Old school chocolate sponge traybake may be vegan and baked with no butter or eggs but it tastes absolutely amazing, light and fluffy!
Serve with plant based custard or vegan cream for the best easy chocolate pudding that the whole family will love.
This chocolate traybake pudding is perfect for an everyday treat but also brilliant for special dinner parties, Valentines Day dessert, Mothers Day pudding, picnics, parties, buffets and will be very popular at charity cake sales!
What is an Old School Pudding?
Old school puddings refers to the classic British school puddings that used to be in action during the 60s, 70s and 80s era. Although some school districts still served a few traditional school puddings during the 90s.
Old school puddings or dinners are still popular today with many people loving to recreate versions that they remember enjoying from childhood school days. Or perhaps they recall their mum or grandmother baking their favourite old nostalgic school desserts.
Old school puddings are not just another recipe rather they are sprinkled with love and fond memories and can offer comforting satisfaction when prepared in your own kitchen.
Vegans, plant based dieters, and people with egg or dairy allergies certainly don't have to miss out enjoying these tasty puddings.
Vegan Old School Chocolate Sponge Tray Bake
Preparing a tray of this old school chocolate sponge is rather easy. To begin flour is sieved and mixed with cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
Next the wet ingredients (vanilla, plant milk, vegetable oil) are stirred together in a measuring jug or small bowl before pouring the liquids into the flour mix.
Now everything is given a good stir before pouring into a greased and lined baking pan. Although if your pan is non-stick greaseproof paper may not be required.
The unbaked traybake is placed on the middle shelf of a preheated oven and baked for 20-30 minutes until risen, firm and a skewer popped in the middle of the sponge comes out clean.
The baked traybake is left in the baking pan for at least 15 minutes before carefully tipping out to cool completely on a wire rack.
Once the chocolate sponge is cool the icing can be prepared. The vegan ganache topping is so easy and quick. Simply place evenly broken pieces of dark chocolate into a small saucepan and pour in the vegan cream.
The chocolate and cream is gently heated over a low heat, while being mixed frequently with a metal tablespoon. Once the chocolate has nearly melted it can be removed from the heat and stirred quickly until the chocolate and cream is glossy, smooth and perfectly mixed.
Finally the melted ganache is poured over the chocolate sponge to cover and drip down the sides. It doesn't have to be a perfect covering along the cake sides as drips look nicely rustic and appealing.
That's it! All that needs to finish up is to allow the chocolate cream frosting to set. It can be difficult to wait though! So no harm done if one or two pieces are enjoyed straight away!
Although it is best to wait until the ganache has set before slicing the entire cake into pieces as it will be more clean cut and less messy.
Traditionally old school chocolate sponge would be served with custard most likely green minty custard! However we enjoyed it with some hot vegan custard and often with chilled vegan pouring cream.
If you prepare this old school chocolate sponge cake do pop back and let us know how you got on.
We love reading comments and feedback.
Thanks so much x
How To Prepare Vegan Old School Chocolate Pudding
In a separate jug using a cutlery fork whisk together plant milk, vegetable oil and vanilla.
Pour the milk mixture into the flour mix and stir until combined into a smooth batter.
Bake for 20-30 minutes and cool before adding the topping.
Gently heat and stir until the chocolate has nearly melted.
Pour over the chocolate sponge and scatter over cake sprinkles.
Once the ganache has set slice into tasty portions.
Recipe Notes and FAQS
Store the chocolate sponge within a cake tin or covered sealed container for up to 3-4 days. Wrapping in a layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment can help preserve the cakes freshness.
Yes!
This vegan sponge can be frozen either with or without the ganache frosting for up to 3 months.
Cover well with freezer and food safe wrap, and remove the wrap before defrosting at room temperature.
Ganache is simply melted chocolate and cream mixed together over a low heat until completely combined smooth and pourable. Equal amounts of cream and chocolate are generally used to create a ganache topping for cakes and bakes.
Absolutely not!
You can replace the ganache with your own vegan frosting if preferred or simply leave it off.
