serves
10
prep
30 minutes
cook
40 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
10
people
preparation
30
minutes
cooking
40
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Rich and decadent, this cake, with the absence of dairy, is also appropriate to serve following a meat-based main course.
Ingredients
- 75 g (⅔ cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- 165 ml (⅔ cup) boiling water
- 200 g pecans, toasted
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 220 g (1 cup) raw caster sugar
- 200 ml light olive oil, plus extra to grease
- 1½ tsp natural vanilla essence or extract
Dairy-free ganache
- 185 g dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped
- 60 g dairy-free spread (margarine)
Cooling time: 1 hour
Standing time: 30 minutes
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease a 22 cm springform tin with extra oil and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the cocoa in a medium bowl and gradually stir in the boiling water until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Process the pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir through the baking powder until evenly combined.
4. Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whisk the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla on high speed for about 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Add the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the pecan mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until wet crumbs cling to a skewer inserted into the centre. Cool the cake in the tin sitting on a wire rack.
6. To make the dairy-free ganache, combine the chocolate and dairy-free spread in a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barley simmering water (make sure the waster doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl). Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl form the saucepan and set aside for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ganache thickens to a thick spreadable consistency.
7. Remove the cake from the tin and place on serving plate. Spoon the ganache over the cake and use the back of a spoon to spread. Set the cake aside for 30 minutes or until the ganache sets. Serve in wedges.
Baker’s tips
• This cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah O'Brien. Food preparation by Nick Banbury. Creative concept by Belinda So.
This recipe is part of our column. Read tips on how to bake the perfect Bundt cake in her column.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Rich and decadent, this cake, with the absence of dairy, is also appropriate to serve following a meat-based main course.
