Mary Berry's moreish chocolate cake will leave guests delighted this festive season

Mary Berry has shared a recipe for a delicious dairy-free chocolate cake that will be perfect for guests this season.

The cake is made using coconut-cream to keep it dairy-free and is filled with some apricot jam and a creamy chocolate icing, creating a deliciously moreish and moist cake.

Rather than baking all in one go, this cake can be frozen before the jam and icing are added. This means you can make the base days in advance, defrosting it before your guests arrive, and finishing it off.

Mary also advises that this cake can be made and assembled up to six hours ahead.

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Mary Berry's dairy-free chocolate cake Ingredients

For the cake:

• 175g/6oz self-raising flour

• One tsp baking soda

• One tsp bicarbonate of soda

• Two tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

• 150g/5½oz caster sugar

• Two free-range eggs

• Two tbsp golden syrup

• 150ml/5fl oz sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

• 160ml/5½fl oz coconut cream

• Four tbsp apricot jam

• 55g/2oz dairy-free white chocolate

For the icing:

• 160ml/5½fl oz coconut cream
• 255g/9oz vegan milk or dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and grease a two 20cm/8in loose-bottomed sandwich tin and line with baking paper.

Then mix the flower, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder and caster sugar together in a large bowl. After this, whisk the eggs in a jug with the syrup, oil, and coconut cream.

Pour the egg mixture into the mixing bowl and whisk together with a hand whisk until well combined.

Divide the batter between the tins and bake for about 25–30 minutes or until well-risen. When finished, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to remove the baking paper.

While the cake cools, begin making the icing by melting the coconut cream and dairy-free white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, but ensure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.

Stir the cream and chocolate until runny and then set aside to cool or place in the fridge until it has a thick, spreadable consistency.

Place one half of the cake on a serving plate, and cover with half of the apricot jam. Then place the second half of cake on top, covering with the rest of the apricot jam and icing, swirling the icing in the centre of the cake.

Finish by sprinkling grated white chocolate around the edge of the cake, then cut into slices and serve.