Double Chocolate Cake | GF, DF
This gluten and dairy free double chocolate cake is a real treat for chocolate lovers! If you like a dense but moist cake, with a hint of nut, you’re at the right place!
This recipe requires simple ingredients and tools, and if you’re not too comfortable with baking a bigger type of cake, you can simply use the batter to make cupcakes and garnish them with the chocolate ganache.
Chocolate ganache
Making a vegan dark chocolate ganache is the exact same process as the traditional one. Just boil the cream, pour it on the chocolate and let the magic happen! I mean… a bit of blending is better, to make sure that you have a smooth and shiny cream.
I’ve previously made ganache with different types of plant based creamer and they all did a great job. This time, I used Silk hazelnut almond creamer, but I know Califia Betterhalf works just as fine.
Prepare the chocolate ganache before making the cake so it has the time to set at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate as it would get too hard and therefore impossible to pipe or spread on the cake.
Chocolate cake
For this recipe you’ll need a ø6-6.5 inches/16 cm mold. I used the same ring to bake and then to assemble the cake. You can also use a pan with a removable bottom. Either way, don’t forget to grease and flour the inside of the mold before pouring the batter.
If using a ring, wrap it first with aluminum foil on the outside to create a bottom (so that the batter doesn’t leak out). Then, spray the foil with oil so that the parchment paper round sticks to it.
Chocolate burns pretty fast. When melting the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave, heat up for 30 seconds at a time, stir and repeat the same process until melted.
The egg whites have to be whipped to soft peaks so that they’re easily incorporated into the batter. Mix them in in two times, the first part can be mixed roughly while the second part should be mixed gently, preferably using a rubber spatula so that they don’t collapse.
Baking time may vary so keep an eye on the cake and take out of the oven when a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool down for about 15 minutes and unmold upside down on parchment paper. Refrigerate so that it solidifies a bit, it will be easier to cut.
Assembling and garnishing the cake
Place the ring on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and line it with a strip of rhodoid (or parchment paper).
Trim the edges of the cake to make it even and slightly smaller than the ring. Cut in half and put the first layer on the bottom of the ring. Pipe the ganache to fill the gap between the cake and the ring. And pipe a thin layer of ganache on top of the sponge.
Repeat the same process with the second layer of sponge and ganache. Smooth out with an offset spatula and freeze for a couple of hours.
Prepare the chocolate glaze and unmold the cake (don’t forget to remove the rodhoid) on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Pour the glaze on the cake using a small jug or a piping bag. I personally like the second method better as it is more precise, you might end up with holes if using the first method.
Sprinkle the cake with cocoa nibs and move it gently on a plate or a cake stand, helping yourself with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for an hour or two before eating.
What to make with egg yolks?
This recipe requires five egg whites.
If you’re looking for gluten free recipes to use the leftover yolks, check out my chocolate custard and Parisian flan recipes.
Looking for a dairy free, gluten free recipe? What about this lemon curd from Noshtastic!
Double chocolate cake | GF, DF
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a whisk
- Cake ring or pan with a removable bottom – Ø6-6.5 inches/16 cm
- Hand blender
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
Chocolate ganache
- ¾ cup semi sweet dark chocolate chips (150 g)
- ½ cup plant-based coffee creamer (150 ml) – see notes
Chocolate cake
- ⅔ cup semi sweet dark chocolate chips (120 g)
- ¼ cup sugar (60 g)
- ⅓ cup + 2 tsp almond flour (50 g)
- ½ tsp salt (2.5 g)
- 5 egg whites (½ cup + 1 tbsp) (150 g)
- 3 ½ tbsp coconut oil (50 g)
- 2 small tbsp potato or corn starch (20 g)
Chocolate glaze
- ½ cup dark chocolate (105 g)
- 2 tbsp canola oil (30 g)
Cocoa nibs – optional
Instructions
Chocolate ganache
- Heat up the coffee creamer in a pot and pour on the chocolate chips when it starts boiling.
- Set aside for a couple of minute and mix with a hand blender until smooth.
- Cover with plastic wrap directly onto the cream and allow to cool down at room temperature.
Chocolate cake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- Prepare your cake ring/pan – see notes.
- Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut butter over a double boiler or in the microwave.
- In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients : sugar, almond flour, salt and potato/corn starch.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
- Mix the melted chocolate/coconut oil with the dry ingredients.
- Gently mix the egg whites in the cake batter with a spatula.
- Pour the batter in the cake ring/pan, and bake for 10 minutes at 375°F/190°C and then for 20 to 25 minutes at 340°F/170°C.
- Allow to cool down for 15 minutes before unmolding. Place the cake upside down on a tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Assembling the cake
- Trim the edges of the cake to make it even, and cut in half.
- Use rhodoid strip to line your ring/pan (can be replaced with parchment paper stuck with oil spray). Put the first cake layer in the center, and pipe the ganache to fill out the gap between the sponge and the ring. Pipe a thin layer of ganache on top of the sponge.
- Repeat the same process with the rest of the cake and ganache. Smooth it out with an offset spatula and place the cake in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Chocolate glaze
- Melt the chocolate chips with the canola oil.
- Unmold the cake, remove the rhodoid ribbon, and place on a cooling rack with a tray underneath.
- Pour the chocolate glaze on top of the cake and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Tap the tray a couple of times on the table to flatten the glaze and remove any bubbles.Sprinkle with cocoa nibs.
- Move the cake gently on a dish with the offset spatula and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Notes
For the ganache, I used Silk hazelnut almond creamer, but I know Califia Betterhalf works just as fine. Don’t refrigerate the ganache as it would be too hard, and therefore, impossible to pipe or spread on the cake.
For this recipe you’ll need a ø6-6.5 inches/16 cm mold. I used the same ring to bake and then to assemble the cake. You can also use a pan with a removable bottom. Either way, don’t forget to grease and flour the inside of the mold before baking.
If using a ring, wrap it first with aluminum foil on the outside to create a bottom (so that the batter doesn’t leak out). Then, spray the foil with oil so that the parchment paper round sticks to it.
Chocolate burns pretty fast. When melting the chocolate chips with coconut oil in the microwave, heat up for 30 seconds at a time, stir and repeat the same process until melted.
The egg whites have to be whipped to soft peaks so that they’re easily incorporated into the batter. Mix them in in two times, the first part can be mixed roughly while the second part should be mixed gently, preferably using a rubber spatula so that the egg whites don’t collapse.
You can pour the glaze on the cake using a small jug or a piping bag. I personally like the second method better as it is more precise. You might end up with holes if using the first method.