Chocolate Cake with Mocha Ganache

By andreajayros

Ingredients

• Cake
• 227 g cake and pastry flour
• 65 g cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup chocolate soy milk
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Mocha Ganache
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder
• 185 g bittersweet vegan chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp margarine
• Frosting
• 300 g bittersweet vegan chocolate chips
• 200 g margarine (or a margarine/vegetable shortening mix)
• 150 g icing sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup soy milk

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from vegandad.blogspot.ca

Preparation

Step 1

I only make one claim about my food: it's vegan.

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or 325 convection

1. Grease 2 8"round cake pans, cut parchment to fit and grease and flour them

2. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk chocolate soy milk and vinegar together. Add remaining ingredients and whisk well to blend.

3. Add dry ingredients and gently whisk until blended. Don't overdo it.

4. Divide batter evenly between 2 pans.

5. Bake for 26-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes, then flip the pans over and remove the cake and parchment paper. Cover the cakes with a damp towel and let them cool.

Mocha Ganache

1. Heat coconut milk and instant coffee to bubbling in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and margarine. Stir until everything is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

Frosting

1. Get water barely simmering in a double boiler. Add chocolate chips and margarine and stir until everything is melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 mins, or until just barely warm.

2. Add vanilla and icing sugar and whisk until smooth. As the icing sits, it will begin to get thicker. Blend in soy milk until you get the consistency you like. If you go overboard, you can always add more icing sugar.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

1. Cut each cake horizontally into 2 pieces

2. When it has cooled, spoon 1/3 of the ganache on top of the bottom layer and spread. Top with the next layer of cake, then 1/3 of the ganache, then the next layer of cake, then the last 1/3 of the ganache, then the top layer of cake. If the layers start to slide a bit, just take your time. Place the cake in a cool place to firm up in between layers if you need to. I like the ganache to be a little on the runny side so that it soaks into the cake.

3. When your layers are assembled and stable, ice the entire cake in a thin layer of frosting. I like to do this after I have blended in the icing sugar in but before I add the soy milk. Place in a cool place to firm up.

4. Ice the rest of the cake. Top with grated chocolate.