Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake

This week I was asked by a work colleague to make a cake for a 60th Birthday.  Easy you may think.  However there was a twist!

The challenge was that it had to be a vegan cake and should contain no nuts.

I soon discovered that all the design ideas I had would be no good due to geletine and other animal products being hidden in so many ingredients.  However after doing some research on the internet, I found what looked like a suitable recipe for a chocolate vegan cake and used chocolate buttercream icing, made with soya butter to pipe a basket weave side and rope effect around the top.  I also decorated with a '60' and 2 stars, all piped with melted vegan dark chocolate and sprayed with a vegan friendly edible pearl spray.  I put this in the fridge to set then very carefully arranged on the cake.

I was apprehensive at the start of making this cake, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out. 

I just hope it tastes as good as it looks!