Vegan Chocolate Cake – Keke Tiakarete Karohuarehe
E te iwi whānui (to those far and wide), we all have those times in our lives where we need to bake for people with special dietary requirements. Well this keke (cake) has you covered. It is both dairy free and egg free and tastes absolutely divine. We make a chia egg which combines wai (water) and kākano chia (chia seeds), the chia seeds absorb the wai and helps to maintain the moisture in the keke (cake). To top it off we add my super simple dairy free chocolate buttercream and adorn it with chocolate petals. Nā reira e hoa mā (and so friends), whatever occasion this cake is calling for – get ready for a taste sensation.
This cake is made in two cake tins, can I bake it in one tin?
Āe mārika – yes indeed! I always choose to bake my cakes in two tins because I love that it cuts down the baking time and helps the cake not to dry out in the oven. It also makes things so much easier when you are filling the cake as there is not cutting involved.
However, you can bake it in a single 20 cm – 23 cm cake tin or in a square tin. The bake time will extend to 45-50 minutes. I also cover the cake with baking tray for the last 15 minutes of baking if I do it one tin. Covering it for the final baking process helps prevent the top of the cake from overcooking.
How do I fill the cake if I have baked it in one tin?
If you do choose to bake this cake in a single tin and want to turn it into a layer cake, cool the cake completely and then refrigerate the keke (cake) for one hour before you cut it in half to decorate. This will help the crumb stay tight so you can cut it confidently. Remove it from the fridge and have two cooling racks ready so you can flip the two pieces of cake on to them as you cut it.
Vegan Chocolate Cake – Keke Tiakarete Karohuarehe
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake – Keke Tiakarete
- 2 tbsp kākano chia (chia seeds)
- ¼ C wai mātao (cold water)
- ¾ C miraka pīni (soy milk)
- 2 tsp winika (vinegar)
- 90 g tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate)
- ½ C kōkō (cocoa, dutch is best)
- ⅔ C wai wera (hot water, boiled from the kettle)
- ½ C huka one (caster sugar)
- 2 C puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- 1 tsp pēkana houra (baking soda)
- 2 tsp pēkana paura (baking powder)
- ½ tsp tote (salt, fine)
- ¾ C huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp wanira (vanilla)
- ½ C noni (oil)
Raupua Tiakarete – Chocolate Petals
- 1 quantity chocolate petals
Dairy-free Chocolate Icing – Pani Reka Tiakarete Kore-Miraka
- 1 quantity dairy free chocolate buttercream
Instructions
Chocolate Cake – Keke Tiakarete
- Pre-heat the oven to 150 °C, bake setting or 130 °C, fan bake. Grease two 20 cm cake tins and line with baking paper.
- Add the kākano chia (chia seeds) to a small bowl. Pour over the wai mātao (cold water) and stir it. Leave aside for the chia to absorb the wai (water).
- Add the miraka pīni (soy milk) and winika (vinegar) to a medium bowl. Give it a good stir. Leave it aside for the miraka (milk) to turn in to miraka pata (buttermilk).
- Cut the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) in to fine pieces and add it to a small bowl. Add the kōkō (cocoa) and wai wera (hot water) on top of the tiakarete (chocolate) and stir until it is all melted. Add in the huka one (caster sugar) and stir again. Leave aside.
- To a large bowl, sift in the puehu parāoa (flour), pēkana paura (baking powder), pēkana houra (baking soda), tote (salt) and huka hāura (brown sugar).
- Make a well in the centre and add in the raununga tiakarete (chocolate mixture). Fold it in until roughly combined.
- Add the wanira (vanilla), noni (oil) and chia mixture in to the soy milk mixture. Stir it until well combined and pour it in to the chocolate mix a third at a time, folding well after each addition.
- Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes until they spring back in the middle of the cake when pressed.
- Leave for five minutes in the tin and then flip them straight on to cooling racks. Leave the baking paper on as they cool to help lock in the moisture.
Raupua Tiakarete – Chocolate Petals
- Make the raupua tiakarete according to instructions. As they set, make the pani reka tiakarete (chocolate icing).
Dairy-free Chocolate Icing – Pani Reka Tiakarete Kore-Miraka
- Follow the instructions of the pani reka (icing). Spread around half a cup of the icing on to one half of the cake. Add the second cake (I add mine upside down but up to you).
- Spread the rest of the pani reka (icing) all over the keke. You can pipe or just spread it on with a knife like I have. Now add your set raupua tiakarete (chocolate petals) around the sides of the keke (cake) in an overlapping pattern.
- Finish it off with nati (toasted of any kind), parakipere (blackberries) and raupua putiputi (flower petals) or whatever you love to decorate it with.
Going to give this a go niaomi looks delicious Gayla
Kia ora Gayla, yay I am so excited to hear that! I hope you enjoy it! Naomi