chocolate you like. Milk chocolate would work just as well, as would an even darker bar of chocolate. The only caveat I have is not to go over 90% of cocoa solids because it can be a touch overwhelming, as that is the first thing you taste as you bite into the doughnut.

Ingredients
For the chocolate doughnuts
250 grams plain flour
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon salt
75 millilitres warm water
30 grams dark brown sugar
20 grams fresh yeast
100 grams unseasoned mashed potatoes
50 grams dark chocolate (75%)
30 grams vegan block butter
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
For the filling
350 grams fresh orange segments
120 grams sugar
100 grams candied orange peel
For the glaze
100 grams dark chocolate (60%)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Preparation

Start by making the jam. Wash the oranges and zest them to get one full teaspoon, then remove the peels and segment them. Put the segments, any juice they released, as well as the sugar and candied orange peels into a heavy-bottomed pot, and place it over medium heat. Just like any jam, wait for it to come to a gentle boil, and cook, stirring quite frequently, for 15-20 minutes from the moment it comes to a boil. The longer you cook it, the thicker it will be. Set it aside and let it cool down to at least room temperature, or place it in the refrigerator if made the day before.

For the dough, boil the potatoes in plenty of water, drain them well, and mash them however you like. Add the chopped chocolate, vegan block butter, vanilla, and fresh orange zest to the potatoes, and stir until melted and slightly thickened.

In a separate large bowl, dissolve the fresh yeast in warm water and sugar, and once bubbly and active, add in the slightly cooled mashed potatoes. Mix well, add in the cocoa powder, and blend. Finally, add in the flour and salt, and knead with your hands until smooth. Cover the dough and leave it in a warm spot for at least an hour, or until doubled.

Take the risen dough out of the bowl and knead it very lightly, just to remove some of the air, and then divide it into 9 equal parts, by weight. Without any shaping, flatten them with your hand on the work surface, add a portion of the jam filling, and close it very well. Take your time and indeed close them well, so the filling stays inside. Arrange them on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment, generously mist them with cold water, cover with a kitchen towel, and let them rise until doubled. Meanwhile, turn the oven on to preheat to 200˚C.

As soon as they're ready, bake in a preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 10-12 minutes. They need to remain as soft as possible, so watch them carefully. As they bake, start melting the chocolate for the glaze. It is best done over low heat or in the microwave. Once the doughnuts are baked, mist them generously with cold water, wait for the surface to become dry again, and then generously glaze them with chocolate. They are ready to serve as soon as the chocolate sets, but will keep in a sealed container for another day. Yields 9 servings.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU TRUFFLE CAKE

If you ask me, coffee desserts are always welcome and always a good idea. And when it comes to small gatherings, coffee and chocolate are always the right choice.

Pure truffle filling and gorgeous savoiardi-like layers, abundantly soaked with strong espresso and dark rum make for a perfect slice of sweetness on a plate. Additionally topped with some unsweetened cocoa powder and served with more coffee, it is a dream come true for the holidays.

My tips for success.

I made the base with just a regular spoon, as there is not a lot of batter, but a small hand mixer works well too, as does a sturdy spatula. I definitely recommend folding in the flour by hand, to avoid any overmixing.

You can use any type of sugar for the savoiardi bases; it does not have to be a mix of the two I used. This recipe works perfectly with pretty much all granulated sweeteners. Adding coconut sugar would bring a lovely caramel undertone to this dessert.

And finally, use the chocolate and the cocoa powder you enjoy the most. The chocolate flavour is quite prominent and so will be the cocoa powder, if you choose to dust the cake, so choose wisely. My choice is always a 75-80% cocoa solids bar, but any dark chocolate will work well. Same goes for the cocoa powder.

Ingredients
For the vegan savoiardi cakes
80 grams vegan block butter, softened
30 grams light brown sugar
20 grams granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
80 millilitres soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
120 grams plain flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 heaping tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling
For the chocolate tiramisu truffle filling
100 grams dark chocolate (75%)
200 millilitres plant-based double cream, divided
100 grams vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the coffee mix
150 ml strong espresso
30 ml dark rum
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation

Let the oven preheat to 180°C and draw two 13-cm circles on a large sheet of baking parchment, and place it onto a baking sheet. This will be used to bake the bases.

Take a medium bowl, add in the softened vegan block butter, both types of sugar, and vanilla, and blend either with just a spoon or a small hand mixer on medium speed, until combined. Add in the soy milk and vinegar and keep mixing and folding until as combined as possible. It may look like it is splitting, but that is fine.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and fold everything through. If, by any chance, the mix looks far too thick to be piped, add a small splash of soy milk. In the end, it should look like thick buttercream. Once it does, transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium regular round nozzle and pipe two circles of batter onto the prepared baking parchment. The batter should hold its shape well and not be runny.

Sprinkle them evenly with granulated sugar and bake, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for around 12-15 minutes, or until baked through. Make sure they are not overbaked and remove them as soon as they look golden on the bottom and the edges. Let the baked cakes cool completely on the baking sheet.

When the cakes are almost ready, melt together the chocolate and half of the vegan cream (100 millilitres) over a double boiler or in the microwave, and set it aside to cool down and thicken. It is best to allow it to cool down gradually and monitor it so it doesn't harden too much, as it will be nearly impossible to incorporate if it does.

Once everything is ready, whisk together the vegan cream cheese and the cocoa powder, add in the ganache and the vanilla, and combine. Separately, whip the remaining vegan cream until soft peaks form, add in the chocolate mix, and whip on medium speed until thickened and firm. It will resemble whipped ganache.

Mix the espresso, rum, and sugar in a small bowl and have a pastry brush ready.

Place the first cake layer onto a serving platter and brush it generously with the coffee mix. Take your time with this, as the cakes do not absorb the coffee that quickly, as traditional savoiardi would. Once happy with the result, spread a portion of the filling on top, and repeat with the other cake layer.

Spread the filling on top and the sides, reserving a bit of the filling to pipe on top, making the cake resemble traditional tiramisu. Pipe the decoration, dust with some additional cocoa powder, if desired, and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Yields 4 generous servings or 6 modest ones.