This is a Nigella recipe which I have been meaning to make for a while, if only to see if it’s as good as Nigella says it is – and it is indeed delicious.

I made this yesterday as I wanted something to take to a friend who is laid up with her leg in plaster. I left plenty of the cake in her fridge which will keep her going for a few days, and she can also freeze it. She’s not vegan (nor am I) but I like the idea of cutting down on animal products.

I couldn’t find coconut butter so used vegan butter instead (which contains coconut butter) and if you don’t have coconut oil you can use any vegetable oil (like sunflower). For the chocolate I used Lindt supreme dark (90% cocoa) – Nigella says to use 70% as a minimum.

I have to admit I couldn’t quite get the icing right, it seemed too thick to pour and I couldn’t get it glossy enough. I added more water which was a mistake as the mixture separated a bit. So I then stirred in a bit more cocoa to get a thicker consistency. In the end the look didn’t seem to matter as I decorated the cake with plenty of crushed pistachios and freeze dried raspberries. The important thing is that it tasted great. As my friend said, when you have your leg in plaster and confined to your flat for five weeks, you’re not too bothered about the look of a cake.

You can find Nigella’s recipe here.

Do you have a cheap, fresh and easy recipe I can try? Let me know and I’ll feature it on the site and link back to you.

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