This is a rich, decadent-tasting, and gorgeous cake. This scrumptious confection, topped with a luscious vegan chocolate ganache frosting, is ideal to serve as an enticing dessert at any gathering throughout the year. Recipe and photos contributed by Laura Theodore, The Jazzy Vegetarian.
Chocolate Ganache Cake
This is a rich, decadent-tasting, and gorgeous cake. This scrumptious confection, topped with a luscious vegan chocolate ganache frosting, is ideal to serve as an enticing dessert at any gathering throughout the year.
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Servings: 8 to10
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1¼ cups brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups chocolate- or vanilla-flavored nondairy milk plus more as needed
- ¼ cup vegan cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ganache
- ½ cup nondairy milk a thicker variety works best
- 1 bar 3.5 ounces vegan dark chocolate (snack-style bar, not unsweetened baking chocolate)
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Garnish
- Fresh strawberries optional
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Instructions
- Lightly coat a 9-inch round baking pan with vegan buttery spread or oil.
- Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine.
- Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine.
- Put ¼ cup of the nondairy milk, vegan cream cheese, olive oil, and vanilla extract in a blender and process until smooth.
- Add to the flour mixture, along with the remaining 1¼ cups of nondairy milk. Stir until well combined and somewhat fluffy. The mixture will be stiff, but if it seems overly dry, stir in additional nondairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 3 tablespoons.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If it seems that the cake is starting to burn during the last 10 minutes of baking, tent it with foil.)
- Put the pan on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the ganache. Heat the nondairy milk in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until steaming hot but not boiling.
- Chop the vegan chocolate bar into small pieces. Put the chocolate pieces, olive oil and sugar in a large bowl.
- Slowly pour in the nondairy milk, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition, until the chocolate is smooth and shiny. Immediately drizzle or spread the frosting over the cake.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. Garnish with optional strawberries, if desired. Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, leftover cake will keep for about 2 days.
Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.
- Here are more Easy Vegan Cakes and Pies.
Ruchama says
This looks delicious and easy, except my oven resists getting to 400 degrees (it's a huge electric oven) and I've never seen this method of baking a cake before. Is it to help prevent the cracks my vegan cakes tend to get no matter how careful I am to try and not "over mix?"
T says
Ruchuma, try starting in a cold oven but remember to check for doneness. Also make use of your oven light rather than opening and closing the door until you believe it's done. You could also clip off the top if you want a flatter surface, use layers, or even crumbles for a fun dessert or topping. Pieces of lopped off tops are good in ice cream sundaes.