This vegan Black Forest Cake has all the moist, delicious flavour of the 1970s classic gateau - and it's easy to make. The rich, fluffy vegan chocolate sponge is filled with dairy free cream and decadent cherries in syrup. It's a showstopper of a cake.
1can of vegan squirty creamavailable in most major supermarkets
For the chocolate ganache
¾cup(200ml) vegan creamoat or soy cream work well
7oz(200g) dark chocolatechopped into small pieces
To decorate
3tablespoonreserved cherry juice
Fresh cherriesto decorate the top of the cake
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F / 180° C. Lightly grease 3 x 8inch (20cm) round baking pans.
Stir the lemon juice into the milk and set aside.
In a pan over a medium heat, melt the margarine and syrup together. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sieve the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) into a large mixing bowl.
Pour the milk and melted margarine mixture over the flour mixture and stir until it becomes a smooth batter.
Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the cherry filling
Drain the cherries, reserving 3 tablespoon of the juice. Heat the jam in a small pan, then stir in the drained cherries, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
For the chocolate ganache
For the chocolate ganache, heat the vegan cream in a saucepan until hot but not boiling, then add the chocolate. Remove from the pan from the heat and stir gently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour the ganache into a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool and thicken.
To assemble
When the cakes and cherry filling are completely cool, squirt the cream on in an even layer, spreading with a knife if necessary, then spoon half of the cherry filling onto the bottom layer. Add the second layer of cake and repeat.
Prick the top layer of cake gently with a fork to create small holes and sprinkle the reserved cherry juice onto it. Place the top layer onto the cake and spread it with the chocolate ganache. Pile the top with fresh cherries.
Notes
If you want the cake to be a bit more solid and hold up longer, swap the vegan squirty cream for this vegan vanilla buttercream
Make it gluten free by using gluten free flour.
You can freeze the cake layers, without cream or cherry filling. Wrap them well and freeze for up to 3 months.
You can substitute the cherry filling, for canned cherry pie filling (check it's vegan).
Make sure the cake layers are completely cold before adding the cream or the cream will melt.
Vegan dairy free cans of squirty whipped cream can be found in most supermarkets and major grocery stores.
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is created with online calculators. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.