When you feel the need to bake something really decadent (without any calories in mind), then we have the perfect fit for you. Take your time and create this lovely 3-layered Almond Orange Cake with lovely vegan chocolate ganache. Your guests will love it …
Ingredients
For a cake with Ø 16,5 cm
For the cake
- 300 g flour
- 50 g cacao powder
- 16 g baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 80 ml sunflower oil
- 200 ml orange juice
- 4 tbsp apple mousse
- 100 g palm sugar
- 1 tsp almond natural extract
- 80 g iChoc Almond Orange Chocolate
For the almond / orange frosting
- 300 g icing sugar
- 250 g plant-based shortening
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp almond natural essence
For the ganache
- 80 g iChoc Almond Orange Chocolate
- 2 tbsp plant-based shortening
- 1 tbsp almond milk (or other plant-based milk)
Decorations
- 1 handful almonds
- some orange slices
- some pieces iChoc Almond Orange Chocolate
How to make it
1. For the cake in a mixing bowl sift the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, add the salt and whisk together.
2. In a second mixing bowl, combine the apple mousse with the palm sugar, orange juice and sunflower oil. Add the almond extract and mix well.
3. Add the dry ingredient mix to the wet mix and blend the ingredients to get a smooth batter.
4. Chop the chocolate into fine pieces and add it to the cake batter.
5. Divide the batter equally into 3 springforms of 16,5 diameter each and bake in preheated oven at 150 °C for approximately 15 – 20 minutes (or bake in one form one after another for three times). Dip a knife in the cake and if it comes out clean (or with some melted chocolate pieces) then the cake is ready. Let it cool off completely.
6. For the frosting in a mixing bowl, beat the plant-based shortening with a mixer until soft.
7. Add slowly half of the powder sugar and mix it.
8. Add the orange juice, almond essence and the rest of the powder sugar and mix well till you get a soft and smooth buttercream. Place the cream in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour until it gets more stiff.
9. When the cake is completely cooled off, prepare your layers and make sure they are smooth and even to ensure a stable layered cake. You will probably have to cut their tops in order to flatten their shape.
10. Start building the layered cake. First spread some frosting on the bottom cake base, then place the second cake layer, frost the second cake layer and place the third cake layer on top. Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.
11. Finish it off by covering the cake completely with the remaining frosting. Place in the fridge again.
12. For ganache melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and add the plant-based shortening and plant-based milk. Whisk well until you get a smooth mixture.
13. Let it cool off for a couple of minutes and then pour over the frosted cake.
14. Decorate with raw almonds, orange slices and some chocolate pieces.
Thanks for this real eyecandy to food stylist Alexandra Mitsiou – www.amfoodstyling.com .