This old school chocolate sponge can be served warm from the oven with hot vegan custard for a delicious hot pudding.
Or simply pour over some vegan cream or even enjoy with a few scoops of plant-based ice-cream.
Even More Old School Sweet Treats To Discover:
Old school jam and coconut sponge traybake
Old school chocolate concrete cake (crunchy biscuit that is traditionally served with custard!)
Old School Chocolate Sponge Tray Bake
Equipment
- baking pan/brownie pan about 11in long by 7 ½ in wide x 1 ½ tall (28 cm x 18 ½ x 4 cm)
Ingredients
chocolate sponge
- 200 grams self-raising flour or plain/all-purpose flour with an extra ½ teaspoon of baking powder mixed through
- 30 grams cocoa powder
- 175 grams caster sugar or granulated
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 225 millilitres vegan milk I tend to use soya milk for bakes
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil such as rapeseed
- 1 grams salt a pinch
ganache topping
- 100 grams vegan dark chocolate check supermarket own brands of dark chocolate as many are accidently vegan friendly and cheaper dark chocolate does tend to melt well
- 100 grams vegan cream such as Alpro/Elmlea plant cream/Oatly cream (I used the Elmlea plant cream)
- 2 tablespoon vegan cake sprinkles
To serve, optional
- hot vegan custard or pouring cream see recipe notes for link to vegan custard recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 Fan/ 180 Celsius/ 350 Fahrenheit/ gas 4.
- Prepare the baking pan by greasing with a little vegan margarine or oil and lining with parchment/baking paper. If your pan is non-stick lining with baking paper may not be necessary.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and pinch of salt to a mixing bowl.
- Place the plant milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract into a small bowl or jug. Whisk with a cutlery fork for a few seconds.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mix and stir until combined into a smooth batter.
- Tip the sponge batter into the baking pan and level the surface if necessary.
- Place onto the middle oven shelf and bake for 20-30 minutes. Our sponge was ready after 25 minutes using an electric oven. Fan ovens tend to bake faster so check after 20 minutes.
- Sponge cake is ready when risen, firm and a skewer popped in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the baking tray for at least 15 minutes before carefully tipping out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool the sponge can be frosted or iced.
Preparing chocolate ganache:
- Break the dark chocolate into even sized pieces and place within a small pan. Pour in the vegan cream.
- Heat over the lowest heat and gently warm and stir until the chocolate has nearly melted. Remove the pan from the heat and mix quickly until the chocolate and cream are smooth, glossy and combined.
- Pour over the ganache to cover the entire top of the sponge cake.
- Scatter over the cake sprinkles and leave until the ganache has set. The ganache will set but will not go completely hard, it will retain a soft delicious bite.
- Once the ganache has set slice into 8-12 square portions.
Check out the recipe notes for a link to our hot vegan custard recipe. Or simply use shop-bought ready prepared plant based custard such as from the Alpro range.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Nutritional info does not include cake sprinkles or any accompaniments such as vegan custard or cream.
- Calories calculated are for 8 slices but this traybake can easily be divided into 12 smaller servings which would provide around 269 calories (includes the chocolate ganache topping).
- Prep and cook time adds up to 45 minutes but do consider the time it takes to cool the sponge if adding the ganache frosting.
- Vegan chocolate sponge traybake can be stored within a cake tin or covered container for 3-4 days.
- Store the sponge traybake somewhere cool and dry.
- Old school chocolate cake can be frozen with the ganache frosting or without the frosting for up to 3 months. Wrap well with a freezer and food safe covering.
- Defrost to room temperature without the food wrap.
- A vegan hot custard recipe can be found over on our jam and coconut sponge recipe post within the recipe notes and FAQ section.
- Elmlea plant single or double cream (find in the chilled section of supermarkets in the UK) can be used for this recipe both for the ganache and for pouring over the finished pudding.
- Or chilled vegan Alpro single cream or Oatley cream (found on the shelf sections usually in the free from aisle of UK supermarkets can replace the Elmlea plant cream.
- Or use any plant cream equivalent.
Janet
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