16 Jan Vegan Chocolate almond cake with chocolate and almond butter icing (gluten free)

A simple rich cake with a dense brownie like texture and a delicious chocolate topping. Its difficult to get the lightness into a cake that eggs and gluten provide but this makes a lovely dessert especially served with coconut yoghurt.
Nutritionally this cake is very healthy, packed with protein and good oils from the almonds and chia seeds, soluble fibre from the almonds, oats and chia seeds. The dates provide a natural sweetener, fibre and B vitamins.
A small slice is perfect for a chocolate craving so this can serve 8 to 10.

Cake mix
150g dates, soaked in 100ml hot water for 10 mins
100g ground almonds
100g oats (gf if necessary)
3 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp gf baking powder
50ml melted coconut oil

Chia ‘egg’
100ml rice or almond milk
2 tbsp chia seeds

Icing
100g melted  70% dark chocolate
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 180C or gas 4.

Line an 8 inch sponge cake tin – oil lightly then scrunch up a large piece of baking paper and push into the tin, leaving some excess baking paper at the sides to lift out afterwards.

Mix the chia seeds into your choice of plant milk and gently warm in a small saucepan and leave for 10 mins.
Mix the dry cake ingredients together in a bowl.
Put the dates, soak water and maple syrup into your food processor and process till smooth.
Melt the coconut oil.
Make a well in the centre and add the date mix, chia seed ‘egg’ and coconut oil. Mix well and spoon into the lined tin.
smooth with a knife.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes. It wont rise. After 40 minutes it will still feel soft but hardens as it cools.
Cool for 10 minutes then carefully lift out the cake by the ends of the baking paper and lift onto a cooling rack. Invert a dinner plate over it and turn over and onto the plate, remove the paper and then invert back with the rack so it is now cooling on the rack the right way up.
Make the icing by melting the chocolate in a small heat proof bowl over a saucepan of hot water, stir in the almond butter, oil and syrup. Allow to cool until it is thick enough to spread.
Spread thickly onto the cooled cake, the icing will set hard once cold.
Serve with coconut yoghurt  (see recipe in accompaniments)or dairy free ice cream.