Super Easy Yummy Chocolate Cake (egg free, nut free, dairy free)

*please note: all measurements are using standard Australian measurements, to work out conversions for your country please refer to the following link: conversion tables

 

This is a great simple recipe that I have handed out a lot!  You can also make this recipe into cupcakes, follow the recipe below except line one and a half muffin trays with patty pans and half fill each one with the batter.  Bake for 12 - 15 mins.  For an extra variation add 1/2 cup of sweet william chocolate chips to the batter.

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder (check ingredients on cocoa packet, some brands of cocoa may contain traces of milk)

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/2 cup grapeseed oil (you can use canola oil, or vegetable oil; grapeseed oil makes this cake lighter and fluffier)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (350 F).  Line the bottom of a 20cm cake tin with baking paper, and grease and dust the sides with flour.  You can use a fluted ring tin (the type that makes a hole in the middle of the cake), 20 cm square tin, or a round tin.
Sift the flour, cocoa and sugar into a bowl.  Add the water, vanilla, vinegar and oil.
Mix with a whisk until smooth.  Pour the batter into the tin.
Place the batter in the oven to bake. Check the cake after 35 minutes:  if the cake springs back when gently pushed, and a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre, it is ready.
Leave the cake in the tin and cool for 10 minutes on the bench.
Slide a knife around the edge of cake and carefully remove from tin.  Cool on a wire rack.

Icing

1 cup pure icing sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon Nuttelex margarine (this is a dairy-free margarine found in most major supermarkets)
small amount of hot water

Place icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl, add margarine and then pour small amounts of hot water onto margarine and stir while melting.  Be careful not to put in too much water at a time.  Make the icing to your desired consistency.  Ice the cake when it's cool.  Enjoy!

Nuttelex Margarine

From top left: round tin, square tin, ring tin