A very long time ago, I found a recipe for a treat that included making a cooked pudding. Understandably, it got my attention immediately, because I had just learnt to make pudding, and I was confident that this one would be a breeze, as well. However, the instructions were not as detailed as I needed them to be, and the cake recipe fell into oblivion.
That is one of the reasons why I now try to be as detailed as possible when writing a recipe. I feel it is very important to keep in mind that everyone was once a beginner, every single person once started starry-eyed and plenty of hope their recipe will work; and I find great joy in seeing people succeed in their baking adventures.
This cake is one of those that young Tina would have loved to prepare. No baking, no tricky ingredients, no special and hard to find equipment; just biscuits, chocolate, and walnuts. A seriously delicious and rich cake, with three layers of pure indulgence.
It is best served in modest slices, due to its richness, with strong coffee, and a few extra walnuts. And a bit of whipped plant cream, if you're so inclined.
Ingredients
For the base
200 grams vegan vanilla biscuit crumbs
30 grams icing sugar, sifted
120 grams vegan block butter
100 millilitres soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the fillings
900 millilitres soy milk
120 grams cornflour
120 grams brown sugar
150 grams vegan block butter
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
200 grams vegan vanilla biscuit crumbs
200 grams toasted walnuts, ground
150 grams dark chocolate (75%)
Preparation
To make the base, place the biscuit crumbs and the sugar in a medium bowl, and set aside. Melt the vegan block butter over medium-high heat, pour it over the cookie crumbs, add in the milk and the vanilla, and mix together until a soft dough forms.
Place a small (15 cm) cake ring on a serving plate, add a tall strip of acetate, close it in place, and press the cookie dough into the bottom, forming a base. Level it as much as you can, and set it aside.
To make the fillings, pour the cold soy milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add in the cornflour and the sugar, and whisk until blended and smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat and let it heat up slowly. As soon as it starts to steam, start whisking.
Once it comes to a boil, cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens and resembles a custard, about 2-3 minutes. Remove it from the heat, and let it cool down for just a minute. Add in the vegan butter, one piece at a time, whisking constantly. Once melted, add in the vanilla, and blend. Divide the custard into two equal parts.
Add the vanilla biscuit crumbs to one part, mix well, and spread that filling over the base. Place the platter into the refrigerator while you work on the other part.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, and let it cool slightly. Add the ground walnuts to the remaining filling, and blend well. Finally, pour in the melted and cooled chocolate, and mix everything together. Take the cake out of the refrigerator, spread the chocolate filling over the vanilla filling, and return the cake to chill for at least 8 hours. It can also be frozen for about 30 minutes before serving. Yields 16 servings.