Method (cake)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line a round 8 inch loose base / push up cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
4. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
6. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts.
7. Pour the batter into the lined cake tin. Make sure to tap the tin on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
8. Pop the cake into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know it’s done when you put a knife or skewer in to the centre of the cake and it comes out clean and it’s springy to the touch.
9. Place the cake on a cooling rack and allow to cool fully in the tin, as we’ll be layering the mousse in the tin.
10. To store, cover the top of the cake with some grease proof paper then place in a sealed container while in the tin. I like to store the cake overnight so its 100% cool before adding on the cream layers.

Method (nutella mousse)

1. Melt the dairy-free dark chocolate either on the hob (bain-marie) or in the microwave in 20 second intervals until fully melted.
2. Add the whipping cream, melted dark chocolate and vegan nutella into a stand mixer fitted with balloon whisk attachment. Whip the cream on high speed for 5-8 minutes or until it holds a stiff peak. The Coconut Collaborative double cream will whip up very thick! 
3. Spoon and spread the thick chocolate layer to the cake base (refer to video for example). Chill in the fridge before adding on the next layer on top.

Method (hazelnut cream)

1. In a stand mixer add in the whipping cream and chopped hazelnuts, and whip until thick and holds a stiff peak. TIP: Use the same bowl and whisk as the chocolate layer as this will add a slight chocolate colour the the mousse and added flavour. 
2. Spoon and spread the whipped hazelnut cream on top of the nutella mousse in an even layer.
3. Melt the vegan nutella until its a pourable consistency, allow to cool for a few minutes before pouring over the cake. Use an off set spatula to spread this out.
4. Sprinkle a single layer of chopped hazelnuts over the top.
5. Set in the fridge to set. 
6. Once the dessert looks set, carefully use the loose base of the tin to push the dessert out of the tin and onto a serving plate, carefully peeling away any grease proof paper.
7. Use a knife sharp knife to cut the cake into servings.
8. Serve and enjoy. Optional: serve with a drizzle of melted vegan nutella!