vegan chocolate layer cake with orange curd

Directions

1. Cake batter:
2. Preheat oven to 170 C. Grease a 16cm cake tin with coconut oil, line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside. You can also prepare two even sized pans and split the batter in half later.
3. Combine flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, a pinch of coffee, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. To a bigger mixing bowl add wet ingredients and sugar and whisk to combine. Add in flour splitting the amount into three batches, whisking until just combined. Pour the cake batter into prepared pan and bake 40′-50′, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing into three even layers. If you split the batter between two pans, bake for 20′-25′ and divide each cake in half once fully cooled. Either way, trim off the uneven top section of the cake(s).

1. Orange curd and chocolate frosting:
2. Prepare the orange curd. Zest the orange and supreme the flesh. Add orange flesh to a blender together with 250ml almond milk, agave syrup and orange zest. Blend until smooth. Dissolve flour into remaining 50ml milk, add to the blender and blitz a few times. Transfer to a pot and simmer until thick, about 5′-8′.
3. Prepare the avocado frosting. Add all the ingredients for the frosting to a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth. Adjust sweetness as you like.
4. Assemble the cake. Crumble and toast the cake tops discarded. Place the first cake layer on a plate and spread 1/2 of the orange curd. Sprinkle toasted crumbs on top. Repeat until you reach the last layer. With an offset spatula, smother chocolate avocado frosting all over the cake and refrigerare at least 30′ before serving.