Best Ever Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake with Ganache
I solemnly swear this is the Best Ever Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate you will ever make. The rich, thick ganache tops it off. Fills a 7.5 inch cake tin.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Blender
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 cup almond meal
- 2 tablespoons psyllium husks
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk the thick stuff from a can, not a tetra pack
- 2 teaspoons baking powder source a gluten free brand
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 heaped cup Medjool dates, pitted About 100g
- 1/2 cup rice malt syrup or 100% pure maple syrup
GANACHE:
- 1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut cream thick, full fat
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- Pinch of coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
CAKE:
- Pre heat oven at 180˚C (360˚F), and line a 7 1/2 inch cake tin with baking paper, or coat in just a little coconut oil then dust with cacao powder (this will give the nicest end result).
- Place pitted dates in a bowl, cover with boiling water, let soften for 15 minutes then drain.
- Sift buckwheat flour, almond meal and cacao powder into a food processor, then add the rest of the dry ingredients - baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, (except psyllium husks), and pulse to combine.
- Blend psyllium husks with coconut milk for 10 seconds maximum (otherwise it gets too thick) then immediately pour into the food processor.
- Quickly add the rice malt syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract. Add the soaked and drained dates, pulse all till combined.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared cake tin, even out the surface and bake (forced fan) for 40 mins. Remove from tin and let cool entirely. Once cool, slice cake horizontally and ice with ganache.
GANACHE:
- Make sure all ingredients are ambient temperature (so important), add to blender and blend till smooth. Transfer to small bowl and set in fridge for ten or more minutes, or till the ganache has thickened and is spreadable.
- Spread half over one cake layer, the other half over the top. Decorate with a flower or two and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container on the bench top.
Notes
- To impress: make two lots of the cake recipe and layer them together for extra height.
- Variations: add coffee powder, orange zest and fresh thyme, or ginger and cayenne. Orange essential oil (say, 5-6 drops) in the ganache would be heavenly!
- Decorate with: fresh flowers, freeze dried berry powder, slithered almonds.
- Make sure you slice the cake horizontally and fill with ganache (I did not do this in my photos) - promise you will not regret the extra effort!
- If you need a nut-free alternative to almond meal, one reader tried and loved ground sunflower seed - however I haven't tried this myself
- Do not replace the almond meal with another flour - the almond meal is adding fluffiness.
- Sorghum flour is an alternative to buckwheat flour.
- For a slightly sweeter cake, replace the rice malt with maple syrup.
- Stick with canned full fat coconut milk for this recipe - coconut milk from a tetra pack is too thin and watery.
- When you blend the coconut with the psyllium husk - only 10 seconds is required. If you keep blending, it will get waaay too thick.
- As soon as you add the psyllium husk mixture to the food processor, it will start to swell and thicken - so work quickly - no dawdling! Pour it in, add everything else, then whack that bad boy in the oven.
- Make sure the coconut cream you use for the ganache is nice and thick - otherwise the ganache may be a bit runny.
- You can purchase mini cans of coconut cream - great so you don't have to waste the remainder (although, I am partial to a berries, spinach + coconut cream smoothie!)
- Lastly - the cake really does need to cool before icing. If you ice it too early and it starts to melt, pop the cake in the fridge for ten minutes to help it set. Enjoy, Lx.
Nutrition
Calories: 475kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 7.5gFat: 31.4gFiber: 7.3gSugar: 25g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!