Food, Music, Food, Music, Food, Music, Food, Music, Ad Infinitum...

It was hightime that this section made a comeback. I love cooking and I love music. So, why not combine the two of them and recommend a playlist based on a particular dish? More so if that recipe contains most people's favourite ingredient: chocolate.

As an omnivore I get the better of both culinary worlds so today it's vegans' turn:

Vegan Chocolate Gateau

Ingredients:

275g/10oz/two and a half cups of self-raising wholemeal flour
50g/2oz/half a cup of cocoa powder
45ml/3tbsp baking powder
225g/8oz/one and a quarter cups of caster sugar
few drops of vanilla essence
135ml/9tbsp sunflower oil
350ml/12fl oz/one and a half cup of water
emulsified cocoa powder, for sprinkling
25g/1oz /quarter cup of chopped nuts to decorate

For the Chocolate Fudge

50g/2oz/quarter cup vegan (soya) margarine

45ml/3tbsp water

250g/9oz/2 cups icing sugar

30ml/2tbsp cocoa powder

15-30ml/1-2tbsp hot water

1. Preheat oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Grease a deep 20cm/8in round cake tin, line with non-stick baking paper and grease the paper lightly with a little sunflower oil.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the caster sugar and vanilla essence, then gradually beat in the sunflower oil. Add the water in the same way, beating constantly to produce a smooth mixture with the consistency of a thick butter.

3. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.

4. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester or fine metal skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven but leave in the tin for about 5 minutes, before turning out on to a wire rack. Peel off the lining paper and leave to cool. Cut the cake in half to make two equal layers.

5. Make the chocolate fudge. Place the margarine and water in a pan and heat gently until the margarine has melted. Remove from the heat and add the sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder, beating until shiny, adding more hot water if needed. Pour into a bowl and cool until firm enough to spread and pipe.

6. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a serving plate and spread over two thirds of the chocolate fudge mixture. Top with the other layer. Fit a piping bag with a star nozzle, fill with the remaining chocolate fudge and pipe stars over the cake. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and decorate with the chopped nuts.

7. When gobbling up the above cake, please, make sure you lick each and every finger clean. Actually, go the extra yard, make sure your partner licks them, too, and you suck his/hers. Do not worry about manners, they have gone off to have their tea, too and forsaken you altogether. And as for playlist, forget that, too, there's only one tune that I can think of now, because I love your Brown Skin, Miss Chocolate. Enjoy.

Image taken from Madcup Cupcakes

This recipe was taken from ‘The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Chocolate’ by Christine McFadden and Christine France.

Next post: Song for a Spring Sunday Morning to be published on Sunday 17th May at 10am GMT

Copyright 2009