Delicious Eggless Chocolate Cakes

These cakes are absolutely scrummy. I've been making them practically everyday!

It started when I wanted to try out some baking in our new oven...and what a result :D everybody loves these - and they don't have any dairy in them (unless you use milk chocolate), which is a bonus!

I found the original recipe here. It makes around 36 cupcakes, but I reduced it to 12 and added a few extras...

125g plain flour
130 caster sugar
15g cocoa powder
1/3 tsp salt
2/3 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2/3 tsp vanilla essence
2/3 tsp vinegar
60ml oil (I used sunflower oil)
165ml cold water
Handful of chocolate chips/mixed nuts - optional
Melted chocolate for topping - optional
Finely chopped almonds for topping - optional

• Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl
• Make 3 wells and add vanilla essence, vinegar and oil
• Pour cold water over the mixture and mix everything together with a fork
• Add chocolate chips/mixed nuts (optional)
• Spoon mixture into 12 cupcake holders
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 15minutes
• Remove from oven and put individual cupcakes on a cooling rack 
• Ice with melted chocolate and top with almond flakes (optional)

I've varied the toppings a few times - just go with whatever you fancy...