Confession: the day I made this torte I ate 4 slices. Yes, FOUR. Oh, don’t act like I’m the only one with no self-control.
It’s becoming no secret that I have a thing for desserts. During my recent visit to Waitrose, I had a little stroll down the chilled desserts aisle. I squealed when I saw their new vegan range, which includes a chocolate torte. I picked it up but (with some hesitation, I admit) I slowly returned it on the shelf upon finding out that two tiny slices of cake cost £4. WHAT?!
I quickly scanned the ingredients, and when I got home the code had to be cracked!
I’ve decided to jazz it up by flavouring the chocolate ganache layer with a dash of orange oil and mixing some crystallised ginger into the nutty base.
Orange and Ginger Chocolate Torte
Ingredients
For the base:
- 1/2 cup cashew nuts
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 pitted dates
- 1/4 cup crystalised ginger
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
For the chocolate orange filling:
- 150 ml single soya cream
- 50 ml soya milk
- 180 g dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup crystalised ginger
- 2-3 tsp orange essence
For dusting:
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Line a 6 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Add the cashew nuts, almond flour, cinnamon, dates and crystallised ginger to a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds. Stir in the melted coconut oil to form a sticky dough.
- Transfer into the cake pan and press the dough evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan. Place in the fridge.
- To make the chocolate orange filling, place the cream, milk and ginger into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring continuously ensuring it does not burn.
- Take the mixture off the heat, and pour, through a sieve, into a bowl. Discard the ginger pieces.
- Add the broken chocolate pieces together with 3 teaspoons of orange essence into the cream and stir until all the chocolate has melted and incorporated.
- Take the crust out of the fridge and pour the chocolate mixture on top. Return to the fridge to set overnight.
- Dust with cocoa powder before serving.