Malted Chocolate Allotment Cake

DIFFICULTY
Easy Easy
PREP TIME
Under 30 Min. Under 30 Min.
COOK TIME
Under 30 Min. Under 30 Min.
SERVES
8-10 8-10
Malted Chocolate Allotment Cake
Not just a feast for the eyes but also for the stomach, this allotment cake is a happy reminder of the joy the summer months bring! A malted, rich, chocolate sponge topped with edible soil, coconut grass and sugar paste vegetables, you can have lots of fun with the family making this bake.
Main INGREDIENTS
  • Chocolate
Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE
  • 235g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 235g soft brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 40g chocolate Ovaltine
  • 35g cocoa powder
  • 80ml milk, warm
  • 235g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
FOR THE TOPPING
  • 100g bourbon biscuits
  • 100g Oreo biscuits
  • 70g desiccated coconut
  • 1 - 2 tsp green food colouring
  • 400g chocolate spread
  • Fondant icing, for modelling
  • Edible flowers, optional

  • Method

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 200°C/ Fan 180°C/ Gas Mark 6
  • 2
    In a food mixer combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla essence. Beat on fast until light and fluffy.
  • 3
    In a jug combine the Ovaltine, cocoa powder, and milk with 100ml of hot water to form a thick paste. Pour this into the butter sugar mixture and beat to combine.
  • 4
    Sieve together the flour and baking powder. Crack in one egg to the butter chocolate mixture along with a spoon of flour. Beat for 20 seconds on fast until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
  • 5
    Fold in the reaming flour with a metal spoon until all the ingredients form a smooth chocolatey batter.
  • 6
    Lightly grease the cake tin before pouring in the cake batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until a skewer can come out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
  • 7
    Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to completely cool whilst you prepare the toppings.
  • 8
    Crush or blitz the biscuits in a food processor to form a crumb and set aside until ready to assemble. Make the allotment grass by combining the coconut and green food colouring in a bowl - stir well until all the coconut flakes are coated and turn a vibrant green.
  • 9
    When the cake has completely cooled, spread the chocolate spread delicately over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the biscuit crumb all over the cake, pressing it gently to ensure it has stuck to the chocolate spread.
  • 10
    Next, sprinkle the green coconut in lines around the parameter of the cake and then use to divide the cake into ‘vegetable beds’.
  • 11
    Finish the cake by making and planting fondant vegetables and edible flowers.
  • 12
    Cook’s Notes
  • 13
    To decorate the top of the cake either make an array of vegetables from fondant icing or source edible flowers and miniature vegetables - we found cucamelons the perfect addition to our patch!
  • 14
    Making fondant vegetables can be a little time consuming but a great activity whilst the cake is cooling.
  • 15
    Using herbs like curly parsley for the tops of vegetables like carrots and radishes.