Fasting Chocolate Cake

Preparation

1. Preparing the Tin and Preheating the Oven

Preheat the oven to 175°C (top and bottom heat, no fan) or 160°C with convection. Generously grease the tin with oil, dust with cocoa powder (not flour — cocoa leaves no white marks) and tap to distribute evenly. Line the bottom with baking parchment for safety.

2. Mixing the Dry Ingredients

Into a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Add the sugar. Whisk the dry mixture to combine evenly — sifting the cocoa is essential as it clumps and the lumps affect the final texture.

3. Mixing the Wet Ingredients

In a separate vessel, combine the oil, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar. Open the sparkling water just before you need it — do not open it early as it loses its bubbles. This mixture is combined just before joining with the dry ingredients.

4. Combining the Batter and Filling the Tin

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Add the sparkling water and stir quickly but gently with a spatula or wooden spoon, just until everything is combined — do not mix for longer than 30 seconds as the gas bubbles dissipate rapidly. The batter is liquid, similar to a thick pancake batter. Pour into the tin immediately.

5. Baking

Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 28–33 minutes. Do not open the oven in the first 20 minutes — a drop in temperature can prevent the cake from rising. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter) — a moist chocolate cake is not completely dry inside. The edges will have pulled away slightly from the tin.

6. Cooling — an Essential Step

Leave the cake in the tin to cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely at room temperature — at least 1 hour, better 2. Chocolate cake should only be sliced once cold, otherwise it crumbles and the glaze will not set. You can also refrigerate for 30 minutes before glazing.

7. Making the Glaze

Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place in a small saucepan or heatproof bowl. Add the coconut oil. Melt over a bain-marie (double boiler): set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until smooth and glossy. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until melted. Do not overheat — chocolate burns above 50°C.

8. Glazing the Cake

Place the cooled cake on a wire rack over a baking tray or sheet of parchment to catch drips. Pour the glaze over the centre and tilt the cake gently in circular motions so the glaze spreads evenly and runs down the sides. For a perfectly smooth glaze, spread with a spatula dipped in hot water. Leave 20–30 minutes for the glaze to set before slicing.

Tips

Moistness and storage: the cake becomes more moist on the second day — if possible, make it the day before the occasion. Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days (remove 30 minutes before serving).

Filling: you can cut the fasting cake in half and fill it with a fasting walnut cream (ground walnuts + icing sugar + rum or juice) or plum jam, making it even more festive.

Checking the chocolate is dairy-free: many well-known dark chocolates contain no milk — Lindt 70%+, and most “may contain traces of milk” chocolates are usually fine for fasting purposes. Always read the label.

Gluten-free: substitute the flour with a blend of 150 g rice flour and 100 g buckwheat flour. Add a teaspoon of xanthan gum for binding.