Chocolate Peach Cake with Fudgy Ganache (plant-based)
I'm making all the Great British Bakeoff recipes vegan, starting today.Starting way back at the hard-to-find first season in 2010, I'm going through all the signature bakes, technical challenges, and showstoppers as if I were a contestant on the show, but making everything out of plant-based ingredients.I find big challenges very fun, so I'm having a great time!The hardest part for me is making things look fancy.I'm definitely going to have to learn some decorating skills as I go.For the first episode of the first season, the signature bake is a cake you love that is moist, well-risen, evenly baked, and creative.I'm actually not a huge fan of cake, but if I'm going to eat and love a cake, it has to be chocolate.I had some extra peaches in the fridge, so I thought if I blended them up and added them to the cake batter, it would make the cake extra moist.The two chocolate cake layers are separated with a dreamy cashew whipped cream, and the whole cake is covered in a chocolate coconut ganache.Here is the recipe if you want to try make it yourself too!Great British Bakeoff Vegan: Season 1, Episode 1, Signature Bake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ¾ cups coconut sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup canola oil
- ⅔ cup pureed peaches
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup boiling water
Cashew Whipped Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then drained
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp tapioca flour
- Pinch of sea salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1 cup coconut cream (the solid part from a can of coconut milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
- ½ cup ground almonds for sprinkling
- ½ cup roasted almonds
Directions
- Make the cake: mix the soy milk and vinegar together to curdle, then add the rest of the wet ingredients to it EXCEPT the boiling water. Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until well combined. Add the boiling water, briefly mix to incorporate, and pour into 2 greased 9" cake pans. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, cool 5 minutes in pan, remove to rack to cool completely.
- Make the cream: blend all the ingredients in a blender until very smooth, chill for at least an hour to firm up in the fridge before using (or 15 minutes in the freezer).
- Make the ganache: melt the chocolate and coconut cream together in a double boiler (in a metal bowl over boiling water in a pot), then remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Chill for at least an hour to firm up in the fridge before using (or 15 minutes in the freezer).
- Decorate: Assemble the first cake top-side down, so the flat part is facing up, spread the cream on top right to the edges, add the other cake on top with the flat-side down, cover with the ganache and spread around with a knife or spreader, garnish with ground and roasted almonds in a pretty pattern.
- Chill the cake for 30 minutes if you have time, otherwise dig in and enjoy!
A cake I can actually enjoy! 🙂