Time and again, I return to the chocolate cake. Chocolate cake to me, is like home. No matter how far I go, however many times I fall down, I know in my heart, that there is this one particular comfort – a home that is filled with love and care, a space that does not judge and accepts me as is. That is also known as chocolate cake.
For the longest time, I swore by my decadent chocolate cake for all kinds of emergencies. As I grow older, life is busier, time is more expensive and panic situations arise more frequently, I find myself losing patience to spend the time to bake the decadence.
Very often, quick methods tend to not do full justice to a good chocolate cake. I felt cheated of calories, time, and still in panic mode.
But then this vegan chocolate cake recipe came to me. No eggs, no melting or creaming butter. No looking for yoghurt in a vegan household. No melting chocolate on a double boiler. Less than 10 basic ingredients and voila – you get a chocolate cake that does justice in every way possible. I write 15 minutes for prep, but for me, it’s less than 5 minutes. The baking time offers room for clean-up, shouting on the phone, and pouring a glass of wine.
This rooibos infused vegan chocolate cake comes at a very good moment in my life. I have a habit of always cold brewing my teas, and leaving in the fridge. Rooibos tea and chocolate is like a marriage in heaven – they perfectly complement each other, and Chai Diaries – blends Rooibos tea with vanilla and white chocolate chips. Psst.. rooibos tea is one of the recommended teas for pregnancies! So, go ahead, make this chocolate cake – whiffs of rooibos complement the chocolate perfectly. I also go ahead and add a few spoons of the tea in the glaze, and top it with a bit of sweet ginger for garnish.
Enjoy!
The Recipe
Serves Yields: 9 inch cake | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup cold brew Rooibos White Choco Chip by Chai Diaries
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tbsp vanilla essence
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- Glaze:
- ¾ cup icing sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1-2 tbsp cold brew tea (approx.)
- 1 tsp ginger juice
- crystalized ginger for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Grease and flour a 9-inch cake tin
- Whisk the dry ingredients and set aside, ensuring no lumps
- In a large bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together
- Add the dry ingredients and combine to remove any lumps (careful not to over-mix)
- Pour into the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a rack before turning over
- Icing:
- Whisk all the ingredients together, adding more icing sugar or tea as you need, until you get a smooth glaze consistency
- Pour the glaze over the cake allow to set for 10 minutes before serving
