Recipe
Chock-full of chocolate, spice, and everything nice, this chocolate Christmas cake is a festive joy. Topped with a fudgy crumb and a glossy, spiced ganache finish, it’s a celebration-worthy dessert inspired by classic holiday flavours and traditions.
You will need
Serves 10-12
For the egg replacer:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 3 3/4 tablespoons boiling water
The dry ingredients:
- 140g plain flour
- 30g cornstarch or cornflour
- 60g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting the bundt tin
- 85g brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 60g pitted dates, chopped (I use Medjool)
- 100g vegan semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
The wet ingredients:
- 185ml hot black espresso coffee
- 100g dates, pitted
- 250ml water
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean extract)
For the spiced ganache:
- 100ml coconut milk
- 200g vegan dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (more if you like it hot!)
- Walnuts, to decorate (optional)
Recipe: Sara Kidd
Directions
30 mins to prep
40 mins to bake
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 160°C.
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Step 2
Grease a shallow 10-inch bundt cake tin (this is a pretty standard size) with vegetable oil. Make sure you completely cover all the grooves. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and set aside. You can also use a large ring cake tin if you don’t have a bundt tin. I use a silicone version as it releases easier.
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Step 3
In a small bowl, mix your ground flaxseed with boiling water for the egg replacer and set aside.
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Step 4
In a large mixing bowl, sieve the plain flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir together with a whisk, then add the chopped dates and chocolate pieces, stirring through. Set aside.
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Step 5
For the wet ingredients: In a small bowl, pour hot coffee over dates and allow to soak for 5 minutes. Then add them, along with the remaining wet ingredients (including the egg replacer), to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
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Step 6
Make a well in your dry ingredients and pour your wet mixture in slowly. Using a whisk, gently fold through the ingredients until just combined. Don’t over mix. It’s going to be lumpy from the dates and chocolate pieces.
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Step 7
Pour evenly into your cake tin and gently tap on the bench to release any air bubbles.
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Step 8
Place in the center of your oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. You will know it’s ready when the top bounces back when pressed. If you poke a skewer to test it will still be slightly moist.
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Step 9
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Gently tap on the bench to help release the cake and turn onto a cooling rack and allow it to completely cool.
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Step 10
To make the spiced ganache: Heat the coconut milk in a large, heavy-bottom pot on low heat until small bubbles appear around the edge, right before it’s about to start simmering. Don’t let it boil.
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Step 11
Remove from the stove and add the dark chocolate, making sure it is covered by the milk. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes, then stir through the dark chocolate using a whisk. Add spices and taste. If you want to make it extra spicy, add more of the spices. Just remember, the flavour will get spicier the more you eat, as the taste develops in the mouth.
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Step 12
If there are any lumps, put the pot back onto the stove on a very low heat and stir until lumps have melted and the ganache is shiny.
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Step 13
Transfer the spiced ganache to a microwave-friendly bowl and let it thicken just enough to ice your cake. If it sets too hard, you can always put it into the microwave until it becomes soft enough to use.
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Step 14
Gently pour the ganache over the top of your cake, then decorate with walnuts (optional), and enjoy — hot or cold!
Hot tip!
If you have extra ganache left over, you can always serve it with the cake by re-melting it.
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Recipe: Sara Kidd
