chocolate ganache cake

Get the tea ready, because these muffins are just what you need right now.

INGREDIENTS:

{ Cake }

  • 3 C. (384g) all purpose flour

  • 2 C. (400g) brown sugar

  • 1/2 C. cocoa powder ( unsweetened)

  • 2 tsp. baking soda

  • 2 tsp. kosher salt (like Diamond)

  • 1/2 tsp. cardamom, ground (optional)

  • 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

  • 4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

  • 2 tsp. instant coffee

  • 2/3 C. neutral oil

  • 1 C. hot water

{ Chocolate Buttercream }

  • 1 C. (227g) vegan butter (unsalted, if you can get your hands on it)

  • 3 C. (300g) confectioner (powdered) sugar

  • 1/4 C. (25g) cocoa powder

  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (like Diamond)

{ Ganache }

  • 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

  • 4 oz. heavy coconut cream

  • 4 oz. vegan butter (unsalted, if you can get your hands on it)

  • 2 tsp. bourbon (con sub with vanilla extract)

{ Optional Extras }

  • shaved chocolate, chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles

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You will need:

  • Three round 8” or two 9” or four 6” cake pans

  • 2 Large bowls + 2 medium bowls

  • Hand or stand mixer

  • Cooling racks

  • Whisk

  • Neutral spray oil

  • Parchment paper, pen and scissors (optional)

{ Prep }

  • Trace bottom of cake pans onto parchment paper, then cut the rounds to place in bottom of pans

  • Spray baking pans with non-stick spray

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°

  1. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, coffee,spices, and baking soda. Whisk until well combined-set aside.

  2. In another bowl, add oil, vinegar, vanilla and hot water.

  3. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry- use a rubber spatula to make sure the ingredients are fully incorporated and smooth. Take care not to over mix, though.

  4. Pour batter evenly into cake pans (weigh if you want to be completely accurate).

  5. Place pans on the middle rack and bake 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

  6. Remove cakes from oven and let rest in pan about 15 minutes..

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Fresh baked

Starting the oven off at 425° helps your muffins to really dome up and get a bit crusty (I mean, that’s why we love muffin tops, right?) Let your muffins cook at the higher temp for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat down to 350° to finish baking.

Oh yeah, make sure you keep that oven door closed in the beginning of the baking process to ensure a proper rise.

 
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glazed + confUsed

Plant milk comes in many different thicknesses depending on type (oat, almond, soy, cashew, rice) and brand. I find cashew to be the most consistently thick, but have found some good oat milks too. Just note that if you have super thin milk, you may have to adjust the amount of sugar (or milk) you use in the glaze mixture to get the consistency right.

 
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Muffin Top

A crunchy muffin top is always the perfect pair to a soft and tender cake.

I hope you give this recipe a try. If you do, let me know how it turned out!

Thanks for spending some time,

xxx Debbie xxx