Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chocolate & Cookie Ganache Filling ♥
If you have a special date approaching (for example now that Mother's Day is just around the corner), I can assure you that this vegan vanilla cake with chocolate & cookie ganache filling will be perfect for the ocassion and will leave everyone delighted and above all, drooling!
You can make this cake in a simple way, meaning just the sponge with buttercream, but I promise, I PROMISE, that it is so so worth it investing an extra 30 minutes to prepare the chocolate and cookie ganache filling. It takes the cake to a whole different level and makes it more sophisticated and, above all, so much flavorful.
The combination of flavors in this cake is something you definitely cannot miss. The vanilla and strawberry sponge is super fluffy, the chocolate and cookie ganache filling is exquisite, and the buttercream is so smooth that it feels like you’re tasting clouds. Plus the decoration looks pretty cute!
We recommend watching the video of the recipe if you want to make a floral decoration with rosettes and buttercream kisses, such as the one we made for this cake.
WATCH THE STEP BY STEP TO MAKE THIS VEGAN VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE & COOKIE GANACHE FILLING
What are plant milks made of?
Plant milks are those made from grains, seeds or cereals, and which, therefore, are dairy-free. For example, soy, almond, oat, rice, nut, peanut, coconut milk, etc.
For this recipe, both sponge and chocolate filling, I used soy milk, but you can use your favorite plant milk. For the filling I recommend that you use the thickest you can get (soy, coconut, oat milk...), but if you do not have any of the before mentioned, you can use any other plant milk.
What type of oil is the best one for baking cakes?
Canola oil, definitely. It is the one with the most neutral flavor and makes the cake very soft in addition to giving the cake a lot of flexibility. But olive oil is also very good for baking cakes, although the flavor may be a little more noticeable.
Can I use whole wheat flour to make this Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chocolate & Cookie Ganache Filling?
Yes, I recommend using 50% whole wheat flour and 50% all-purpose flour, or you could even increase the whole wheat flour ratio a bit more. However, the more you increase the whole wheat flour amount, the heavier the sponge will become. So 50/50 is a pretty good ratio.
Can I make the cookie with other ingredients?
Without a doubt, you can substitute almond flour or ground almonds for any other ground nut (peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews, etc.). And all-purpose flour can be substituted for whole wheat flour, oat flour, chickpea flour, etc.
Can I skip the almond cookie?
It is also possible, however, it gives a very special touch to the chocolate filling.
Where can I get vegan chocolate?
Vegan chocolate generally does not come labeled as such, so if you don’t find “Vegan Chocolate” on the chocolate section, just look for dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate and make sure that the ingredients on the packaging do not have milk or derivatives of it, and voila, it is a vegan chocolate (regularly dark or semi-bitter chocolates have more possibilities of being vegan).
Now, let's prepare this delicious Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chocolate & Cookie Ganache Filling ♥
Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chocolate & Cookie Filling
INGREDIENTS
Sponge
- 1 ¼ cups dairy-free milk, 300 ml
- 2 teaspoon vinegar, apple cider or white
- ¾ cup sugar, 165 g
- 100 ml canola oil, 83 g
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour, previously sifted (240 g)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups chopped strawberries, fresh or frozen
Almond Cookie
- 2 ½ tablespoon margarine or coconut oil, 35 g
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar, 30 g
- ⅓ cup almond flour or ground almonds, 40 g
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour or oat flour, 40 g
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Buttercream
- 215 g vegan margarine or butter, at room temperature
- 215 g vegetable shortening
- 550 g powdered sugar, previously sifted
- 2 ½ tablespoon vanilla extract, use clear vanilla for a very white buttercream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 150 g dairy-free, vegan chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup hot soy milk
- 2 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
Sponge
- Preheat the oven to 355°F. Grease and flour two 7" pans. Reserve.
- In a medium bowl, mix the milk with the vinegar and beat for a couple of seconds to combine both ingredients. Let it rest for 8 minutes.
- Add sugar, oil, vanilla and beat until the sugar dissolves. Reserve.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half of the liquid mix and mix with a whisker. Add the other half and mix again until no large lumps of flour are visible (if the mixture has small lumps, do not continue mixing, it’s ready). NOTE: Do not over-mix as it can affect the texture of the cake.
- Fold the strawberry chunks in with a silicone spatula.
- Divide and pour the mixture into the previously prepared pans. Take each mold and tap against your work surface so that any air bubbles trapped in the mixture rise to the surface.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven, and let them cool for 15 minutes (still in the pans). Then, tap the molds lightly to loosen them and separate the sponge from the pan; place a cooling rack on top and flip them over.
- Let both sponges cool completely before adding the frosting.
Almond Cookie
- In a medium bowl add the margarine or coconut oil, sugar and beat until creamy (you can use a whisker). Add both flours and salt. Mix with a spatula until completely incorporated. Form a ball with the dough, place it inside the bowl and pop in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 320°F.
- Remove the dough from the fridge, place it between two pieces of parchment paper, press it down and roll it out with a rolling pin. The thickness should be approximately 3mm.
- Remove the piece of parchment paper from the top and bake for 15 minutes.
- Take out of the oven and let it cool.
- Using your hands, break the almond cookie into small pieces and reserve.
Buttercream
- To the bowl where you will beat the buttercream, add the margarine and beat for 3 minutes on medium speed. Add the vegetable shortening and continue beating on medium speed until the mixture is creamy, smooth and no lumps are visible (about 4-5 minutes).
- Stop beating, and with a silicone spatula scrape the buttercream down from the sides and the bottom of the bowl and give it a quick mix (to avoid unbeaten lumps). Beat again for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add half of the icing sugar and beat again. Add the second half and keep beating.
- Finally, add the vanilla, salt, and beat 2-4 more minutes on high speed or until the frosting is completely creamy and spreadable.
Chocolate filling
- Prepare the chocolate filling once the sponges are cool and both the buttercream and the cookie are ready.
- In a medium bowl add the chopped chocolate and hot milk. Let it sit for 2 minutes and start mixing with a silicone spatula until the chocolate has completely melted.
- Add the maple syrup and mix a few more times until the chocolate looks creamy, shiny and smooth.
- Fold the almond cookie chunks in (do not overmix). Reserve.
Cake assembling
- If your cake developed a small belly/dome, using a knife, remove it from the sponge that will be the base of the cake, this is to have a firmer and more stable base. You can do the same with the other sponge for a more sleek cut.
- Transfer some of the buttercream to a piping bag with a small tip and pipe a barrier or border around the cake. Repeat the same step on top of the first border (to create a tall border).
- Pour the chocolate filling into the buttercream barrier (if you have a little left over, you can pour it into a small silicone mold or pan and take it to the freezer to make a mini chocolate bar). Place in the freezer for 25 minutes to allow the filling to set.
- Remove from the freezer and add a layer of buttercream on top of the chocolate filling. Spread evenly and place the other cake on top (base facing up).
- Fill the gap between the sponges with buttercream and spread a thin layer of buttercream over the cake (crumb-coating).
- Pop in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and decorate with more frosting. We recommend watching the video of the recipe (you can find it at the top of the post) if you want to make a floral decoration with rosettes and buttercream kisses, such as the one we made for this cake.
Check our latest recipes ♡
Spinach and Vegan Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells
How to Make Tofu from Scratch
The Best Vegan Pizza Bread
Vegan Wool Roll Bread
Crispy Vegan Hashbrowns
Leave a Reply