Vegan Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
- 200 ml (4/5 cup) unsweetened almond milk(or any other plant-based milk)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoons coconut sugar. (or sub any other sweetener)
- 150 g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds* (almond meal)
- 150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend(or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
- 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder(ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
For the buttercream:
- 100 g (2/3 cup) cashew nuts - soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar(or sub any other sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk(or sub water or any other plant-based milk)
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
- Once melted, add the almond milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, vanilla, coconut sugar and ground almonds
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
- Mix well, adding a tiny splash more almond milk if it’s looking too dry
- Transfer mixture between two greased baking tins lined with baking paper (I used two 7inch/18cm springform baking tins)
- Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean
- Once done, turn the cakes out onto wire racks and leave to cool completely before frosting
For the buttercream:
- Drain soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients (a hand-held blender works too)
- Whizz until completely smooth, adding more almond milk or water if necessary
To frost and decorate the cake:
- Place one half of the cake onto a plate or cake stand, and spread just less than half of the frosting onto it
- Place the other half of the cake on top of that and use rest of the frosting to spread on top and around the sides of the cake
- Tastes best when fresh but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days
Author: rhiansrecipes.com/gluten-free-vegan-vanilla-cake/