Dairy and egg-free chocolate peppermint cake

By Eric Lanlard from Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard

If you're partial to an after dinner mint, this rich cake from Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard is for you

Ingredients

330g plain flour
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp baking powder
500g caster sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
500ml water
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the ganache

250ml soya cream
250g dark 70% cocoa chocolate, broken into pieces
4 drops peppermint oil

To assemble and decorate

Brass chocolate flower moulds
300g dark 70% cocoa chocolate, broken into pieces
Edible gold glitter
Confectioners varnish
1 pack dairy-free after dinner mints
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and line 3 x 20cm round cake tins with non-stick baking parchment. Place the brass moulds for the decoration in the freezer to freeze, ideally for a few hours.
Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl, add all the wet ingredients and mix at full speed with electric mixer for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Divide between the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
For the ganache, heat the cream in a pan to scalding point then pour over the dark chocolate. Mix gently until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Finally stir in the peppermint oil.
To assemble, place a 20cm ring mould on a cake board. Remove the baking parchment from the cooled sponges and carefully cut each sponge horizontally in two to give 6 sponge layers.
Place a layer of sponge inside the mould and gently press down so it acts as the base of the cake. Cover with a layer of ganache then repeat this process until the mould is filled to the top, saving enough ganache to cover the cake later. Refrigerate the cake and allow to set for about 2 hours.
Meanwhile prepare the flowers by melting the dark chocolate in a bain marie. Dip the frozen moulds into the melted chocolate and place on a baking tray to set. Once set, remove the chocolate flower from the brass mould – the tip of a sharp knife helps to do this. Sprinkle the chocolate flowers with edible glitter and spray with confectioners' varnish to give a glossy finish.
Once set, remove cake from fridge and use a blow torch or the warmth from your hands to release the cake gently and carefully from the mould. Place the cake on a cooling rack and pour over the remaining chocolate ganache. Cover the sides of the cake with after dinner mints and dust with gold glitter. Arrange the chocolate flowers over the top and dust with cocoa powder to finish.

More Eric Lanlard recipes

Comments

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Average rating: 3.5/5

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Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard

Last Broadcast: Thursday 05 April 12.35PM

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Monday 18 April 2011