Amazing Gingerbread Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Just 2 more days and it’s already the 1. advent and for many of us this means it’s finally here: the most wonderful time of the year.

Are you a Christmas lover, too?

For me the next 4 weeks are all about anticipation for Christmas. 🌟🎅🏻🎄

But I’m not talking about mountains of gifts. Oh no…for me it’s all about a home decorated with lights & candles, lots of time with friends & family and instead of stress & shopping delusion, rather more calmness & contemplation for a harmonious end of the year. Because ain’t that what Christmas is all about?

Of course, there is always the one or other visit to my favorite Christmas market. Wrapped in countless cozy layers, being surrounded by thousands of lights, drinking a hot children’s punch (sorry, mulled wine just isn’t for me 🤷) and munching some hot chestnuts. For me, this is just as much a part of Christmas time as baking cookies and lighting another candle every Sunday.

Speaking of baking! Today I’m officially opening the Christmas bakery on this little blog of mine. And your first treat will be a cute (and in my opinion quite perfect) cake for the Advent and Christmas season! Amazingly fluffy Gingerbread Cake with melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate ganache. And as a little extra treat there are caramelised apple slices on the side. 🍎

Last year, I discovered the recipe for gingerbread cake at the lovely Brandi’s inspiring blog The Vegan 8 and gave it a try right away. My whole family absolutely loved the cake and was eaten in a jiffy. That’s why I really wanted to bake the gingerbread cake again this year. This time, however, a bit modified and provided with my personal touch.

For me, last year’s gingerbread cake somehow lacked that little extra something to make it perfect. Today it is therefore topped with a creamy dark chocolate ganache. That not only sounds seductive and mouth-watering. It also smells heavenly and gives you this perfect closed-eyes-and-hmmm moment when you take your first bite.

Hmmm … yes, that’s exactly the one. 🤤

Anyways, this delicious gingerbread cake happens to be vegan, low-fat and only naturally sweetened. A tasty Christmas treat (almost) without a guilty conscience. The wonderful christmassy scent, which will fill your home while your cake is baking is an extra bonus. You’re welcome!

Quickly grab your apron, bake this amazing gingerbread cake, invite some friends over, light candles and enjoy the best time of the year! I’m very curious, if you will love this cake as much as I do. Fell free to leave a little comment below and tell me all about your personal closed-eyes-and-hmmm moment. I’m already looking forward to it. 😊

Happy baking & enjoy! xo, Romy

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Amazing Gingerbread Cake with Chocolate Ganache

This dreamy Gingerbread Cake is wonderfully soft and fluffy with the perfect gingerbread flavor. It's vegan, oil-free & naturally sweetened. A Christmas treat (almost) without a bad conscience. 🌟

Servings

8 slices

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Cooling time:

1 hr

Total Time

40 mins

 

Course Tags: Cake, Dessert

Tags: dairy-free, gingerbread, oil-free, plant-based, protein, vegan, vegetarian

Ingredients

For the cake:

Dry ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour*
• 1/4 cup whole buckwheat flour
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 4 tsp gingerbread spice**
• 1/2 tsp ground vanilla
• pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:

• 1 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup sugarcane molasses***
• 2 Tbsp hot water

For the chocolate ganache:

• 2,8 oz dark vegan chocolate (60% cocoa)****
• 2 Tbsp oat milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the caramel apple slices:

• 1 apple, cored & peeled
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 pinch of cinnamon

Additionally:

• almond slices for decoration

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C | 350°F.

   Grease a baking pan (mine is 6 x 10 inches) with coconut oil and / or lay it out with baking paper.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk.

3. Add the wet ingredients and stir with the whisk until everything is well combined. (DO NOT stir for too long, otherwise the dough will become tough and will not rise properly.)

4. Pour the dough into the prepared baking pan and bake the cake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack in the pan for about 1 hour.

For the chocolate ganache:

1. While the cake is cooling, you can prepare the ganache.

   Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a small (heat resistant!) bowl (e.g. porcelain).

2. Your oven is probably still hot from baking, but if not, set it again to 80°C | 175°F and put the bowl in for about 10 minutes.
   

3. When the chocolate has melted, stir in the oatmilk and cinnamon with a spoon until you have a creamy, shiny chocolate mixture.
   

For the caramelised apple slices:

1. It's best to prepare the apple slices as the cake cools.

   First cut the apple into thin slits.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a non-stick pan and add the crevasses. Then add the maple syrup and let it all sizzle a few minutes until the apple slices are golden brown (keep it in the eye, so that nothing burns).
   

3. Turn the apple slices and let them roast on the other side too. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon over it and let the apple cool in the pan.
   

Decorating the cake:

1. Take the cooled cake out of the mold and carefully spread the chocolate ganache.

   If you like, you can decorate the topping with sliced almonds or other nuts.

   Carefully cut the cake into 8 slices and serve it with the caramelised apple slices as an eye catcher on your plate.
   

Notes

* You can just use whole wheat flour instead of the all-purpose, but the cake will be a bit more dense and less fluffy then.
 
** I used this one here.
It contains: orange peel, lemon peel, cassia cinnamon, clove, star anise, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom.
 
*** Sugarcane molasses is also a great iron supplier. Eat a spoonful of it regularly and wash it down with a glass of orange juice. Vitamin C helps your body absorbing the iron better.

 

**** It's best to use a chocolate that is naturally sweetened with coconut blossom sugar or something similar. Of course, you can also use 'normal' chocolate. 🙂

 

I always choose organic produce whenever possible. It’s not only better for my health (and yours, too), but also for our environment. 🌍💫💚