120ml| 4fl oz | 1/2 cup warm almond or soy milkdivided
200g| 7oz dark vegan chocolatemelted and cooled slightly
Chocolate drip
100g| 3 1/2 oz dark vegan chocolatemelted
warm almond milkas needed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Spray 3x15cm (6in) cake tins with cake release and line the bottoms with baking paper.
Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices into a large bowl.
Mix the milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla together in a measuring jug and add to the bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix everything together until you have a smooth batter.
Fold in the chopped stem ginger and syrup, if using.
Divide between the prepared tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cakes are coming away from the edges of the tins.
Cool in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out to a wire rack to cool.
Level the sponges using a serrated knife and a cake leveller.
Make the frosting: put the icing sugar, non-dairy spread, half the almond milk, cocoa powder and cinnamon into the bowl of your stand mixer.
Start mixing on low speed to combine using the paddle attachment. Increase the speed to maximum and mix for 2 minutes.
Lower the speed and gradually add the melted chocolate. Beat until the frosting is glossy and thick, stopping the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Gradually the rest of the milk and then continue to mix for 2-3 minutes at maximum speed, scraping the bowl as needed.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip.
Pipe a thin layer of frosting over the bottom cake layer, top with the second, repeat, and then top with the third.
Add a generous amount of frosting over the top and sides of the cake and smooth using a side scraper and palette knife. Chill the cake for 30 minutes in the freezer.
Add another thin layer of frosting and smooth over the top and sides of the cake.
Melt the chocolate for the drip. Add a little warm almond milk and mix together using a small balloon whisk until combined. Add as much milk as you need for the drip to easily flow off the back of a spoon. If it is too thick you won't get the desired 'drip' effect. Test your drip against the side of a cake tin if you are not sure, it should slowly drip down the side.
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the perimeter of the cake using a spoon so that it prettily drips down the sides. You can fill the top of the cake too.
Decorate with vegan gingerbread cookies, or pipe any extra frosting over the top of the cake and sprinkle with edible gold glitter.
Notes
The melted chocolate will cool as it is added to the frosting and it can settle to the bottom and sides of your mixing bowl. Make sure to give the bowl a scrape with a spatula now and again so that everything is evenly mixed. The cake is really rich so I would suggest you spread/pipe a small amount of the frosting between the layers, being gentle as the sponge is a little crumbly.