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:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
2. 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)
3. Once melted, add the almond milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, vanilla, coconut sugar and ground almonds
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
5. Mix well, adding a tiny splash more almond milk if it’s looking too dry
6. Transfer mixture between two greased baking tins lined with baking paper (I used two 7inch/18cm springform baking tins)
7. Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean
8. Once done, turn the cakes out onto wire racks and leave to cool completely before frosting

For the buttercream:

1. Drain soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients (a hand-held blender works too)
2. Whizz until completely smooth, adding more almond milk or water if necessary

To frost and decorate the cake:

1. Place one half of the cake onto a plate or cake stand, and spread just less than half of the frosting onto it
2. 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
3. Tastes best when fresh but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Author: rhiansrecipes.com/gluten-free-vegan-vanilla-cake/