Chocolate Banana Cake

Vegan

What a great combo! The bananas not only enhance the chocolate but also act as a binder. If you are a bit scared of baking, just follow these easy vegan cake-making rules

Serves:

No nuts

No sesame

Ingredients:

225g/8oz self-raising flour - use all white OR half each of white SR and fine wholemeal SR
60g/2oz cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
3 bananas, medium ripe
150ml/5fl oz soya milk
200g/7oz caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
120g/4oz vegetable margarine, melted

Filling
175g/6oz vegan margarine, eg Pure, Suma, Biona
120g/4oz icing sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder Splash of soya milk/orange juice (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF//Gas Mark 4. Grease two 18cm/7 inch cake tins. Use the base to trace out and cut two circles of baking parchment or greaseproof paper. Place one round on the bottom of each tin.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together.

3. Mix together the bananas, soya milk, sugar and vanilla essence, either in a blender or by hand.

4. Pour the banana mixture and melted margarine in to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour half of the cake mixture in to each cake tin.

5. Cook in the centre of the oven for about 30 minutes. Test with a sharp knife or cocktail stick. If it comes out clean, the cake is done - if not, put back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

6. While the cake is baking, make the filling by creaming the ingredients together - add the tiniest splash of soya milk or orange juice if the mixture is too stiff.

7. Place the cakes in their tins on a wire rack. When they are completely cool, turn them out and let them air a bit more.

8. Sandwich the two cakes together with two thirds of the filling and spread the rest over the top.