Chocolate Cake - Egg and Dairy free...

December is the month of celebration as it is flooded with festivals and special times. It is the season when festive and party food are cooked, sometimes in excess and served with love and kindness. This month paves way to a new year, to new hopes and dreams.

I must say that this is the season where chocolate, cinnamon, mixed dried fruit and oranges fill our menus and their aromas fill our homes.

There are a few special people who don't prefer the usual chocolate cake with eggs and dairy added to it. This cake is for such special people. Personally this is the first time that I have tried baking a cake without eggs or dairy. I was quite apprehensive of how the cake will be but I must say that it turned out to be very nice.

It had a wonderful soft texture and "melt in the mouth" feel to it. Of course this recipe comes from a cookbook as I really didn't grow up baking cakes.

The recipe also gives an alternate to use rice flour instead of the self raising flour. I did try using rice flour. The cake came out well but with a slight grainy texture. I thought that the cake had a slightly different flavour because of the rice flour - more rice floury flavour than the normal cake.

You can make the cake either with the normal flour or rice flour - it is your choice. Be careful when handling the cake as it is very delicate and breaks quite easily.

For the Cake:
Self raising flour: 360 gms.
Cocoa powder: 60 gms.
Baking powder: 2 tsp.
Golden caster sugar: 400 gms.
Vegetable oil: 140ml + 1 tbsp for oiling the tins.
Vanilla extract: 2 tsp.
White wine vinegar: 4 tsp.
Water [at room temperature]: 400ml
Salt: 1 tsp.

To decorate:
Raspberries: 400 gms.
Icing sugar: to dust.

1.Preheat oven to 170 degrees C fan / Gas mark 3 1/2. Oil two 20 cm cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
2.In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir in the sugar.

3.In another bowl, mix the oil, water and vanilla extract. The oil and water will not mix obviously but just give it a stir. Add the vinegar.
4.Add this to the flour mix and stir well until well incorporated.
5.Divide the batter equally into the tins and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer emerges clean.
6.Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the edges of the cake tin to release the cakes.
7.Turn out on a wire rack and cool completely.

8.Remove the paper and put one cake on the cake stand or serving plate.
9.Arrange a layer of raspberries and place the other cake on top.
10.Scatter the remaining raspberries and dust with icing sugar.

Serve with joy and enjoy with happiness...

Sending this to Food of Month - Party Food by Amy, Cakes for Christmas by Ramya, Baked Goodies and Winter Carnival by Radhika, Holiday Baking by Sravani, Christmas Delicacy by Julie, Jingle all the way by Kavi and Christmas Newyear Eve 2011 by Hema.

Scribbled by Reva