This vegan chocolate cake is endowed with a moist texture like brownies and gentle spice flavours. Plus it looks amazing so perfect as a birthday cake or treat for holidays as well, or when you can't decide to have brownies or chocolate cakes.
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Line an 8" cake tin with baking paper.
First, let's make our flax "egg" by mixing the ground flaxseed and water together in a small bowl. Set it aside for later use.
In a big mixing bowl, add the flour, and sugar. sift in cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and mixed spice. Use a whisk to mix all ingredients together evenly.
Add soy milk, peanut butter, and vanilla extract to another bowl. Use a whisk to mix them together until all incorporated.
Add the flax "egg" and soy milk mixture to the flour mixture. Use a whisk to mix until no flour can be seen.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Smooth the top and gently drop the cake tin against the counter a few times to even it out.
Sprinkle the chopped chocolate, hazelnuts, and crushed cookies evenly on top of the cake batter.
Bake in the oven on the lower 1/3 rack at 175°C/350°F for 28 ~ 30 minutes. Insert a small knife in the centre of the cake to see if it's baked. If no wet batter sticks to the knife, transfer the cake tin onto a wire rack to cool down for at least 20 minutes. I'd suggest letting it cool down completely if you have time.
Remove the cake out from the cake tin. Slice and enjoy! This cake can be enjoyed both cold and warm.
Notes
*Flour: If you want to make it gluten-free, simply use gluten-free plain flour instead. But keep in mind different brands might have different outcomes.
**Sugar: I use a combination of dark brown sugar and golden sugar here to give out a more complex sweetness. You can just use light brown sugar or organic cane sugar if that's what you have.
Storage: Store the cake in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2~3 days or 2 weeks in the freezer. I'd suggest slicing the cake for easier storage.