Transform Your Baking with This Sustainable Vegan Torte
Renowned chef and food writer Tom Hunt has shared a revolutionary approach to dessert-making that combines indulgence with environmental consciousness. His latest creation, a pear, hazelnut and chocolate torte, demonstrates how zero-waste principles can elevate plant-based baking to new heights of flavour and texture.
The Philosophy Behind the Recipe
In his cookbook Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet, Hunt champions what he calls "whole food cooking" as the ultimate form of waste reduction. Each recipe incorporates adaptable ingredients that boost both nutritional value and taste while utilising what might otherwise be discarded. Aquafaba - the liquid from tinned chickpeas - stands out as a remarkable discovery, serving as a powerful emulsifier that can replace eggs when combined with ground flaxseeds or chia.
"Writing a plant-based cookbook taught me new ways to save waste," Hunt explains, "and confirmed my belief that zero-waste cooking is whole food cooking." This approach transforms what many would pour down the sink into cakes with remarkable lift and texture, proving sustainability doesn't mean compromising on quality.
Seasonal Inspiration Meets Practical Baking
Seasonality forms the cornerstone of Hunt's culinary philosophy, providing both joy and economy in home cooking while connecting us to nature's rhythms. With pears currently fresh, plentiful and easy to source locally, they become the perfect inspiration for this vegan chocolate torte that's gooey, flavourful and not overly sweet.
When developing the dessert chapter for his cookbook, Hunt aimed to create recipes that offered new ways to make cakes more nourishing. This torte achieves exactly that by using aquafaba with omega-rich flaxseed and creating hazelnut flour from whole nuts rather than relying on ground almonds, though Hunt encourages using whatever nuts you have available to minimise waste.
Creating Your Sustainable Masterpiece
To make this delicious torte that serves approximately ten people, you'll need:
- 250g shelled hazelnuts
- 100g light-brown sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 75g wholemeal flour (emmer wheat, regular wholemeal or plain white all work)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 100ml aquafaba
- 50g ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, or 2 tsp psyllium husk
- 4 pears, cored and thinly sliced
- Yoghurt (coconut, soya or dairy) to serve, optional
Begin by heating your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and placing a large baking tray inside to heat up. Tip the hazelnuts onto the hot tray and roast for eight minutes before removing to cool. Pulse-blend the cooled nuts to a powder, being careful to stop before they turn oily.
Combine the hazelnut powder with sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, olive oil, aquafaba and flaxseeds in a large bowl, beating thoroughly to combine. Grease a 23cm flan dish with olive oil, then spoon in a teaspoon each of flour and cocoa, turning the dish to coat evenly before knocking out any excess.
Fill the prepared dish with the hazelnut mixture, then artfully arrange the pear slices on top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the pudding has risen and feels firm in the centre. For the best results, Hunt recommends cooking it slightly underdone to maintain a brownie-like centre.
Sprinkle the finished tart with a little brown sugar, or create your own brown sugar icing by blending it to a fine powder. Serve warm with your choice of yoghurt for a truly satisfying dessert that proves sustainable baking can be both delicious and deeply rewarding.
