Recipe Testing - PPK's vegan Chocolate Ganache

Orange Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Iv been recipe testing theppk - Post Punk Kitchen Chocolate Ganache recipe.  It's from one of my favourite cook books - Vegan Cup cakes take over the world.

Id promised the guys at the Pantry Chocolate Cupcakes, which gave me the perfect excuse to make the ganache.   Since I need to watch my sugar due to my IBS (ohh and the little factor that it makes me hyper, not great for my anxiety disorder) there is no way I can eat the whole lot myself. 

Rather than cook it in a saucepan as the recipe suggested, I used a double boiler.  I prefer to melt chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.  It makes the chocolate less likely to split. 

As an added bonus if you have any extra left over you can chill in the fridge and turn the rest into chocolate truffles. 

This is a great base recipe that you can easily change.

- Add Orange zest, to make chocolate orange Ganache

- Add a few drops of peppermint extract, to make chocolate peppermint Ganache

- Use different dairy free milks to adjust the taste e.g. coconut milk or various nut milks

Reduce food waste mission: - Extra Egg yolks

This is really hard to say, but I feel I really need to come out off the closet on this one.  I don't like chocolate cake!!!!  Feel a lot better for finally saying it.....

Don't get me wrong I love chocolate, just not in mass quantities.  I'm more of a little goes a long way kind of gal. 

 I used to be a real chocoholic but I had to give it up when i became Lactose Intolerant.  It's only recently that Iv discovered dairy free chocolate.  Iv lost my sweet tooth and prefer small hits of dark chocolate. 

So while Iv made chocolate fairy cakes topped with chocolate Ganache for the guys at the Pantry, Iv also made something I could eat as well.  One of my favourite food combinations has got to be orange and chocolate.  So I made an Orange Cup cake and topped it with some of the ganache.   

I had egg yolks left over from the meringues I made on Monday, and was looking for a recipe to use them up.  My New Years resolution this year was to reduce my food waste, so there was no way they were going in the bin.

I found a great recipe for a Gold Cake, which was make using egg yolks only.  The yolks give the cake a lively golden hue.  To make the recipe Dairy free, I swapped the milk for some pure orange juice. 

You only get a hint of the orange, so next time Id add some orange zest along with the juice.  Apart from that it was the perfect match for the chocolate gananche topping. 

Golden Orange Cake - Dairy free

3/4 Cup Sugar

3 oz Vegan Butter

4 medium egg yolks or use 2 egg substitute to make vegan

1/2 Cup Fresh Orange Juice

1 & 1/2 Cups Self Raising flour

(Optional - Zest of 1/2 Orange)

Pre-heat oven too 180 Celsius, prepare you baking tin or cup cake cases

- Cream the sugar and vegan butter together till soften.  Then add in the egg yolks and combine together.

- Whisk in the orange juice, the slowly start adding the flour in.  1/2 cup at a time (Saves you getting covered in flour.  Then again that might just be me)

- Once you have a smooth batter, pour into your cake tin or cup cake cases.  If making a cake, bake for 35 Min's.   If your making cupcakes, bake for 15 - 20 Min's. 

-Once baked leave in the cake tin for 10 Min's before moving to a wire cooling rack.  Same for the cup cakes.

Once cool top with the chocolate ganache and leave to set before serving.  You can add the ganache the day before serving, and let it set over night.  While chocolate Ganache is ok to use the day before serving, I wouldn't recommend doing the same if you using frosting, mousse or pastry cream. 

How not to use butter cream / Frosting: -

Last week I made the mistake of frosting my cakes the night before.  Not one of my best idea's, as it can make the cake soggy.  Frost on the same day as serving for a better result. 

Happy Dairy free baking xxx