(Not-so) Innocent Chocolate Cake

I started heavily baking several years ago due to the fact that mr. bluebirdcage was vegan. Aside from the odd trip to Brighton for beautiful (albeit expensive) vegan fayre, we found it hard to find vegan treats that weren't stodgy & chalky. I decided to nib that in the bud quickly.

Calling on help from the Post Punk Kitchen , I honed my skills as a vegan baking domestic goddess. Often bringing vegan goodies to my asos co-workers, reducing them to moans of foodie-delight (to my surprise, moans I hadn't until then heard outside of the bedroom).

As the years have gone by, and with the absence of a vegan diet in the house, I've shy'd away from specialist baking out of convenience. 

Yesterday I went back to my roots, baking a monstrous vegan gluten/wheat free cake for my birthday boy of a father-in-law who in recent years has grown intolerant to almost anything you put in front of him (except for chocolate).  For extra cake-induced amusement, my sister-in-law (who is also dairy intolerant) did a plie-filled dance of joy when she found out she could eat the cake too.

My work here is done.

Introducing: 

(Not-so) Innocent Chocolate Cake

For the cake- 

2c Soy Milk

2tsp Apple Cider or White Wine Vinegar

3/4c Granulated Sugar

2/3c Sunflower Oil

3tsp Vanilla

2c Self Raising Flour (dove's farm - gluten & wheat free white self-raising flour blend)

2/3c Cocoa Powder (green & blacks)

1/2 tsp Salt

For the Ganache - 

150g Dark Chocolate (green & blacks 70% cocoa)

150ml Soy Cream (alpro single soya cream)

Cocoa Powder (for dusting)

Bake that Cake:

In a large bowl, blend together the soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle for a couple minutes.

Next add the sugar, oil and vanilla to the milk mixture until everything is well blended. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend until smooth.

Evenly pour the mixture into two greased round cake tins & pop into the oven at 180C for aprox 25-30min.

Cool thoroughly on a baking rack before icing.

Ganache it Up:

It's best to make the ganache when the cakes are almost completely cooled.* In a small pan, heat the cream (do not let it boil!). While the cream is warmin' up, break the chocolate into small pieces and place it into a heat proof bowl. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and use a wooden spoon to slowly stir the mixture together until all is blended.

Leave the ganache to cool before decorating.

*I find there is limited time between the time it takes for ganache to completely cool & harden, and the time it takes to decorate your cake. It's best to plan how you want to decorate your cake before using ganache, or you might end up with frustrated with hard-to-spread topping & a half crumbled cake.

 before the stack - add a knob of vegan butter & some icing sugar to the ganache for a thicker consistency

T for Tel -  a hand-drawn stencil and cocoa powder can be your best friend

happy birthday Tel!