Ingredients
Scale
Mini Cakes
- 190 g melted vegan butter or margarine (¾ cup + 1 teaspoon)
- 230 g caster sugar (1 cup)
- 90 ml fresh brewed espresso or strong coffee (⅓ cup + 2 teaspoons)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
- 265 ml plain soy milk (1 cup + 1 tablespoon)
- 3 tsp white vinegar
- 300 g plain all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 60 g cocoa powder (plus additional for dusting)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Fresh blueberries to decorate
- Gold dust to decorate
- Edible flowers to decorate
Chocolate Pastry Cream
- 185 g coconut cream (¾ cup)
- 170 ml plain soy milk (⅔ cup)
- 170 g vegan dark chocolate (1 heaped cup of chopped chocolate)
- ½ tsp agar agar powder
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
Mini Chocolate Cakes
- Preheat the oven 170°C/340°F and lightly grease a jumbo cupcake pan and dust very lightly with cocoa powder. Enough for 12 mini cakes.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together melted butter and sugar. Add coffee and vanilla and stir thoroughly.
- In another bowl, mix together soy milk and vinegar to create a thick buttermilk substitute. Add to the melted butter mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Set aside.
- Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and slowly pour in the liquid. Gently mix together with a whisk until just combined.
- Pour batter into each of your cupcake tins, filling them ¾ of the way to the top. Bake in the oven for around 25-27 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the cake tins before turning out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
- In a small saucepan, heat soy milk over medium heat until small bubbles start to form around the edge. Before it comes to a full boil, remove from the heat.
- Mix agar agar and a small amount of warmed soy milk in another bowl until dissolved. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan, whisking to combine.
- Place the saucepan back on medium heat. Continuously stir for at least 2 minutes, until the liquid comes back to the brink of a boil.
- Chop your chocolate into small pieces and add to a large mixing bowl that is microwave safe. Pour the hot soy milk mixture over chocolate and allow to sit for 10 mins.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir the chocolate and soy milk until it’s completely smooth. If it’s still lumpy, place in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir vigorously. Stir in the coconut cream and salt last.
- Cover the bowl with plastic or baking paper, placing it directly onto the surface of the chocolate cream so it doesn’t form a skin.
- Chill in the fridge for at least two hours to set.
- Once set, whip with a whisk or hand blender until completely smooth. Place back into the fridge until ready to use.
How To Assemble Your Mini Cakes
- Level each cake by using a serrated knife to cut off the domes on the top of your cakes. Turn upside-down and make sure your cake sits evenly; the bottom of the cake is now the top.
- Fill a piping bag with a large round nozzle with chocolate cream. Pipe cream onto the top and centre of your cakes to form a large dome.
- Decorate your blueberries with gold dust using a small paint brush and place them on to the top of your chocolate cream. Add some fresh edible flowers to compliment the blueberries and serve.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: Dessert
Keywords: cake, chocolate