You can substitute shortening for butter in a cake recipe 1:1. To make ganache use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and canned coconut milk (not light) for the whipping cream. Start with a 3 choc to 1 coconut milk mix then add more coconut milk if needed.
If you need a milk substitute in the cake recipe, there are many on the market. A nut milk will give you a better result (as it has a better fat content like milk) but any of them will work just fine. I often ask which one they use as a daily substitute, as they all have their own unique flavor and I use what they are used to.
Good luck, hope that helps. I do dairy free all the time without any issues.
Teri, Ontario, Canada http://www.TeriLovesCake.ca
