When it comes to foolproof desserts, nothing beats chocolate cake. It is universally loved and the texture can be fine-tuned to be fudgy or airy, or even brownie-like. And with that tiny bit of espresso added, it is a chocolate dream come true.
And Biscoff cookies, with their rich and deep caramel and cinnamon flavour, pair perfectly with both chocolate cake and apricot brandy. In general, apricots compliment caramel very nicely, and brighten up those deep, earthy cinnamon tones.
My tips for success.
Whenever you make this type of filling, it is always a good idea to add the ground biscuits gradually, stirring with a spatula or a wooden spoon, so the filling stays nice and soft, but workable. It is also good to have a few extra biscuits on the side, in case the filling is too soft.
The reason behind this is quite simple - some vegan soured cream alternatives have more liquid than others, and that affects the filling consistency greatly. Combined with the additional liquid from the apricot brandy, it is a great idea to have a bit more cookies on hand.
If you do not want to use the apricot brandy, do add a few drops of apricot extract, and adjust the amount of ground biscuits added to the filling. In general, these quantities cannot make the filling too crumbly, but if that does happen, add a tablespoon of plain yoghurt and stir it through, and it will be perfect.
However, if you wish to add more of the apricot brandy to this little cake, do not add it to the filling, because it will get way to soft to set, but instead sprinkle it on the cake layers. You can use it as it is, or mix it with a bit of simple syrup, to dilute it, I leave that to you.
Ingredients
For the chocolate fudge cake layers
250 grams plain flour
40 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
300 grams icing sugar
10 grams baking powder
425 millilitres boiling water
1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
100 grams applesauce
45 millilitres vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
For the Biscoff filling
250 grams Biscoff cookies, finely ground
350 grams vegan soured cream alternative or thick vegan Skyr
150 grams icing sugar, sifted
30 millilitres apricot brandy
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For serving
100 grams dark chocolate (80%)
Preparation
Start by making the chocolate cake layers. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Take a large bowl and sift in the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the sugar and mix it through. Line a rectangular cake pan (20x30 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set it aside.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients; add in the warm water, oil, vanilla, applesauce, and fresh lemon juice, and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately in a preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Make sure the cake is soft and fudgy, and not dry. Let it cool in the pan completely.
Once the cake is cool to the touch, make the filling. Place the vegan soured cream alternative (or vegan Skyr) into a medium bowl, add in the apricot brandy, vanilla, and the icing sugar, and fold them together using a spatula. Add in the ground Biscoff cookies, and fold them through until combined. The filling will be soft, but manageable. If you feel it is too soft to work with, add a bit more of ground Biscoff cookies.
As soon as everything is ready, proceed to assemble the cake. Level the cake, if necessary, and slice it in half crosswise and lengthwise, to create four thin rectangular layers. Take a few big spoonfuls of the filling to use as frosting, and divide the rest into three equal parts.
Place the first cake layer onto the serving platter, close a cake form around it, line it with a strip of acetate, and spread on a portion of the filling. Continue stacking until everything is used up, and spread the reserved filling on the very top of the cake. Place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, remove the cake from and the acetate strip, abundantly top with dark chocolate shavings and serve. Yields 9 rich servings.