When my children were young, I would make elaborate cakes for their birthdays; from Dorothy’s ruby slippers to a treasure chest spewing jewels. In my cake exploration phase, one of my best discoveries was chocolate ganache. Ganache is a creamy and delicious topping that looks and tastes decadent, but is surprisingly easy to make. When my youngest was found to be sensitive and allergic to a plethora of ingredients and foods, I became proficient at making alternative birthday cakes free of all those ingredients. However, it was a difficult to find a frosting that was tasty but also free of all those ingredients. I developed this vegan version of chocolate ganache that is so simple to make and perfect for topping a range of cakes and cupcakes. It is rich and creamy with a little tartness from the yogurt and a little sweetness from the chocolate. Look for high quality chocolate chips that do not contain dairy or nuts and are sweetened with organic cane sugar or coconut sugar. Guittard Chocolate Company makes very good baking chocolates and their Santé chips are sweetened with coconut sugar. Feel free to substitute plain plant based yogurt for the vanilla yogurt, just add a teaspoon of gluten free vanilla extract and two teaspoons of maple syrup. You can also use bittersweet chocolate instead of semi sweet for a more intensely chocolate flavor.
Vegan Tangy Chocolate Ganache
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
frosts
1 – 9×13 cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan semi sweet chocolate chips
- 6 oz vegan vanilla yogurt
Steps
1
Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler until they are almost completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir until the chocolate is fully melted.
2
Let the chocolate cool for a minute then whisk in the yogurt, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the chocolate into the yogurt.
3
Mix until you have a creamy frosting and… Voila! Ganache!
This ganache spreads easily when slightly warm; perfect for gluten free cakes which tend to be a bit more delicate. The frosting will become firmer as it cools and it is thick enough to pipe. Although, like any chocolate, it will begin to melt a bit in the decorating bag with the heat of your hands. If this happens, let it cool a bit before continuing to pipe.
The ganache keeps well in the refrigerator or freezer, but it will be stiffer and harder to spread. Defrost it completely if frozen. You can very gently warm it in a double boiler, but remove from the heat as soon as it begins to melt and stir vigorously. Spreading the chilled ganache on a warm cake works also, just place a glob on the cake and let it melt slightly before spreading. Be gentle so you don’t tear the cake.
This ganache is the perfect finish to allergen free cakes. Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear back from you.
Leave a Reply