Go Back Email Link
Mary Berry Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Recipe

Mary Berry Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's dairy free chocolate cake is a rich, deeply chocolatey layer cake made without any dairy — a genuinely excellent cake that happens to be dairy free.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Cooling & Setting Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 10 Slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 490

Ingredients
  

  • Dairy Free Chocolate Sponge:
  • 200 g good quality dark chocolate 70%, dairy free — check label
  • 200 g dairy free block butter softened
  • 200 g golden caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 175 g self-raising flour sifted
  • 25 g cocoa powder sifted
  • tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp oat milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Dairy Free Chocolate Ganache:
  • 200 g good quality dark chocolate 70%, dairy free
  • 200 ml oat cream or full-fat coconut cream
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Decoration:
  • Dark chocolate curls cocoa powder for dusting, fresh raspberries or strawberries

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm tins. Melt chocolate — cool 10 minutes.
  2. Beat dairy free block butter and sugar 4–5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and cooled chocolate — beat to combine. Sift in flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Add oat milk — fold gently.
  3. Divide between tins — weigh for even layers. Bake 22–26 minutes until skewer shows moist crumbs. Cool in tins 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
  4. Heat oat cream and golden syrup to just simmering. Pour over chopped dairy free chocolate — leave 2 minutes. Stir from centre until smooth. Add vanilla. Cool 45 minutes until spreadable.
  5. Place one sponge on plate. Spread half ganache. Top with second sponge. Spread remaining ganache over top and sides. Scatter chocolate curls. Dust with cocoa. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Slice.

Notes

Use dairy free block butter not spread — spread has too much water to cream properly.
Check the chocolate label — some dark chocolate brands add milk solids.
Oat cream gives the most neutral ganache — coconut cream adds a slight coconut flavour.
Beat dairy free butter for the full time — it takes slightly longer to aerate than standard butter.
The method is identical to the standard version — dairy free ingredients are direct substitutes.
Freeze unfilled sponge layers for up to 3 months.
QR Code linking back to recipe