Chocolate Ganache 'Bake Off' Cake
One of the most iconic chocolate cakes veganised! A classic, rich chocolate sponge, silky smooth ganache and of course those legendary fresh raspberries.
Alongside the enormous 'Bruce' cake from Matilda, I think that the Bake Off cake is the next most iconic chocolate cake out there! It's classic, rich chocolate sponge, silky smooth dark chocolate ganache and simple fresh raspberry decoration - complete with the missing berry! Make it a cake that everyone recognises!
My veganised version has that exact same delicious chocolatey elements, just minus the animal products!
My simple chocolate cake recipe creates a fluffy, moist chocolate sponge, and you'd never guess that the rich chocolate ganache is missing the dairy.
It's an easy to make, delicious cake, that's a really showstopper!
This recipe makes one large 6" three layer cake or you could make mini layer cakes or cupcakes instead. It's best eaten within four days while at its freshest. Store in an airtight container in a cool and dry place.
You can also freeze the whole cake or slices of cake for up to one month. Just wrap in clingfilm, then foil and pop in the freezer. I recommend freezing individual slices, as these defrost much quicker.
It's dairy free, egg free, nut free, easily gluten free, and of course completely vegan!
Makes one large 6" layer cake
Chocolate sponge;
200g plain flour
225g caster or granulated sugar
5g baking powder
8g baking soda
75g cocoa powder
370g soya milk
140g sunflower oil
10g apple cider vinegar
Find the full recipe in my book 'Easy Vegan Cakes'; Easy Vegan Cakes - EBOOK DOWNLOAD | Clemie's Vegan Cakes
Ganache ingredients;
225g finely chopped dark chocolate
195g vegan double cream
2 tbs golden syrup or glucose syrup - optional
You will also need 200g fresh raspberries for decoration
You will also need; a mixing bowl, whisk, spoon, 3x 6" cake tins, baking paper, small microwaveable bowl, small palette knife, small plate or cake board
How to make your cake;
Pre heat the oven to 160°c and line your cake tins with baking paper. This will stop the sponge from sticking to the tins and make it easier to remove them neatly
Make the chocolate sponges by following the recipe instructions from my book; Easy Vegan Cakes - EBOOK DOWNLOAD | Clemie's Vegan Cakes
Pour the chocolate sponge mixture into the three, lined baking tins and bake for around 20 minutes at 160°c, until a cocktail stick comes out clean
Set the sponges aside to cool
Once the sponges are almost cooled, make the chocolate ganache
Add the cream and golden syrup to a small microwaveable bowl. Heat in short bursts until the cream is hot but not boiling
Add the chocolate and carefully push it down so that it is submerged in the hot cream and leave it to sit for around five minutes to melt the chocolate
Gently give the ganache a stir to make sure all the chocolate is melted. If everything is nice and smooth, set aside for a few minutes to cool and thicken. If there are any chocolate lumps which are still not melted, leave again for a few minutes, then gently stir again until smooth
Once the ganache has slightly thickened and is a slightly runny, soft peanut butter texture, you can begin assembling your cake
Remove the chocolate sponges from their tins and remove any baking paper
Your sponges should have risen pretty evenly, but if your sponges have a very domed tops trim this off to make it easier to stack the cakes neatly
Place the first sponge onto a plate or cake board and secure with a little blob of ganache underneath
Add around 2 tbs of ganache to the top of the sponge and carefully smooth it out using the back of a spoon or palette knife
Carefully place the second sponge on top and repeat adding 2 tbs of ganache and smoothing it out on top of the cake
Place the third sponge carefully on top. If the cake feels stable, you can move on to icing the top and sides straight away. If your cake was still slightly warm or feels wobbly, place it in the fridge for half an hour or so to chill and set the filling
Ice the top and sides of the cake with the remaining chocolate ganache. Use the back of a spoon or palette knife to gently spread the ganache all over the cake. It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth, you can go for a more textured finish and it will still taste amazing!
Once the whole cake is iced in chocolate ganache, arrange the fresh raspberries on top - it's up to you whether you want to add the missing berry or not!
Now your cake is ready to eat!
Tips & Tricks!
Here’s the link to instantly download my ebook; Easy Vegan Cakes - EBOOK DOWNLOAD | Clemie's Vegan Cakes
The golden syrup is not strictly necessary in the chocolate ganache, but it helps to keep it shiny which looks prettier when you are using it as a cake covering!
To make your cake gluten free, use gluten free plain flour and add 1g of xanthan powder for every 100g flour. It doesn't sound like much but it really helps with the sponge texture. This is the xanthan gum powder I use; https://link.amazon/B0dK7lheE
I use the PME cake tins. My tins are 6" across and 2" deep; https://link.amazon/B0gOy1Cwi
These are my mixing bowls - https://amzn.to/489iB6s
A small angled palette knife is also really helpful to smooth the chocolate ganache filling and for icing the outside of the cake - https://amzn.to/3VLIO3w or this one is slightly cheaper https://amzn.to/46j4VTY
I used the classic Bake Off raspberries to decorate my cake but you could add any fresh fruit or extra chocolatey treats on your cake!
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