Vegan Black Forest Traybake
- Rahul Mandal
- Sep 13
- 2 min read
This is a simple and straightforward traybake but tastes absolutely delicious. The sponge is very similar to my vegan chocolate and raspberry cake recipe with added glacé cherries. They add a bit of sweet crunchiness to the sponge. But if you have some Amarino, morello, or sour cherries, feel free to use those instead.
Plant-based cream and cream cheese options are readily available and make the frosting super simple to prepare. However, you can use normal cream and cream cheese if you are not on a plant-based diet.
Ingredients
For the chocolate and cherry sponge
Dry ingredients
375g plain flour
100g cocoa powder (unsweetened)
200g caster sugar
250g dark brown sugar
1tsp salt
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
Wet ingredients
475g plant-based milk
2tbsp cider vinegar
2tsp vanilla paste
190g sunflower oil (plus extra to grease)
150g glace cherries halved
For filling
200g cherry jam
For frosting
300ml plant based double cream
275g plant-based cream cheese
50g caster sugar
2tsp vanilla bean paste
For decoration
9-12 cherries
Chocolate shavings
Serves: 12-16
Preparation time: 10-20mins
Baking time: 1hr to 1hr10mins
Method
Preheat the oven to 160oC (Fan). Grease and line a traybake tin (22cmx33cm) with oil and baking paper. In a measuring jug add plant-based milk and the cider vinegar and let it sit for 5 mins.
In a large mixing bowl, sift the plain flour and cocoa powder. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle a tbsp of the mixed dry ingredients on the glace cherries and toss them well. (This will stop the cherries sinking to the base of the cake while baking).
After 5 mins, pour the milk mix into the dry ingredients followed by the oil plus the vanilla paste and whisk to combine using a balloon whisk. (If you want, you can use an electric whisk.)
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for about 55-65 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Once baked, take the sponge out of the oven and let it cool in the cake tin for 20-30mins, before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whisk the frosting ingredients together to get a smooth frosting.
Once cooled, spread the jam on top of the traybake. After that spread the frosting and use a spoon to make swirls in the frosting. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings on top. And finally decorate with fresh cherries.