Chocolate Cake with Vegan Chocolate Ganache
This cake is the proof that being vegan doesn't mean you having to miss out on anything - and that includes a good chocolate ganache! This recipe is super simple with no "fancy" ingredients (that's what we like!) and it makes the perfect celebration cake! Ridiculously easy to make and the ganache only calls for two ingredients, you really need to try this yourself to believe how good it is!
I made this cake for my boyfriends birthday last month. He's not a vegan although I know he enjoys all the (vegan!) baking I do. It might be a little selfish of me to make a vegan cake for a non-vegan, but as I'm the one making the cake I thought it was fair that I should be able to eat it!
I first made a ganache about 5 years ago for my Mum's birthday, and I made waaay to much although I thoroughly enjoyed eating all the leftovers! Back then I wasn't vegan so I made it with lots of dairy filled chocolate and double cream, things I obviously can't use now! I read around though and found that heating dark chocolate with oat milk should work, so I gave that a go and I can honestly say it worked wonderfully!
The key to mastering the ganache is to make sure you leave it to chill, this is vital to let it set and so it becomes easier to work with. Of course, you want to make sure the cakes are chilled fully before you even think about spreading over the buttercream and topping with the ganache, but you knew that didn't you 😉
So, if you're after a delicious chocolate cake with a very yummy vegan chocolate ganache, give this recipe a go! Let me know how it went on Instagram using # !
Total time: 2 Hours
Yield: 1 Cake, serves 6-8 Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
Yield: 1 Cake, serves 6-8 Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 200g Dairy Free Butter (1 Cup)
- 200g Light Soft Brown Sugar (1 Cup)
- 350g Self-Raising Flour (2.5 Cups)
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 400ml Dairy Free Milk
- 60g Cocoa Power (1/2 Cup)
- 100g Dairy Free Butter (1/2 Cup)
- 185g Icing Sugar (1.5 Cups)
- A Few Drops Vanilla Extract
- 180g Dark Chocolate (roughly 1 cup)
- 100ml Dairy Free Milk (roughly 1/2 cup) (I used oat milk as it's thicker)
- Selection of fruit, to decorate
- Preheat your oven the 180˚celsius and grease and line two 7-inch round cake tins.
- For the chocolate cakes, cream the butter and sugar together.
- Fold in the self raising flour and baking powder.
- Add enough dairy free milk to make a smooth batter, then fold in the cocoa powder gradually.
- Split the batter between the two cake tins, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, beat the butter lightly to soften it then gradually fold in the icing sugar.
- Stir through the vanilla extract.
- For the chocolate ganache, break the chocolate into pieces in a bowl and add the milk.
- Heat in the microwave at in small intervals, stirring frequently.
- Once fully melted, mix well and transfer to the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.
- To assemble the cake, place one of the sponges on the plate, top with buttercream, then place the second sponge on top and spread the rest of the buttercream on top and around the sides of the cake.
- Spread the chocolate ganache across the top of the cake, then drip some down the sides of the cake.
- Decorate with fruit and enjoy!