Of course I was going to share my super glossy and delicious vegan chocolate drip cake recipe, considering how popular it's non-vegan drip cake recipe is. Drip cakes aren't just for Instagram - they add a silky, melt-in-the-mouth layer of chocolatey goodness. And now, with this vegan ganache, everyone can get in on the action.

Why? Because, while it *can* be thought of as a fad of yesteryears, ultimately its staying power is in the fact that it adds SO MUCH to the taste and texture profile of the cake - why would anyone say no thanks to a lovely layer of smooth chocolate that melts in the mouth? And now that at least 4.7% of the UK population identify themselves as vegans, with this dairy-free vegan version, everyone can tuck into the drip cake delight!

I've shared my perfect egg-less and dairy-free vegan chocolate sponge recipe, and have our vegan Hero Sponge recipe available, but if you would like to dress it up you really couldn't go wrong with making this quick and super easy vegan chocolate ganache to drip over. It'll elevate your cake to show-stopper status.

It can be daunting to bake a cake, frost it to perfection, and then worry about messing it all up by adding a drip. But you won't. Not with my very simple and brief instructions.

It'll make all the difference and that tiny little extra effort will pay off in spades in terms of the WOWS you'll get, let alone the "I can't believe that's vegan!" comments from both vegans and non-vegans alike.

Vegan Chocolate Ganache Drip Recipe

To decorate a 6" or 8" layer cake

100g dark chocolate, chopped (Use dark chocolate with 70-80% cocoa that contains no added milk or butterfat)

50g vegetable shortening/margarine/coconut oil 

1. Set a double-boiler over medium heat (ie a saucepan with a few inches of water in - make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Melt the vegan chocolate gently, stirring slowly.

2. Once all the vegan chocolate is melted, take off the heat and mix in the shortening/margarine/coconut oil, a teaspoon at a time, and stir to melt. The ganache is ready when the margarine is fully melted, and the mixture is glossy. Let it cool for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly before using - if it’s too hot, it will run straight off the cake.

3. The trick to make sure your vegan ganache drip doesn't melt your frosting is to make sure your frosted vegan cake is cool, so place the whole frosted cake into the fridge or freezer for a good few minutes before glazing it. The frosting should be firm to the touch before glazing with the drip.

4. If your ganache is too runny, let it cool for another 2-3 minutes before using. If it’s still runny, add an extra teaspoon of melted chocolate to thicken it up. Place the cake on a turntable and spoon the glaze along the edge of the vegan cake. Now slowly push a bit of the glaze over the edge with the back of the spoon and continue to do this all the way around. It looks nicer when drips aren't uniform so you can push a bit more and a bit less as you go along.

5. Once all the sides of the cake are dripped over, spoon more of the glaze into the centre of the cake and flood to cover and smooth over the top.

How to Store Your Drip Cake

• Room Temp: Keep at room temperature for up to 2 days if your frosting is stable.
• Fridge: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days - bring to room temp before serving.
• Freezing: You can freeze the sponge layers, but avoid freezing the finished drip cake, as condensation can ruin the ganache.

There you have it - how easy is that! You can leave it in its glossy gorgeous drip state or further decorate it to your heart's delight. Here are some vegan cake decorations I suggest as a handy guide:

Vegan Chocolate Drip Cake Decorating Ideas

Vegan sprinkles

Check the packaging carefully as not all cake decorating sprinkles are vegan with ingredients such as confectioners' glaze or shellac, bees wax, and food colours derived from bugs such as carmine and cochineal.

Oreo cookies

Crushed, whole, halved, most vegans I know go crazy for a bit of cookies & cream Oreo magic.

Lotus biscuits

Aka Speculoos or Biscoff. These awesome caramelised biscuits are like crack, but better for you. And they are "accidentally" vegan too!

Bourbon biscuits

I mean, there's no better biccie than a good ol' Bourbon biccie IMHO. And yes, they're vegan.

Nuts & Peanuts

Hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and peanuts are all popular pairings with chocolate and cake.

Fresh fruit

Fresh washed berries and cherries are always a good choice (personally, I'm not so hot on mixing fruit and chocolate but I'm a weirdo so there). Make sure the fruit is properly dry before decorating as any water droplets on the ganache drip would ruin the glaze. Also, be aware that fresh fruit can "bleed" into cakes and while the cake itself will live happily at room temp for a good few days, the same can't be said about the fresh fruit decor on it.  

Edible flowers

No, not the daisies or whatever else is growing in your garden or in the park. Proper edible, safe-for-human-consumption, flowers. You can buy them at most posh supermarkets now and also online. The most popular edible flowers are pansies and dahlias but there are many others. They are cute but they taste of absolutely nothing (and again, aren't my personal faves) and have very limited ambient shelf life before they start looking wilted and sad so be sure to add them on at the last minute! 

Tried this recipe? Show me the drip! Tag @angesdesucre with your cakes—whether it's perfection or a ganache disaster, I want to see it. And do try our vegan Hero Sponge recipe for the softest, fluffiest, vegan sponge in a variety of flavours.

Lots of vegan drip cake love,

Reshmi xoxo