Egg-free bakes: Chocolate cake

If you, or a friend or family member, are unable to eat eggs, this tasty bake is just what you need.

Makes: 1 x 20cm cake
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Oven temperature: 180°C

• 750ml (410g) flour
• 170ml (55g) cocoa powder
• 10ml bicarbonate of soda
• 500ml (425g) white sugar
• 250ml sunflower oil
• 20ml vanilla essence
• 20ml white vinegar

Icing
• 100ml soft butter
• 500ml (250g) icing sugar, sifted
• 30ml cocoa powder
• chocolate malt balls, crushed, to decorate

1 Sift the dry ingredients together with 5ml salt in a mixing bowl.

2 Mix the oil, vanilla and 500ml cold water in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Then add the white vinegar and mix well again.

3 Immediately pour the mixture into an ungreased 20cm cake tin and bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool.

4 Icing Beat the butter until soft and stir in the icing sugar. Mix the cocoa powder with 20ml hot water, then add to the icing. Beat well. Spread the cooled cake with the chocolate icing and top with the crushed chocolate malt balls.