Edd Kimber is back with chocolate baking...
And I am here for it! I tried his quick VEGAN cake and it's so so so good
Hello! Bonjour! and Konnichiwa!
Greetings from the whirlwind. I’m in Japan, collecting memories and sweet things to tell you about when I’m back in Paris and at my “real” desk, the one that alternates between my dining room and a cozy corner of Les Editeurs. But, because a girl can go nuts making lists and packing, trying to be in touch with people who are 9 time zones away and figuring out how many devices is the bare minimum and how many power plugs and charger cords is just right, I baked a bunch before I left my little kitchen. It was fun, it was delicious and there was enough chocolate cake leftover to bring to friends who understand that when I’m testing, there’ll always be a piece or three missing. With today’s recipe, the missing number was four — Michael and I loved it.
Edd Kimber goes all in on chocolate
I’ve been an Edd Kimber fan for years. While I didn’t know him when he was the winner of the first-ever Great British Bake Off, I’ve followed him ever since. Remember his popcorn choux puffs? And his Grassmere Gingerbread — I love those bars. Now he’s got a new book coming out in a month, Chocolate Baking [Bookshop // B&N // Amazon], and I’m in love all over again. It’s pure Edd: lots of good, solid, use-it-all-the-time info and how-tos, and lots of recipes for everything chocolate, including breads, that make you want to stock your pantry, then stay home and bake the days away.
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I was tempted by the Double Marble Loaf with its swishy white and dark chocolate glazes and the Pistachio Tiramisu. The Miso and White Chocolate Cookies called to me (say the word “miso” and I’ll follow you anywhere). And as soon as Edd mentioned that the No-Knead Double Chocolate Loaf makes great French toast, I wanted to bake that too. There was no time for bread, but there was plenty of time for cake, especially the one that had the word “speedy” in its name.
A quick cake that “happens to be…”
Call me shallow, but I was drawn to this recipe by its name: Super Speedy Chocolate Snack Cake — five words, each lovable. And the image — that languid flow of glaze. That the cake ended up tasting like a sturdy devil’s food cake, was the win. That it “also happens to be” vegan was the bonus.
The cake is made with soy milk and oil and it gets its dark color and rich taste from Dutch-processed cocoa. All of the ingredients are standard supermarket gettable — there’s nothing unusual in the mix. What was unusual to me was the ganache glaze — it’s made with water, not cream. I’d read about water ganache, but had never made it. For me it was a revelation. Also a convenience — I don’t always have cream (the base of traditional ganache) in the fridge, but there’s always water.
Bring back the shine
The ganache has a glorious shine when it’s first made and then, as is true with most chocolate glazes, it dries to a matte finish. The matte finish is its own kind of elegant, but if you’re looking for gloss, it’s easy to get it — all you need is a hairdryer. A few puffs of warm air and the ganache will gleam. Not forever, but for long enough to bring the cake to the table with a ta-da!
Shine on, dear friends. Bake a chocolate cake. And, if you’re a planner, you might want to make sure you’ve got buttermilk and ricotta on hand for next week’s recipe. It comes from the almost-here book, Obsessed with the Best [Amazon] by Ella Quittner. What a book!
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SUPER SPEEDY CHOCOLATE SNACK CAKE
From Chocolate Baking by Edd Kimber (Quadrille, March 2026). Photography © Matthew Hague
Here’s what Edd had to say:
This is your ‘in case of emergency’ chocolate cake, the recipe you pull out when you have last-minute guests or simply need a quick, easy dessert. It also happens to be an incredibly good vegan chocolate cake, dense and fudgy like all good chocolate cakes should be. A simple one-layer affair, it can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. I like to keep things straightforward, with a glaze made with a ‘water ganache.’ Alternatively, it makes a great dessert, served with a hot fudge sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START
The milk: Because I’m not a regular soy milk buyer, and because I was shopping in Paris, I had a bit of label-reading to do. There were “drinks” and “beverages” available and soy milk for cooking, which is what I chose (and what I couldn’t open — I was ready to stab the package out of frustration).
The vinegar: If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar has a similar acidity.
The wholemeal/wholewheat/rye flour: See Edd’s note below — it’s okay to use an equal amount of all-purpose flour.
The cocoa: It should be Dutch-processed and it should be less lumpy than mine. I pushed mine through a strainer before I whisked it into the dry ingredients.
The coconut oil: See Edd’s note below.
The ganache: It’s a marvel! Your ganache will thicken faster if you follow Edd’s advice and bring the water just to a simmer, rather than a boil.
Notes from Edd:
If you don’t have rye flour, you can substitute it with an equal amount of plain (all-purpose) flour.
Coconut oil comes in two varieties, virgin and processed. If labelled as virgin (or something similar) it will taste of coconut; processed oil is odourless and has a neutral taste. Either can be used for this cake, but I prefer to use an odourless version so the flavour is purely about the chocolate.
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
For the chocolate cake
240 ml (1 cup) soya (soy) milk
175 grams (generous 3/4 cup, packed) light brown sugar
100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
75 grams (scant 2/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
75 grams (scant 2/3 cup) wholemeal (wholewheat) rye flour
50 grams (2/3 cup) cocoa powder (dutched)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the water ganache glaze
100 grams (3 1/2 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
2 tablespoons, packed, light brown sugar
75 ml (5 tablespoons) water
15 grams (1 tablespoon) refined coconut oil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan (350˚F). Lightly grease a deep 20 cm (8-inch) round cake tin (pan) and line the base with baking parchment.
To make the cake, put the milk, sugar, oil and vinegar in a large jug and whisk until smooth. Brown sugar, especially unrefined versions — which contain higher levels of molasses — can be lumpy, so sift it before using if needed.
Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together to combine. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk just until a smooth cake batter is formed. If using rye flour, it is doubly important not to over whisk the batter; rye flour can become gummy if mixed for too long.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes or until the cake springs back to a light touch and is coming away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the ganache, put the chocolate in a small heatproof jug and melt. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan, place over a medium heat and cook, covered with a lid, until the sugar has dissolved and the water has just come to a simmer. Pour a third of the syrup over the chocolate and stir to combine. Pour in the remaining syrup, in two additions, stirring until the mixture forms a silky-smooth ganache. Add the coconut oil and stir to combine. Once made, the ganache should have a thick but pourable consistency.
If the ganache seems thin, leave for about 15 minutes, until thickened slightly. Pour the ganache over the cake, allowing the excess to drip down the sides.
Kept covered, this cake will keep for 4–5 days.
Oh Dorie this has made my day! I had no idea you’d seen the book. Thank you as always for your incredibly kind words xx
Can regular dairy milk be used in place of soy milk??