Vegan Chocolate Cake with a Salted Peanut Butter Cream Filling and Chocolate, Peanut Butter Ganache.

My husband (the vegan) loves this cake I make for him - anyone else who eats it loves it too and it gets demolished in less than a day!
It is rich, so I can't eat a lot of it - but it certainly hits the spot if you are craving some chocolate.
I made this for my husbands 40th last year and got a lot of positive feed back and even a few orders.

With the ingredients - instead of doubling the quantity, I usually just get two large bowls out and make both cakes at the same time. (Yes, you need two cakes for this recipe)


Ingredients for cake

• 1 1/2 cups of plain flour (sifted)
• 1/4 cup sifted cocoa
• 1 cup of caster sugar
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup of soy milk
• 1/4 tsp white vinegar
• 1/2 cup of good quality dark chocolate (melted) I use Lindt Excellence 70% cocoa.
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla paste.

Ingredients for Salted Peanut Butter Cream Filling

• 1/3 cup of smooth salted peanut butter
• 2 Tbls of Nuttelex Margarine
• 1 cup of sifted icing sugar
• 2 tsp of soy milk

Ingredients for chocolate Peanut butter ganache

• 1/3 cup of good quality dark chocolate 
• 1 tbls Nuttelex Margarine
• 2 tbls of Maple Syrup
• 3 tbls of smooth salted peanut butter
• 3 tbs of Soy milk
• 2 tbls of sifted icing sugar

Method for cake (make two seperate batters)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C 
2. Grease and flour two round cake tins 
3. In a small bowl combine the vinegar and milk and just let it sit for a while
4. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk well
5. In two batches add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk well. 
6. Put each of the batters into the cake tins 
7. Bake for 35 minutes
8. Take out of oven and place on wire racks and let cake cool completely

Method for Filling

In a medium bowl using your electric mixer - combine the peanut butter and Margarine and beat until nice and glossy. Add the sifted icing sugar and continue to beat, add the milk. Beat until smooth and not grainy. 

Method for Ganache

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisk until smooth. Take off heat and let cool .. 

Time to Assemble 

Place bottom layer of cake on a spinning cake stand. Spread the Peanut Butter filling onto the first cake - try to make it even. Then lay the second cake on top of the spread and squish it down but don't break the cake.

With a Flat headed knife - spread your ganache on top of the cake, then fill in the sides of the cake with the ganache. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the ganache set.

Top with crushed peanuts and grated chocolate.