Anna Jones' Dark Fudgy Cake — a plant-based British recipe by BOSH!
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Anna Jones' Dark Fudgy Cake

This cake is genuinely one of the most impressive things we've made in a while, and it comes from the brilliant Anna Jones. It's dark, fudgy, and deeply chocolatey in a way that feels almost too good to be fully plant-based. The texture is somewhere between a brownie and a proper celebration cake, with that rich icing setting into something glossy and indulgent on top. We've made this for dinner parties, birthdays, and honestly just a Tuesday when we needed something a bit special. Make it tonight, you will not regret it.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 6

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • 20cm springform tin lined with baking paper
  • Saucepan
  • 2x mixing bowls
  • Chocolate icing cooled before baking

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tbsp cocoa powder
  • 75g coconut oil
  • 50g dark brown sugar
  • 75g dark chocolate
  • 60ml water
  • salt
  • 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 225g spelt flour
  • 75g cocoa powder
  • 250g brown sugar
  • 75g coconut oil
  • 375ml boiling water

Method

1

Start by making the icing

  • So that it can cool whilst the cake is in the oven
  • Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and mix the contents on a low heat
  • Once they've melted slightly add the dark chocolate and stir until the contents are smooth and melted together
  • Put the icing to one side to cool
2

Make the cake mix

  • Add the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl
  • Mix these together until combined then set to one side
  • With another mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients
  • Mix these together until the coconut oil has melted and the mixture is smooth
  • Then add the dry ingredients and combine everything
3

Finish the cake

  • Pour the chocolate cake mixture into a 20cm lined springform cake tin and bake in the oven for around 25-30 minutes
  • Once the cake is cooked, leave to cool before pouring over the chocolate icing
  • Use a spoon to spread the icing so that it's evenly covered on the top
  • Leave the icing to set or get stuck in whilst it's still gooey

Tips & Variations

  • Get the icing right: Make sure you're using a good quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa for the icing. It makes a massive difference to the depth of flavour and that glossy finish.
  • Don't rush the cooling: We know it's tempting but let the cake cool properly before icing it. If it's still warm the icing will just slide off and you'll end up with a chocolatey mess, which is still delicious but less impressive.
  • Make it ahead: This cake actually gets better the next day once the icing has fully set and the flavours have had time to come together. Brilliant if you're making it for a dinner party.

Why This Works

The trick here is starting the icing first so it has time to cool and thicken while the cake bakes. That way everything comes together perfectly when you're ready to assemble. The dark chocolate in the icing is the real secret weapon, it gives the whole thing that deep, almost bittersweet finish that stops it being sickly sweet.