Sponge/ladyfingers

If you don’t want to make your own, it’s also possible to use 400g (approx.) Lotus Biscoff biscuits, vegan shortbread or baked French toast biscuits

Wet ingredients

• 200ml/8 fl oz unsweetened soya or almond milk
• 75ml/⅓ cup neutral oil (eg rapeseed)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 2 tsp cider vinegar

Dry ingredients

• 200g/1⅔ cups self-raising flour
• 140g/¾ cup (heaped) golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

Espresso syrup

• 300ml/1¼ cups strong coffee (6 tsp instant coffee in 300ml boiling water. Use decaffeinated if preferred)
• 1 tbsp vegan Amaretto, coffee liqueur, rum or brandy (add 2 more tablespoons if you’d prefer it extra boozy. If you’d prefer to go alcohol-free then leave out this ingredient)
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

Cream layer

• 315ml/1⅓ cup vegan double/whippable cream
• 500g/17.5 oz vegan cream cheese
• 190g/1½ cups icing sugar, sieved
• 1¼ tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 2½ tsp vegan Amaretto, coffee liqueur, rum or brandy (optional)
• 2½ tbsp odourless/culinary coconut oil, melted (optional but recommended – use this if you’d like the cream to be a bit firmer. You can use regular coconut oil but we recommend using odourless to avoid the coconutty flavour)

Topping

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
• 50g/2 oz dark vegan chocolate, shaved (optional – we like 70% cocoa solids)

Sponge/Ladyfingers

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Line a 20-25cm x 30-35cm (approx.) deep baking tin.

Wet ingredients

1. In a large jug, stir together all the wet ingredients and then leave for a few minutes.

Dry ingredients

1. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all the dry ingredients.
2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined (but don’t overstir).
3. Evenly distribute the cake mixture into the baking tin and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
5. Cut the sponge into 16 even slices. Turn the slices on their side in the tin and place the tin back in the oven for 10 minutes (this is to help dry out the ladyfingers so they absorb more liquid).
6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool fully.

Espresso syrup

1. Using a medium-sized jug, combine all ingredients while the coffee is boiling hot then leave to cool completely.

Cream layer

1. Using an electric hand whisk or stand mixer, whisk the vegan cream until stiff peaks form.
2. In a large mixing bowl and using an electric hand whisk or balloon whisk, thoroughly combine the vegan cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract, alcohol and melted coconut oil. Gently fold through the whipped vegan double cream (don’t overstir).
3. Place in the fridge until needed.

Topping/Assembly

1. Line a 20cm x 20cm ceramic dish with greaseproof paper.
2. Dunk 8 of the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture and place in the dish in a single layer.
3. Take half of the cream and spread evenly, covering the ladyfingers.
4. Take another 8 ladyfingers, thoroughly dunk them in the espresso syrup and place them over the cream, evenly spaced and in a single layer.
5. Spread the remaining half of the cream over the ladyfingers.
6. Place in the fridge and chill for a minimum of 2 hours.
7. Remove from the fridge and dust with cocoa or raw cacao powder through a sieve, then finish off with chocolate shavings.