Chocolate Ganache Cake with Fresh Berries
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup plant-based milk of your choice
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup Follow Your Heart Original Vegenaise
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee
Chocolate Frosting:
- 16oz vegan butter (room temperature)
- 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
- 1-2 tbsp of plant-based milk of your choice
Chocolate Ganache:
- 8oz vegan chocolate chips
- ¾ cup alternative milk (almond, oat, soy, or coconut)
Topping:
- fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set oven to 350ºF degrees. In a small bowl add plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar, stir and set aside. Prepare your pan (we used a half sheet tray) with bakers spray and a piece of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and give it a good whisk.
- In another bowl, combine apple sauce, Original Vegenaise, coconut sugar and whisk until well incorporated. Add liquids including the cup of hot coffee to the sifted dry ingredients and mix until well combined (being careful not to over mix.)
- Pour in prepared pans and bake 12-15 minutes. The timing on this will depend on your pan, so feel free to check the center with a tooth pick. If you poke the center with a pick and it comes out “clean’, the batter it’s ready!
- Set aside to cool.
- To start your frosting, add butter to a stand mixer with sifter powder sugar. On low mix sugar and butter. Stop the mixer and add cocoa powder and vanilla. Once all dry ingredients seem to be incorporated turn the mixer on high. If the frosting seems a bit dry add a tbsp of alternative milk.
- For your ganache, heat up your plant-based milk in a small sauce pan, just until it starts to simmer. Add chocolate chips to a small heat safe bowl and add your heated plant-based milk.
- Cover the bowl with a dish towel or a plate so the heat stays locked in. After two minutes take cover off and give it a good stir with a spoon.
To Assemble:
- Take cooled sheet cake and cute out two identical heart shapes. You can do this by hand or by using a large heart shaped cookie cutter.
- Frost one layer with chocolate frosting, add the second layer of cake and frost the whole thing.
- Pour ganache over the top making sure to get every surface. It’s helpful to set your cake on a cooling rack that rests on a sheet pan so you get a nice clean finish and the chocolate run off collects on the baking sheet underneath.
- Top with fresh berries and enjoy!