Name: Chocolate Chestnut Cake
Total time: PT50minutes
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 200ml unsweetened soy milk; 10ml lemon juice or apple cider vinegar; 1 pouch Merchant Gourmet Chestnut Purée; 125g coconut oil, melted; 150ml maple syrup; 225g plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 30g cocoa powder; Pinch of salt; 150ml plant-based single cream; 100g plant-based dark chocolate; 100g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts, roughly chopped; 1–2 tbsp demerara sugar

Chocolate Chestnut Cake

Rich, fudgy and intensely chocolatey, this vegan cake uses Chestnut Purée to create a beautifully soft texture. Finished with a silky chocolate ganache and crunchy caramelised chestnuts, it's an impressive bake that's perfect for celebrations and special occasions.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and grease a 25cm (10-inch) Bundt tin.

Pour the soy milk into a jug, add the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and set aside for 10–15 minutes to curdle.

In a large bowl, whisk together the Merchant Gourmet Chestnut Purée, melted coconut oil and maple syrup until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the chestnut mixture and stir to combine.

Pour in the curdled milk mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth and fully incorporated.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool completely before decorating.

To make the ganache, gently heat the plant-based cream and dark chocolate together in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring carefully until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Toss the chopped Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts with the demerara sugar.

Pour the ganache evenly over the cooled cake.

Scatter over the sugared chestnuts and serve.