Vegan Bourbon Sheet Cake

Vegan.

Bourbons used to be my favorite biscuit as a kid! I loved dunking them into milk, twisting them in half and licking out the cream!

I recently found out that they’re accidentally vegan, so I just had to incorporate them into a recipe!

A rich chocolate sponge, with Bourbon biscuits baked into the sponge, with a rich and indulgent chocolate ganache buttercream topped with MORE biscuits!

This really is one of the most scrumptious cakes!! 

   What are Bourbon biscuits?

A Bourbon biscuit (or cookie) is a rich sandwich-style cookie that has two chocolate biscuits with a sweet chocolate buttercream-like filling.

Always make sure that the Bourbons that you pick up are vegan friendly. Some of them contain milk, but these Bourbon creams which I picked up in Sainsbury’s are suitable for vegans- yay! 

      Why this sheet cake is a hit!

• It’s rich and chocolaty.
• It has Bourbons baked into the batter and whole Bourbons baked on top of the cake for extra crunch.
• The ganache is silky smooth which compliments the richness of the cake.
• It’s easy to make!
• Great for family gatherings or parties as it’s easily transportable.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Baking time: 28-30 minutes

Serves: Approximately 10-12

Level: Medium

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Ingredients for the cake

-480ml of dairy-free milk 

 -2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar

-420g of self-raising flour

-200g of caster sugar

-50g of cocoa powder

-1 teaspoon of baking powder

-1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

-120g of vegetable oil / melted coconut oil 

-8 vegan Bourbon biscuits

Ingredients for the ganache frosting

-80g of dairy-free butter

-200g of icing sugar

-1 tablespoon of dairy-free milk 

-150g of dairy-free dark chocolate

-80g of dairy-free cream (I use Elmlea plant-based single cream)

+

-Bourbons for decoration

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Method (cake)

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees c and line a 9X13 inch deep rectangular cake pan with grease-proof paper.

2. In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined.

Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.

3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

Mix well to combine.

4. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.

5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.

6. Gently fold in the broken-up Bourbon biscuits.

Don’t over mix the batter.

7. Pour the batter into the lined cake pan.

Make sure to tap the tin on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.

8. Press 10 whole bourbon cookies into the batter (optional).

Don’t press them too much as you want to be able to see them when the cake has baked.

9. Place the cake into the center of the preheated oven and bake for around 28-30 minutes or until a knife or skewer inserted comes out clean and it’s springy to the touch.

10. Place the cake on a cooling rack and allow to cool fully. 

Once cool, pop it into a sealed container to keep fresh before frosting.

Method (buttercream)

1. In a bowl/stand mixer, cream the butter on high until light and fluffy, then add in the icing sugar.

If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of dairy-free milk.

2. Add the dairy-free chocolate into a bowl.

3. Place the dairy-free cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until boiling.

4. Carefully pour the hot cream over the chocolate, leave it for a minute then stir until smooth and glossy.

5. Pour the chocolate ganache into the buttercream and whip until combined.

If the buttercream is too loose, add more icing sugar to thicken it up until its smooth and glossy.

6. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake, using a spatula or spoon to create a swirly effect.

7. Decorate with broken up and whole Bourbon cookies.

8. Cut into squares to serve.

Serve with fresh oranges (optional).

Serve fresh or store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Best eaten within a few days!

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