Vanilla Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache & Strawberries

This recipe is so simple yet so spot on! Basically you take a plain, simple cake and upgrade it with some smoooooooth divine chocolate ganache and lots of seasonal, delicious strawberries. All in all, the cake goes from being 3/10 to 12/10 with those two simple additions. Also, the ganache couldn’t be easier to make. It doesn’t require any butter or cream but just chocolate, water, and a little bit of liquid sweetener for balance. I really need to make a recipe for just the ganache because I use it in so many recipes.

Anyhow, this is the kind of cake that, unlike with some flavour combinations like chocolate mint and chocolate with orange, everyone can enjoy. Seriously, only mad people don’t like cake, chocolate, and strawberries. However, if it’s not strawberry as you read this, you can of course substitute it with some other fruit or berry. For example, if you’re in the middle of winter you can just as well serve it with defrosted raspberries or cherries. I personally think you really need some fruitiness for this cake to really be 12/10.

On another note, this summer I’ve taken upon myself the task to really utilise the summer season’s beautiful produce. In Sweden, there’s two things we love more than anything else during summer, strawberries and new potatoes. Therefore, I simply had to make something honouring Swedish strawberries (which every sane Swede thinks are superior to all other strawberries) in a proper way. Hence, the creation of this beauty.

If you’re not quite yet convinced to make this cake ASAP, I’ll just quickly add that this cake can not only be enjoyed by everyone because of its delicious flavour but also because it’s vegan, gluten free, and on the wholesome side. In case you didn’t know, I’m all about making treats for everyone to enjoy even though I myself for example do eat gluten. This is the kind of cake you can have as a snack without feeling drowsy afterwards and even power you through a good workout as well. Enough rambling, enjoy!

Some progress pictures from a plain vanilla cake to a luscious ganache strawberry cake

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Vanilla Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache & Strawberries

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A plain vanilla cake made unbelievably delicious with the addition of lots of chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries.

• Author: Hanna
• Yield: 8–12 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cake

• 65g / 2,3 oz oat flour
• 60g / 2,1 oz buckwheat flour
• 1 tbsp milled flax or chia seeds
• 1,5 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• A hearty pinch of salt
• 200ml / 1 cups minus 3 tbsp milk of choice
• 40g / 1,4 oz coconut sugar or other granulated sweetener
• 60g / 2,1 oz pitted dates
• 40g / 1,4 oz nut butter of choice
• 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar*
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ganache

• 100g / 3,5 oz dark chocolate
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp liquid sweetener of choice
• A pinch of salt

 

• Strawberries for decorating and servings, preferably topped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC / 320ºF, prepare and grease a baking pan. My pan had a diameter of 22cm / 8,5 inches.
2. In a large bowl, mix the oat flour, buckwheat flour, milled flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a blender, blend the milk, sugar, dates, nut butter, vinegar, and vanilla smooth.
4. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. Transfer to the batter, stir in and transfer to the cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick runs clean. Let cool.
5. For the gananche, put the dark chocolate, water, liquid sweetener, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on low to medium effect for 30 second intervals until the chocolate has almost completely melted. Once melted enough, mix until you get a smooth ganache.
6. Spread the ganache on top of the cake and let set in the fridge for around 20 minutes. Decorate with strawberries, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

*You can probably use another kind of vinegar, but since I’ve not tried any other myself I can not promise the same results.

Keywords: Vanilla cake, with chocolate ganache, strawberry cake, strawberries, vegan, gluten free, healthy