Vegan Chocolate Orange Mousse Cake

Orange and chocolate is just one of those delicious combos! Not forgetting this is also vegan !

Silky, creamy chocolate orange mousse sandwiched between two moist and spongey layers of vegan chocolate orange cake. This showstopper cake is guaranteed to please vegans and non-vegans a like!

Ingredients:

Cake ingredients:

• 280g plain flour 
• 280g granulated sugar
• 35g cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 200ml soya milk, warm
• 100ml orange juice
• 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 120g vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp orange extract
• 1 tsp orange zest

Mousse ingredients:

• 400g silken tofu
• 400g dark chocolate, chopped
• 150ml orange juice
• 1 tbsp maple syrup/golden syrup
• 2 tbsp orange extract
• 1 tsp orange zest

Chocolate Ganache layer:

• 100g cocolate
• 100g soya milk

Method:

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven.  Line 2 x 8" sandwich tin or an 8" cake tin with baking paper.

Sieve together all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Set aside. 

Warm up the soy milk, 60 second in the microwave should be warm enough. Add the apple cider vinegar to the milk to make a "buttermilk". Leave to curdle for 10-15 minutes.

Add the remaining wet ingredients including the orange zest to the  buttermilk. Create a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Whisk together until fully incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the cake batter into the cake tin. If you are using 2 sandwich pans, distribute the batter equally into the 2 pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes for the 2 sandwich pans or 40-45 minutes for the single pan. Use a skewer to test the cake, if it comes out clean it is ready. Take out of the oven and leave to cool completely.

Once cooled, take the cake out from the tin and using a wire cutter or serrated knife, cut the single cake into two even layers. If you are using 2 sandwich pans, no cutting is needed. Cut the top dome of the cake to level them out.

 

Leave one layer in the base of the cake tin, ready for the mousse to be poured on top.

For the mousse: In a food processor, add all the ingredients except for the chocolate. Blitz until smooth. You can also use a hand whisk if you not have a food processor.

Melt the chocolate using a bain-marie or in the microwave using 30 seconds bursts. Pour the melted chocolate into the food processor and blitz until it is fully incorporated.

Pour the mousse onto the bottom cake layer in the tin. Place the cake tin in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set or put into the freezer for 20 minutes to speed up the process.

Place the top cake layer on to the mousse and leave the whole cake to set in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

For the ganache: Meanwhile, heat up the soy milk in a saucepan on low heat. When it starts to simmer, pour it onto the 100g chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes to melt.

Carefully take the cake out of the loose bottom cake tin and pour  the ganache layer on top of the cake.

You can decorate the cake as you can see from my pictures, I used fresh strawberries. 

Cut and serve!!!