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Chocolate ganache cake (dairy-free)

This chocolate ganache cake is such a winner – it uses coconut milk or cream, and oil as the delicious ingredients that give it it’s creaminess and moistness, which also makes it dairy-free!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Servings 10
Calories 560 kcal
Dairy Free, Kid Friendly

Ingredients
  

Chocolate cake

  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • cups self-raising flour
  • ¾ cup good quality cocoa powder I used Dutch cocoa powder
  • teaspoons baking soda make sure there are no lumps - if there are, sift it
  • 3 large free-range eggs whisked
  • 1 cup coconut milk or cream reserve remaining tin of milk for ganache
  • ¾ cup oil e.g. grapeseed
  • good pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup hot coffee

Chocolate ganache

  • 200 g good quality dark eating chocolate go for something around 60-75% cocoa
  • cup coconut milk or cream remaining from cake
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or sugar optional

Garnish

  • 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut optional
  • fresh raspberries or other berries or berry compote*

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 170degC. Lightly grease and line a 20-23cm spring-form cake tin with baking paper.
  • Place all chocolate cake ingredients except coffee into a large mixing bowl and mix together well with a fork, then pour in coffee and continue mixing until a smooth batter. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before releasing spring and removing from tin, then invert cake out onto a plate (so that the flat bottom is now facing up). Leave to cool completely before icing with ganache.
  • To make the coconut chocolate ganache, break chocolate up into a mixing bowl. Heat the coconut milk/cream with the maple syrup or sugar (if using) in a small pot or in the microwave, then pour over chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and well combined with the cream – you should have a nice smooth, shiny, silky ganache. Leave to cool on the bench.
  • When cake has completely cooled, use a spatula to spread ganache all over the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with berries or berry compote and coconut, and it’s ready to serve!
  • Tip: If fresh berries aren’t in season, make a berry compote by boiling down 2 cups frozen raspberries or boysenberries with 2-3 tablespoons water and 2-3 tablespoons sugar in a pot for about 5 minutes until raspberries have broken down and you have a thick raspberry sauce. Stir in 1 cup of frozen berries. Allow to cool completely before drizzling over the cake.

Notes

If not using at once, you can freeze the cake before it is iced, but the ganache is best made fresh.
This is a great recipe to make with kids – not too tricky but rich and decadent, and full of chocolatey goodness!
This recipe is great with fresh berries or a berry compote to cut the rich chocolate flavour. See below for a recipe for berry compote.