01 Oct Toasted Coconut Birthday Cake with a Dairy-Free Matcha Frosting

Makes: 1 large cake, 16-20 slice
Cuisine: Dairy-free, refined sugar-free
Prepping time: 90 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Cooling time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE SPONGE

(for 5 layers in total 19cm tin)

• 3 eggs 
• ½ cup brown rice syrup (or honey)
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ¾ tsp salt 
• 1 ½ cup cake flour 
• ¼ desiccated coconut, toasted
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• ½ cup almond milk
• ¼ cup coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

DIARY FREE BLUE MATCHA FROSTING 

• 2 cup raw cashews 
• 2 (400g) cans full fat coconut milk, kept in the fridge overnight
• 2 tsps vanilla powder/extract
• ¼ cup brown rice syrup (or honey)
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 40g butter, melted
• 1-2 tsps blue matcha
• 3-4 wooden skewers

SALTED CARAMEL DRIP  

• ¼ cup coconut caramel sauce 
• 2 tbsps coconut milk 
• 4 tbsps coconut oil/cacao butter, melted 
• Pinch of salt

DECOR 

• Sugar ice cream cone 
• Blueberries 
• Gooseberries 
• Flowers 
• Toothpicks 

METHOD:

CAKE SPONGE

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray or coat the two 19cm tins with oil and parchment paper hanging over on both sides. 
2. Heat the coconut oil and milk until the coconut oil has melted. Let it cool.
3. In a large bowl whisk the eggs until foamy about 1 minute then add the salt. 
4. Gradually add the coconut sugar and brown rice syrup while whisking. Wisk until light, about 4 minutes.
5. Mix the flour and baking powder together and then sieve onto a piece of parchment paper.
6. Whisk the egg mixture on low speed and gradually add the dry ingredients including the toasted coconut to the egg mixture using the parchment paper to help guide it into the bowl. The batter should be thick with no lumps.
7. Beat in vanilla extract and milk mixture until just combined. Don’t over mix.
8. Pour equal amounts of batter into the two tins (using a kitchen scale makes it easier). Tap the tins on the kitchen surface to even out the batter in the tin. 
9. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
10. Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes before lifting out of the tin using the parchment paper hanging on both sides. Let it cool down completely before frosting. If you want to frost the next day cling wrap the cakes and store in the fridge, this will prevent the cake from drying out.

FROSTING

1.  Cool the coconut milk cans in the fridge, preferably overnight and soak the raw cashews either in cold water overnight or boiling water for at least 4 hours.
2. Without shaking the coconut milk cans that have been cooled overnight, scoop out the cream on the top of the water in the can into a blender or food processor. 
3. Add the soaked cashews, syrup and vanilla powder and blend until smooth. Switch to low speed and gradually add the melted but cooled coconut butter and coconut oil. Blend on high speed for a further 1-2 minutes until smooth with no lumps.
4. Pour into a bowl and cover before placing it in the freezer for 1-2 hours to set. Then take out and store in the fridge until you need to use it. 

ASSEMBLY 

1.  Use a bread knife to cut each layer into even layers. Place the first layer on the cake stand or plate. 
2. Spread a layer of frosting with the center being thicker and the edges thinner. Once you place the next layer of cake on, gently press down to even out the layer of frosting.  Continue this process with each layer. 
3. Before frosting the outside of the cake, insert wooden skewers in the cake to help keep the cake structurally strong. Put the cake in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
4. Once the frosting between the layers has cooled and set. Start frosting the outside using a palette knife or spatula. Put the fridge again for 10 minutes.

SALTED CARAMEL DIP

1. Mix all the ingredients together and cool down until about room temperature. Ensure that that the cake is cold and the caramel drip isn’t too hot before using a spoon to make the drip on the side. 

DECORATING 

1. Use toothpicks to place the blueberries on the side of the cake.

STORAGE

1. Store in the fridge and take out 10 minutes before cutting and serving ( Cashew frosting tends to ‘melt’ when it stands too long at room temperature).
2. Enjoy!

TAKE NOTE:
CAKE 

• I made the cake recipe 3 times using a 19cm cake tin. Dividing the batter into two tins each time so that I could have 5 layers. Using a kitchen scale makes it easier to divide the batter into two. 
• You can make the cakes a day ahead and store it in the fridge using cling wrap to cover each layer to prevent it from drying out.

FROSTING 

• If your frosting forms little coconut oil or cacao butter lumps, the frosting was too cold and the coconut oil/cacao butter too hot when you combined it. To correct this allow the frosting to warm up to room temperature and blend until smooth. Then cover and place back in the freezer/fridge to set (freezer will be less
• time than the fridge).

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