Fruity Mocha vegan cake

Our household is the proud new owner of 3 new chickens to add to the existing flock of hens we already have. The old girls are still laying but their production is dropping off that why we have added to our flock.So this case is ideal if you don't have any eggs in or your hens are on a go slow. This recipe like my earlier vinegar cake recipe uses flavoured vinegar to give lift to the cake and to replace the eggs. Its also low fat as well as the recipe has a very small quantity of oil in it.

Like all vinegar cakes I have the feeling that the cake will improve with a couple of days wrapped in foil. The cake smelt delicious whilst baking pleasantly scenting the house, the original recipe used raspberry preserve and vinegar, however I substituted homemade strawberry jam and homemade strawberry vinegar as thats what I had, I also used instant coffee to enhance the the cocoa in the cake.

Ingredients

• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2tsp strawberry vinegar mixed with 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup strong instant coffee 
• 3/4 cup strawberry jam 

Method

• Sieve the flour, cocoa, sugar and bicarb into a large bowl
• Preheat your oven to about 180c, if fan about 160c
• Grease and base line a loose bottom cake tin
• Mix all the wet ingredients with the dry , work quickly and ensure everything is well mixed 
• Your batter will be fairly stiff, dollop into your prepared tin and level
• Bake for approx 45 minutes until tested cooked with a skewer
• Allow to cool in tin
• Wrap and store for a couple of days before eating
• Delicious served alone or if you are not vegan yoghurt or creme fraiche.

I am sumbmitting this recipe for June 2012 - We should Cocoa -coffee challenge

Mocha Ginger Biscotti

Biscotti are hard italian biscuits, which are usually served with coffee as breakfast or a snack. I love all things Italian food wise and make a number of different of types of biscotti, I like the combination of flavours in this bake, chocolate, coffee and ginger, its a bit festive and smells wonderful when baking. It makes a great gift served in a pretty metal tin or clear glass "kilner" style jar decorated with ribbon. I am entering this recipe in Vanessa Kimbells blogsphere campaign "Lets make Christmas".

Ingredients

• 100g plain flour
• 30g cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 120g sugar
• 1/2 tbsp ground coffee
• 30g dark chocolate - roughly broken 
• 2 eggs beaten (use free range)
• 2 balls of stem ginger - finely chopped

Method

Heat your oven to 180c. Sieve flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in your food processor, add the sugar, coffee and chocolate. Process until finely ground. Add the eggs and process until you have a firm dough, don't panic if it looks fairly sticky, it will be OK, quickly add the ginger and fold in. If you need to make the dough looser add milk. Tip it out onto a floured board, gently form into a log and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 150c. Allow your log to cool, then using a serrated knife carefully cut into 1cm wide slices. Lie these on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until firm. Then allow to cool completely on a wire rack, then store in a jar or air tight tin.

http://writingacookerybook.blogspot.com/2011/10/lets-make-christmas.html