It’s World Chocolate Day this week – which is the ideal excuse for chocolate lovers around the world to indulge in their favourite treat. Brits can sit-down, relax, and relish the opportunity for a chocco-filled day with some at-home baking fun from Stork and Flora Plant B+tter.
If you like an extra kick to a tasty treat, the Stork Chocolate Amaretto Schichttorte will get people in the spirit of the day! Delicious layers of cake are topped with a liquor glaze, making this a real crowd-pleaser.
For those after the indulgence of chocolate but dairy-free, the Stork Vegan Chocolate Cake and the Flora Plant B+tter Vegan Chocolate Ganache Raspberry Cupcakes deliver on delicious without all the dairy butter.
Chocolate Amaretto Schichttorte
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Prep time: 60 minutes
Servings: 12 portions
Ingredients
8 eggs, separated
150g Stork margarine (Original Tub)
150g caster sugar
125g plain flour
80g cornflour
2 tbsp Amaretto
2 tbsp cocoa powder
125g dark chocolate
50g Stork baking block margarine
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp Amaretto
Instructions
Cream together the Stork margarine and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl for 5 minutes until pale and thick. Add to the creamed mixture and combine well.
Add the plain flour and cornflour and mix well.
In a large bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into the cake mixture slowly in thirds.
Divide the cake batter equally in half. To one half stir in 2 tbsp Amaretto and to the other 2 tbsp cocoa powder.
Preheat the grill and grease an 8” cake tin. Working with the batters alternately to create the layers add 2 dessert spoons of the first batter to the base of the cake tin and spread evenly. Place the tin under the grill and allow the batter to cook for 1 – 2 minutes until just cooked through.
Add the same quantity of the second batter and grill again to cook through. Repeat the process alternating the batters to create 12 layers using up all the batter.
Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt together the chocolate, Stork Baking Block margarine and golden syrup. Stir through the Amaretto and spread carefully over the top of the torte.
Allow topping to set. Serve.
Vegan Chocolate Cake
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12 portions
Ingredients
Cake Mixture
150g Stork Baking Block margarine, melted
1 tbsp lemon juice
300ml soya milk, unsweetened
275g gluten free self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g caster sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
Icing
100g soya cream
150g vegan dark chocolate, lightly chopped, plus a little extra for decoration
4 tbsp apricot jam
Icing sugar, for decoration
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, Gas mark 4. Grease and bottom line 2 x 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.
Add lemon juice to the milk and set aside.
Add the caster sugar to a large mixing bowl and sieve together the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl.
Pour the milk, melted Stork Baking Block margarine and syrup over the flour mixture and mix until well blended to form a smooth batter.
Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out to cool on a cooling rack.
Meanwhile to make the icing, put the soya cream in a saucepan and gently heat, add the vegan chocolateand stir until melted. Leave to cool until spreadable.
Sandwich the two sponges together with the apricot jam. Spread the chocolate cream over the top of the cake and decorate with grated vegan chocolate and icing sugar as desired.
Vegan Chocolate Ganache Raspberry Cupcakes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Prep time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 portions
Ingredients
12 cupcake cases
165g plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa
40g cornflour
100g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
Half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
240ml cider vinegar
50g Flora Plant B+tter Unsalted
240ml almond milk
200ml Elmlea Plant Double
150g vegan dark chocolate
12 fresh raspberries
2 tbsp Freeze dried Raspberries to sprinkle
Instructions
In a jug, stir the cider vinegar with the almond milk and leave for 10 mins. Melt the 50g of Flora Plant B+tter Unsalted. Combine the flour, cocoa, cornflour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
Stir the milk mixture and Flora Plant B+tter Unsalted into the dry mix to form a batter. Do not over mix.
Divide the mixture into 10/12 cupcakes cases and bake for 20-25 mins at 160c fan.
Leave to cool.
Heat the Elmlea plant double until simmering and bubbles appear at the edge of the pan.
Pour onto the chopped vegan chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted to form a smooth sauce.
Leave to cool in the fridge until the mixture has thickened enough to beat with an electric mixer.
Beat until smooth and slightly lighter in colour.
Place a star tube in a piping bag and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake, add a fresh raspberry and sprinkle with freeze dried raspberries.
Stork is known by Britain’s home bakers as the secret ingredient for creating light, fluffy and delicious cakes, pastries, biscuits and more – so get baking with the best possible baking ingredient.
Flora Plant B+tter is a delicious, dairy-free alternative to dairy butter that has the same creamy, rich loveliness but is made from natural ingredients and has 50% lower climate footprint than dairy butter.
Not only do these plant-based recipes cater to different dietary needs, but these plant-based margarines and dairy free alternatives to dairy butter have a significantly lower footprint than dairy butter, so World Chocolate Day can be enjoyed for the full flavour and a reduced environmental impact.
Check out the Stork range of spreads and search for Stork recipes here: https://www.bakewithstork.com/
Find out more about Flora Plant B+tter here: https://www.flora.com/en-gb/floraplant/our-products/flora-plant-unsalted
