Vegan Chocolate Cake

This recipe came about after much time looking for baking recipes that use no eggs or dairy to make for someone with a dietary intolerance. I also wanted to avoid the need for "substitute" products. The initial idea came from an obscure recipe found on an American vegan website. This recipe is so easy, and has become such a favourite, that I now bake it for people without allergies.

- Felicity O'Driscoll from Cook the Books, *

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups	Flour
3 Tbsp	Cocoa powder
1 tsp	Cinnamon
1 tsp	Ginger
1 ½ tsp	Salt
1 ½ cups	Sugar
1 ½ tsp	Baking soda
1 cup	Canola oil
1 ¼ cups	Water
3 Tbsp	Red wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp	Vanilla essence/extract
1 sprinkle	Chocolate bits

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a 23cm ring tin or 20cm round tin. This makes quite a tall cake - use a larger tin if you like.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a bowl big enough to mix the cake in. Thoroughly mix through the sugar, and form a well in the centre. Put the baking soda in the well.
3. Combine all liquid ingredients in a jug. Pour liquids into the well, so the baking soda fizzes up and dissolves. Mix with a whisk until combined with no lumps but do not over mix.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. It pays to turn the cake once during cooking. If you are not baking the cake for someone with egg/dairy intolerance, you can stud the top with about 25g of chocolate pieces before baking.
5. Once cooled, remove from tin and dust with icing sugar. Serve with fresh berries.