Can you believe that the summer holidays are over? At the start they always seem like they’ll go on forever, but in the end they rush by and before you know it it’s September and the start of a new, an extremely long term. Whilst there is an excitement of the new school year it always makes me feel a bit nostalgic, that summer is over and I feel sad at any lost opportunities and just the freedom of weeks of holiday stretching out before us.
But rather than focusing on what has ended, let’s focus on the new beginnings and the fantastic things to come this year. If anything deserves some celebratory cakes then that does! So to mark this new start and hope it’s going to be a great one, here are some rather fabulous mini chocolate fudge loaf cakes to welcome everyone home from the first day back. I don’t think there is much better than being welcomed home by a wonderfully yummy freshly baked treat. These are so delicious you might want to make more than the 4 in the recipe, as they’ll make not only a wonderfully rich and fudgy teatime treat but also a rather special pudding with the addition of some vanilla ice cream or dairy-free whipped chantilly cream.
Mini Chocolate Fudge Loaf Cakes
(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)
makes one 4 mini loaf cakes, multiple as necessary
- 120ml or 1/2 cup hot water
- 25g or 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 120ml or 1/2 cup dairy-free milk
- 85g or 1/4 cup golden syrup, or maple syrup
- 60ml or 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 135g or 1 cup plain flour
- 55g or 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
for the icing:
- 1/4 cup/ 60g dairy-free margarine
- 1 tbsp dairy-free milk
- 1/2 tbsp golden syrup or maple syrup
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 100g dairy-free dark chocolate
– Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Centigrade/ Gas mark 4
– Grease and line a loose bottomed cake-tin
– Whisk together the hot water and cocoa
– Mix in the milk, golden syrup, oil, vinegar and vanilla
– Stir in the sugar
– Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt
– Mix to form a very sloppy mix, with no lumps
– Pour into the mini loaf cases and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
– Cool in the tin, before removing and transferring to a wire rack.
– Meanwhile, melt together the icing ingredients and simmer for a few minutes until thick and glossy. Let cool.
– Pour the icing over the cooled cakes so they have a nice thick topping.
– Decorate if desired and leave to set.
