Fairtrade Spiced Chocolate Coffee Sheet Cake by So Vegan

So Vegan’s Spiced Chocolate Coffee Sheet Cake

This one-tray vegan wonder is perfect for a tea-time treat.

This recipe was created for Fairtrade by cooking duo SO VEGAN.

Some things to know about this recipe:

  • It uses delicious Percol Fairtrade Coffee, a smooth Columbian roast with berry and citrus notes.
  • It’s important to use soya milk to create the vegan buttermilk. Other types of plant-based milk might not curdle to give you the creamy texture.
  • If you can’t find golden caster sugar, you can use regular caster sugar instead. Golden caster sugar is unrefined and has a slightly more caramel flavour.
  • The cinnamon and nutmeg compliment the bittersweet flavour from the cocoa and coffee.
  • Finally, get creative! Add your favourite toppings such as nuts or chocolate chips!

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 6 tbsp Fairtrade Percol smooth ground coffee
  • 100ml soya milk
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 300g Fairtrade golden caster sugar
  • 320g plain flour
  • 80g Fairtrade cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp Fairtrade ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Fairtrade ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 300g vegan margarine
  • 1 tbsp Fairtrade vanilla extract
  • Handful of pecans

For the coffee buttercream:

  • 400g Fairtrade icing sugar
  • 6 tbsp vegan margarine
  • 1 tsp Fairtrade vanilla extract
  • You will also need a tray (sheet pan) approximately 32cm x 22cm.

Method

  • First, add the ground coffee to a coffee press and cover with 250ml of hot water. Stir, leave to brew for 4 minutes, then push the plunger down and transfer the coffee to a jug.
  • Next transfer the soya milk and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl, stir and set to one side to allow the mixture to curdle into vegan buttermilk.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 400°F and line a sheet pan with baking paper.
  • Next add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Melt the vegan margarine in a microwave or on the hob then add it to the dry ingredients along with the vegan buttermilk from earlier, vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of coffee. Stir until the cake mix is fully combined, then pour it into the prepared sheet pan and even out with a spatula. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Once finished baking, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool fully.
  • To make the coffee buttercream add the icing sugar, margarine and vanilla extract to either a large bowl (if making by hand) or a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of the coffee from earlier and mix with a whisk or process in the food processor until smooth. Note; add 1 – 2 teaspoons of water if the mixture is too dry.
  • Top the cake with the buttercream and spread it out evenly. To finish, finely chop the pecans and sprinkle them all over.
  • Finally, time to slice the cake into squares and devour. So delicious!

Roxy and Ben, aka SO VEGAN, are on a mission to make it simple for everyone to eat more plants by creating delicious vegan food that’s also fuss-free.

Follow them on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sovegan

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