Yuzu Frosted Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

I’m head of research at Viva! and have a strong background in science. I love cooking but tend to wing most recipes – except cakes! Most of us need to follow a recipe to make a good cake. This one has been adapted over the years from a cupcake recipe in Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s excellent Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. The yuzu adds a zingy citrus hit to this rich chocolate and raspberry celebration cake. I’m happy to say, this cake won the 2022 bake-off competition at my work!

Ingredients
For the two chocolate sponges:
• 1½ cups soya milk
• 1½ tsp cider vinegar
• ½ cup rapeseed oil
• 1 heaped cup caster sugar
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cup plain flour
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 heaped tsp baking soda
• ⅓ tsp baking powder

For the one vanilla sponge:
• ¾ cup soya milk
• ¾ tsp cider vinegar
• ¼ cup rapeseed oil
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 scant cup plain flour
• 1½ tbsp cornflour
• ½ (scant) tsp baking soda
• ½ (generous) tsp baking powder

For the filling and frosting:
• 400g icing sugar
• 200 grams vegan butter
• 5 or 6 fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 150g yuzu chocolate (Valrhona Yuzu Inspiration from Sous Chef)
• 4 tbsp raspberry jam

To decorate:
• 20-25 fresh raspberries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and flour two 20cm springform cake tins.
2. For the chocolate cake, whisk the soya milk and vinegar in a large bowl.
3. Add the oil, sugar and vanilla and mix well.
4. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder and mix well making sure there are no lumps.
5. Divide the mixture equally between the two tins and bake for 30-35 mins until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean. Tip the cakes out and set aside to cool.
6. For the vanilla sponge, grease and flour one 20cm springform cake tin.
7. Whisk the soya milk and vinegar in a large bowl.
8. Add the oil, sugar and vanilla and mix well.
9. Sift in the flour, cornflour, baking soda and baking powder and mix well making sure there are no lumps.
10. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30-35 mins until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean. Tip the cake out and set aside to cool.

Frosting

1. To make the three types of frosting, cream the butter in a large bowl then add the icing sugar, bit by bit, until you have a stiff frosting. Divide the mix into three bowls.
2. For the raspberry butter icing filling, put 5 or 6 raspberries in a pan and heat them gently while squashing them with a spoon to release their juice. Strain the juice (about 2 tsp) and mix into the frosting. Add a bit more icing sugar if you need to stiffen it up.
3. To make the chocolate frosting, add 1 tbsp cocoa and mix.
4. To make the yuzu frosting, melt the yuzu chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of gently boiling water. When it has melted, let it cool to room temperature then stir it into the butter icing – wait for it to cool or it will melt the butter.
   

Assemble the cake

1. To assemble the cake, slice off the top of the vanilla sponge and one of the chocolate sponges to make them flat (you can eat these bits later). The top chocolate layer can remain domed if you like.
2. Place one chocolate sponge on a plate/cake stand and spread with half the raspberry butter icing.
3. Warm the jam to soften it and spread 2 tbsp onto the vanilla cake and sandwich it on top of the chocolate base.
4. Spread the remaining raspberry frosting onto the vanilla sponge and the remaining 2 tsbp jam onto the second chocolate layer and sandwich that on top.
5. Cover the top of the cake with the yuzu frosting and cover the sides with chocolate frosting.
6. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries and pipe little swirls or peaks onto the top of the cake with any leftover frosting.