Vanilla Cake with Chocolate ganache – easy to make

This fluffy, tasty, and delicious vanilla cake with chocolate ganache is easy to make. This cake is made with gluten-free flour and brown sugar. It is the perfect dessert for the holiday season or any occasion year-round.

I love this cake! This is the cake my mom used to make for my grandmother’s birthday, which was on Christmas eve. For me making this cake at Christmas is a tradition, but we not only make this cake for Christmas but this cake can also be made any time during the year.

Why this vanilla cake with chocolate ganache is my favorite?

I like this cake because it is not extremely sweet; it doesn’t have fillings and has a thin layer of chocolate with fruit, which helps make this cake less sweet.

A piece of this delicious cake is more than welcome after a big dinner like we have during the holiday season or at a family reunion. What is best; any leftover of this cake is saved for the following day, which we eat accompanied by a cup of coffee as breakfast.

The Ingredients

Flour: I have to admit I have tried this recipe with different kinds of flour; I started with all-purpose flour, then changed to whole wheat flour, and now I’m using gluten-free flour. All the flours worked well with this recipe!

Sugar: I like to use organic cane sugar or brown sugar. You can adapt it to your preference by adding your favorite sugar or sweetness.

Butter: I use organic butter, but you can always use plant-based butter.

Fruits: I like the combination of strawberries and raspberries with chocolate. Also, I like the contrast with the red and the green from the rosemary that I used for decoration to create a more holiday appearance. But you can use different kinds of fruits like peaches, or oranges, among others.

The chocolate ganache

Chocolate ganache is chocolate with cream. I have made it in different ways.

My mom’s recipe: She adds a small amount of regular milk to the chocolate; it makes the mix less fluffy and more liquid consistency but still delicious!

Coconut milk: Adds some coconut flavors to the mix with a more liquid consistency. I have not tried yet with coconut cream.

Half and a half cream: This is my happy medium, the result is it is not as fluffy in comparison with heavy cream, but the consistency is good and less heavy.

Heavy Cream: It is what the original recipe contains. The result is silky and creamy.

What do I need to make this vanilla cake with chocolate ganache?

*I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See our disclosure policy for more detail.

Kitchen Utensils

• Stand Mixer or Hand mixer
• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Measuring cup and spoons
• 9-inch round cake pan

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour Gluten-free
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder (I used gluten-free)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
• 3/4 cup milk 2%

For Chocolate Ganache

• 8oz Semi-sweet or unsweet chocolate baking bar
• 1 cup organic half and half cream
• Raspberries and strawberries

How do I make this vanilla cake with chocolate ganache?

Mix all dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) in a bowl. On the stand mixer add the butter and sugar and mix well.

Add the eggs one at a time. Then, add all dry ingredients and wet ingredients (milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract). I alternated the wet and dry ingredients in the stand mixer bowl.

Grease and flour the cake pan. Pour the mix, making sure all corners are covered.

Bake 35-40 minutes at 350°F. Insert a toothpick in the center; the cake is ready if it comes out clean.

Chocolate ganache

1. Cut the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a medium bowl. Warm the cream in a saucepan just before it boils. Add the cream to the chocolate and mix well.
2. Let the ganache cool down before pouring it into the cake.
3. Decorate your cake with your favorite fruit.

Useful Tips

1. One important thing that helps cakes to get fluffy is mixing the butter and sugar really well.
2. While is not recommended to open the oven while the cake is cooking, I do open it after 30 minutes and insert a toothpick in the center to make sure the cake is completed cook without burning.
3. I like the touch of the lemon juice and my mom uses lemon zest in her recipe, but this is an optional step.

I hope you like this Vanilla Cake with chocolate ganache. You may also like “Mini apple pie made from scratch.”