People are always asking me to give them recipes for good tasting cakes that are vegan and gluten free.

Cooking for a group that included many gluten free and vegans, I decided to bring a different twist to my usual vegan chocolate cake recipe and this is what I came up with.

The raspberries and chocolate flavours work really well and the chia seeds give certain nuttiness to the cake whilst adding many healthy benefits.

It is good, try it, don’t expect it to have the consistency of a sponge cake; this is more to ease a craving within the restrictions of a special diet.

I find that Soya single cream is really delicious with it, for those who want a little more than just cake.

Ingredients

250 g gluten free self rising flour
200 g brown sugar
1 packet of frozen raspberries or two punnets fresh
3 tbs chia seed
5 tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
5 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
200 ml of water

Preheat the oven to 180 c

Blitz the sugar and raspberries in your food processor.

Take some time to decant into a mixing bowl while your senses are awakened by the colour and fragrance.

Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cocoa into the mixture and stir with a wooden spoon.

Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water then add the chia seeds. Mix together until smooth.

Pour into your prepared tin and bake for approx 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Dust with cocoa and decorate with raspberries.

Chia seeds, gluten free flour and soya cream are available in Alligator, Fishergate.

- Florencia Clifford is a zen cook and the author of Feeding Orchids To The Slugs: Tales Of The Zen Kitchen. For more, visit feedingorchidstotheslugs.wordpress.com