Mini vegan cakes are one of my greatest loves. Without a doubt, I absolutely enjoy making them as much as sampling them. There is something so perfect about them.
This one is no different. Layer upon layer of vegan vanilla almond cake and vegan white chocolate ganache, enriched with toasted almonds. Marvellous for tea or coffee, on any given day.
It is incredibly easy to prepare, although it does require a bit of planning, because of the ganache, but it is all quite straightforward as far as the process goes. A bit of mixing, a bit of layering, and she is ready to be proudly displayed and enjoyed.
As for the whipped cream stabiliser - it is called differently in different countries - Kremfix, Sahnesteif, pannafix, Whip It, etc; but any cream stabiliser made for 200-250 millilitres of cream will work perfectly. It gives the cake stability and makes the slices so much neater.
And if you are a fan of my mini vegan cakes, I am happy to tell you that you can find many more of them in my cookbook.
Ingredients
For the soft almond cake layers
125 grams plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
125 grams granulated sugar
40 grams toasted almonds, finely ground
180 millilitres carbonated water
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
25 millilitres neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the white chocolate almond filling
200 grams vegan white chocolate, finely chopped
200 millilitres vegan double cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
50 grams toasted flaked almonds, finely crushed
2 tablespoons soy milk powder
2 teaspoons whipped cream stabiliser
For serving
75 grams toasted flaked almonds
Preparation
Start by making the vegan white chocolate filling. Chop the chocolate very finely and place it in a saucepan. Add in the vegan double cream and vanilla, and place everything over low to medium heat.
Melt it together slowly, stirring gently until combined. Remove from the heat, and let it cool down to room temperature. Cover the surface with a piece of cling film or baking parchment, and place into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
To make the vanilla cake layers, start by preheating the oven to 180°C and lining a square medium cake pan (18x18 cm) with baking parchment. Set aside. Sift together the plain flour and baking soda into a medium bowl, and add in the sugar and almonds. Whisk well and pour in the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Gently whisk together until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake immediately in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 15-20 minutes. Typically, this particular cake is done by the 18-minute mark in my oven. Do check it with a toothpick, making sure it stays soft and fudgy. Let it cool in the pan completely.
When everything is cool and ready, proceed to assemble the cake. Whip the white chocolate ganache until soft peaks form, add in the crushed almonds, soy milk powder, and whipping cream stabiliser, and continue mixing until stiff peaks form. Divide it into parts, one slightly larger than the other, and then divide the smaller part in three, by weight.
Level the cooled cake if needed, slice it in half lengthwise, to create two thin and long strips of cake, and then cut each of them in half to create four very thin layers. Place the first cake layer on the serving platter, and add a portion of the prepared filling. Continue stacking the cake layers until all of them are used up.
As the cake is firm, use the reserved filling to frost and decorate to your liking. Place it into the refrigerator for 8 hours, and serve with strong coffee and additional flaked almonds. Yields 8 rich servings or 12 modest ones.
