This is a really easy cake to make. Just put everything into one bowl, whisk and then bake. Not much effort, not much washing up, BIG reward.

OK so it is not a rich gooey cake, nor is it a special occasion cake but it is a lovely, moist, everyday chocolate cake. And it’s vegan – what more do you want?

I made it with water rather than coffee because I am writing this in March and I have given up coffee for Lent – but I bet it’s good with the rich coffee flavours too.

Ingredients

7 oz / 200g Plain Flour

8 oz / 225 g Unrefined, Golden Caster Sugar

2 oz / 50g Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

½ tsp Salt

8 fl oz / 240 ml Warm Water (or black coffee)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

5 fl oz / 160 ml Groundnut Oil (or other low flavour vegetable oil)

1 tsp White Wine Vinegar

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F Gas Mark 4

Grease and line an 8” cake tin.

Weigh the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Add the water or coffee, vanilla extract, vegetable oil and vinegar. Mix the ingredients together, pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30 – 40 minutes. Check that it is cooked by inserting a skewer into the cake – it should be clean when you remove it.

Cool on a cooling rack.