Chocolate Chip Scone Cake

Summer has arrived – yippee, and coinciding with the school holidays and a break from work – what could be better! 30 degree heat isn’t the kind of weather to be baking cupcakes – so here is an alternative for those hot days, a Chocolate Chip Scone Cake.

Essentially the same as individual scones but baked in a scored round for visual effect. These scones travel much better than cake and so will be perfect on our sunny days out.

Serve with dairy-free spread/butter, jam and/or whipped dairy-free cream.

Chocolate Chip Scone Cake (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes one cake, serves about 12

• 450g plain flour
• 3 tsps baking powder
• 75g dairy-free spread, such as Pure
• 70g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 300ml oat milk
• 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1-2 tbsps demerara sugar

– Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade/Gas mark 6

– Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.

– Stir in the sugar.

– With your fingertips, gently rub in the dairy-free spread until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

– Make a well in the centre and pour in the oat milk and vanilla essence.

– Bring together to a soft, sticky dough.

– Carefully add the chocolate, gently mix in.

– Turn onto a floured surface and very gently bring together to a soft, smooth dough.

– Pat out with your fingers until 3 cm thick.

– Place on an oiled and floured baking sheet. Score wedges with a blunt, floured knife

– Brush the tops with oat milk and sprinkle with the demerara sugar.

– Bake for 25-35 minutes, until golden on top.

– Cool on a wire rack.