People have a misconception that all vegan food is healthy and bland. They couldn’t be more wrong. This vegan chocolate cake with ganache is rich, fudgy and in no way healthy but hey, we’ve all got to cut loose and indulge a little sometimes and this cruelty-free cake is the perfect induglence.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 1/2 cups of all plain flour
- 1 1/2 cups raw sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 chia seed egg (1 1/2 teaspoon chia seeds – add enough water to cover the seeds and leave for 10 minutes to thicken)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup plant-based milk (I use soy for this recipe but oat or cashew milk would work too)
- 3/4 cup strong instant coffee (no sugar or milk, just 1 tablespoon instant coffee – you won’t be able to taste the coffee in the cake but it will make it richer in flavour)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Vegan Ganache
- 250 ml coconut cream
- 1 block of Lindt 80% dark chocolate (accidentally vegan)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsuis.
Mix all dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, raw sugar, cocoa powder and salt – in a large mixing bowl.
In a smaller mixing bowl, mix vegetable oil, soy milk, vanilla extract.
Add wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing in slowly, then fold in the chia egg.
Mix in coffee slowly
Grease a 20cm x 5cm round cake tin and cut out a round sheet of baking paper for the bottom.
Pour in your cake batter and tap the cake tin to get air bubbles out.
Bake in oven at 170 degrees Celsuis for 30-40 minutes checking from 25 minutes to see if it is ready. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out not wet but with a little bit of cake crumbs stuck to it.
Once the cake it out let it cool for 20 minutes before putting it on a plate and sticking it in the fridge.
Make the vegan ganache.
To make your ganache, heat the coconut cream in a saucepan on the stovetop making sure not to boil it.
Once heated, remove from the stovetop and break up your chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at 30-second intervals until softened but not completely melted.
Mix chocolate into coconut cream, add a few drops of vanilla essense.
In a microwave-safe container, melt the butter and then mix in your brown sugar for a quick and easy caramel.
Mix caramel into the ganache. This helps to add a bit of sweetness and remove the coconut flavour.
Let the ganache cool and it will start to thicken. If you’re in a rush, pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes and it will thicken up.
Once the ganache is ready and the cake is completely cooled, ice your cake and decorate with fresh strawberries or chocolate shavings.
Serve with vegan ice cream or just on its own. This cake is moist and delicious and sure to be a winner at any party.
May Contain Traces of Soy 