Vegan apricot chocolate squares

1 Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, fan. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with parchment paper (ensuring the paper is slightly higher than the sides of the tin, to accommodate the jelly and chocolate layers).

2 For the chocolate base: Melt the chocolate in a bain marie (a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water) and stir until fully blended and smooth, then remove from the heatsource. Combine the wholemeal flour, plain flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix the melted chocolate into the dry ingredients.

3 Combine the water, sunflower oil and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix them into the chocolatey mixture, whisking to a smooth, quite wet, cake-like batter. Transfer the mixture into the lined baking tin. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the centre is cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully in the tin (refrigerate it for 30 minutes before the jelly layer is added).

4 For the apricot jelly: Simmer the apricots and water in a small saucepan over a low heat until all the water is absorbed. Blitz using a handheld soup blender, add the sugar and blitz again. Place the apricot coulis in a measuring jug and pour in extra water until the volume in the jug measures 250ml. Transfer the 250ml apricot liquid to the washed and cleaned out saucepan and sprinkle agar agar flakes over the surface of the liquid (before heating). Heat without stirring until boiling. Simmer stirring occasionally until the agar agar flakes fully dissolve (five to 10 minutes). Pour over the chilled chocolate cake base and refrigerate to set.

5 For the chocolate ganache topping: Heat the soy cream to just below boiling point and pour the hot cream over the dark chocolate pieces in a bowl, stirring to a smooth silky chocolate ganache. Pour the chocolate ganache over the chilled jelly layer and set aside in a cool place to set.

6 To portion, lift the bake in the parchment onto a work surface, use a large knife to cut crossways into approx 16 squares. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. If you omit the soy cream in the topping, portion before the chocolate hardens.