Vegan chocolate mud cake with ganache

A chocolate cake for everyone that calls on a whipped ganache to seal the deal for a second piece.

Vegan chocolate mud cake Credit: Eating Plants

• serves

  8

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 125 g plain soy milk
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 160 g vegetable oil
• 60 g cocoa butter, melted
• 125 g cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 125 g water, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 300 g all-purpose plain flour
• 220 g caster sugar
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 250 ml boiling water
• Vegan chocolate and fresh berries, as decoration (optional)

Whipped butter ganache

• 300 g full-fat coconut cream
• 500 g vegan dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100 g vegan butter

You will need to begin this recipe one day ahead for the icing and setting. 

This recipe makes 1 x double-layer 8-inch cake.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F, grease and line 2 x 8-inch round cake tins.
2. To make the cake, in a small jug, mix together soy milk and vinegar to make thick buttermilk.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together oil, melted cocoa butter, cocoa powder, coffee powder, buttermilk mixture, vanilla, and water. Beat until thoroughly combined and slightly foamy.
4. In a large mixing bowl, sieve plain flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
5. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer and beat together on low speed until it starts to come together. Add another third and repeat the process until mostly combined.
6. While the mixer is running on the lowest speed, slowly stream the boiling water down the side of the bowl, allowing the water to become smoothly incorporated. Pause the mixer and scrape down the sides to make sure everything is mixed in, and beat for another 10 seconds.
7. Divide the batter between the prepared tins, firmly tapping each tin on the counter to release any large air bubbles. Don’t be afraid to do this with considerable force, as it will make your cake crumb firmer, with fewer large, irregular holes.
8. Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 45 to 48 minutes. Test with a skewer to see if it’s baked; it should only have a few moist crumbs clinging to the skewer when ready. The top will be firm to touch.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting; for the best results, chill overnight.
10. To make the whipped ganache, heat coconut cream in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat until small bubbles appear around the edge and it starts to steam. Catch it right before it comes to a full boil. Alternately, you can heat it in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes instead.
11. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, making sure the pieces are completely covered by the cream. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
12. Whisk vigorously until smooth.
13. If there are any lumps, return the saucepan to the stove over very low heat. Stir until the lumps have melted and the ganache is shiny.
14. Add butter and stir until smooth and creamy. Divide the ganache equally between two bowls. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it down onto the surface of the ganache to prevent skin from forming. Place one bowl in the fridge and let sit overnight to set. Leave the other bowl on the counter to keep it more fluid.
15. Once the ganache in the fridge has set, transfer the ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip the ganache on a low speed until light and fluffy.
16. To assemble, using a serrated knife, cut the domes off the top of each cake layer so they are both perfectly level. Place your first layer onto your cake board or stand. Spread half the whipped ganache onto the centre of the first layer, smoothing out evenly using an offset spatula.
17. Add the second layer with the bottom facing up. Spread the remaining whipped ganache on top and evenly smooth a very thin layer around the side to seal in the crumbs. Place the stacked cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to set the crumb coat.
18. Cover your cake with the remaining, soft ganache, smoothing out the sides and top with a cake scraper. Decorate with chocolate curls and berries.

 

This recipe is from Eating Plants available to stream now at SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.