vegan citrus & coconut drizzle cake

A soft, moist, coconutty and intensely citrusy cake soaked in a tangy citrus syrup.

This is a twist on the classic lemon drizzle. The coconut adds a lovely tropical flavour and instead of using just lemons, I used blood oranges and lime too.

I love lemony desserts and as in most cases the more citrusy the flavour the better the dessert.

I have also found lemon drizzles to be a safe option when it comes to baking for people you might not know well, as most people seem to love a lemon drizzle. I suggest keeping this one in the books for those occasions and you can't go wrong with this one!

This cake is

• spongy

• moist

• sweet

• zingy

• coconutty

• and so delicious!

It is also vegan and really easy to make.

I have not tried it with gluten-free flour though, but leave me a comment below if you try it with gluten-free flour.

What citrus fruit can I use?

I have tried this with lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits. Each add a different flavour, so that will change the end result of the taste.

What if I don't like coconut?

You don't have to add the coconut, but it really adds a delicious texture and flavour.

You can replace the coconut with poppy seeds or ground ginger.

A few helpful tip!

• Poking holes all over the top of the cake with a tooth-pick will help the syrup soak deeper into the cake.

• Pouring the syrup over whilst the cake is still warm will help the cake soak up the syrup better.

• Make sure to pour the syrup evenly and all over the cake (not just the middle) to ensure the cake doesn't end up soggy in the centre.

To make this cake you will need

• citrus fruit

• ground almonds

• plain or all purpose flour

• baking powder

• bicarbonate of soda

• desiccated coconut, I used extra fine flakes

• vegan butter or margarine

• caster sugar

• almond milk or milk of choice

CITRUS & COCONUT DRIZZLE CAKE

A soft, moist, coconutty and intensely citrusy cake soaked in a tangy citrus syrup. A tropical twist on the classic lemon drizzle.

Serves: 10 - 12 people

Prep time: Less than 30 min

Baking time: 1h00 - 1h10

Total time: 1h 40 min

Dietary: vegan

You will need 1 x 20cm/8in round cake tin

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

• 150g vegan butter or margarine

• 170g caster sugar

• 200g plain or all-purpose flour

• 15g desiccated coconut , plus extra to sprinkle

• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 50g ground almonds

• Pinch of salt

• 150ml almond milk

• Zest from 2 lemons and 1 orange (or zest of 3 citrus fruits of choice)

• Juice from ½ lemon and ½ orange (or juice from 1 citrus fruit of choice)

FOR THE DRIZZLE

• Juice from ½ lemon, ½ orange and ½ lime (or juice from 1 ½ citrus fruit of choice)

• 3 – 4 tbsp caster sugar

• 1 - 2 tbsp desiccated coconut flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C or 160 C fan

2. In a mixing bowl: add the ground almonds, coconut, vegan butter, salt and sugar. Sift in the flour, bicarb and baking powder and mix using a handheld mixer.

3. Add the almond milk, zest and juice and mix until well combined and smooth.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and sprinkle with a bit more coconut flakes on top.

5. Bake the cake in the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour. Check after an hour if the cake is done. You can check this by poking either a sharp knife or baking needle into the centre of the cake. If the knife/needle comes out clean it means the cake is done. If not, let the cake bake for another 8 - 10 min before checking again.

6. Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes.

7. In the meantime, mix the juice from the lemon, orange & lime with the sugar and mix until the sugar has dissolved.

8. Spoon this mixture evenly over the top of the cake and sprinkle with more desiccated coconut.

9. Let the cake cool completely before removing from the cake tin.

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A few helpful tip! (as mentioned above)

Poking holes all over the top of the cake with a tooth-pick will help the syrup soak deeper into the cake.

Pouring the syrup over whilst the cake is still warm will help the cake soak up the syrup better.

Make sure to pour the syrup evenly and all over the cake (not just the middle) to ensure the cake doesn't end up soggy in the centre.

Have you tried this recipe?

Let me know if you made this and tag me on Instagram

@lychees_and_leggings and #lychees_and_leggings

or leave a comment below.