Dairy-free | Gluten-free with ground almonds | Serves 12

This is a proper chocolate cake: rich, soft in the middle, a little fudgy, and full of deep cocoa flavour.

It's the sort of cake that looks wonderfully simple, but tastes like you have made a real effort. I first made it for a guest who needed a gluten-free and dairy-free option, but it has stayed firmly in the recipe book because everyone enjoys it, dietary needs or not.

Hillfarm Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil works beautifully here. It gives the cake a lovely, smooth richness without making it feel heavy, and it keeps the crumb soft and tender. Serve it warm as a pudding, or let it cool completely for a firmer slice with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

• 175ml Hillfarm Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil, plus a little extra for greasing
• 50g cocoa powder, sifted
• 100ml boiling water
• 150g ground almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• A pinch of salt
• 170g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs

Method

1. Prepare the tin

Heat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / Gas 3.

Lightly brush a 23cm springform tin with Hillfarm oil, then line the base with baking paper.

2. Make the chocolate paste

Put the sifted cocoa powder into a heatproof jug or bowl.

Pour over the boiling water and whisk until smooth, glossy and pourable. Stir in the vanilla, then set aside to cool for a few minutes.

3. Mix the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, stir together the ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

4. Whisk the eggs, sugar and oil

Add the caster sugar, Hillfarm Rapeseed Oil and eggs to a mixing bowl.

Beat for around 3 minutes, until the mixture looks pale, slightly thicker and well combined.

5. Bring the batter together

Turn the mixer down to low and slowly pour in the chocolate mixture.

Once combined, add the almond or flour mixture and mix gently until everything is just incorporated. Give the bowl a final stir with a spatula, making sure no dry mixture is left at the bottom.

6. Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake for 40–45 minutes. The edges should be set, but the middle should still feel a little soft. A skewer should come out slightly sticky rather than completely clean.

7. Cool and serve

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then release the sides and transfer to a rack.

Serve warm as a pudding with berries, dairy-free cream, or a dusting of cocoa powder. Or leave it to cool completely for a firmer, sliceable cake.

A small scoop of ice cream also works nicely if you are not keeping it dairy-free.