This cake is lovely, moist, and tender with a delicate flavour. It is effortless to make, and the combination of yoghurt, blueberries, and coconut perfectly complements each other. The blueberry compote is divine!
Praia de Aguda
Every two weeks for my weekly shop, I drive a little further to a health food store north of where I live. It takes me through the Sintra mountain along narrow windy tree-lined roads; then it opens into a broader, flatter landscape with warmer temperatures. I arrive at a sweet health food store called Ideal in a little village named Janas. I like this place as they offer vegetable seedlings, and the vegetables and fruits are abundant and fresh, newly picked from their garden. After finishing my shop, I continue up the road towards the sea, park my car and walk down the steps towards the beach. This car park and beach are busy on the weekend, but on weekdays there is nobody, especially on cloudy days. Sometimes I go just for the sunset, which is especially magical when the mist rolls off the ocean.
~
lemon coconut cake with blueberry compote
Recipe inspired by Nigella Lawson.
Preparation 45 minutes
Makes 8 – 12 slices
tools
1 x 9-inch springform cake pan (can be made in an 8-inch)
cake
1 cup/120g white spelt flour
¾ cup/100g whole spelt flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp fine rock salt
⅔ cup/130g coconut or vegetable oil
¾ cup/150g light brown sugar
1 cup/220g thick coconut milk (see note below)
2 lemons, zested
3 Tbsp/35g lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
blueberry compote
1 cup/130g blueberries
1 Tbsp/12g lemon juice
1 Tbsp/12g light brown sugar
3 Tbsp/35g + 1½ tsp cold water – divided
1½ tsp cornflour
icing
1 cup/250g thick vegan Greek yoghurt or milk-based Greek yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract or scrap the seeds from a vanilla pod
¼ cup/35g icing sugar
preparation
1. To make the cake: Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease sides and line base of a springform cake tin with baking paper.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk the oil, sugar and coconut milk together, followed by the zest, juice and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking to combine, then pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.
5. To make the blueberry compote: Put the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar and 3 Tbsp water into a saucepan, bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer, stirring now and then, for a few minutes until the blueberries have softened.
6. Remove from heat, in a small cup, mix the cornflour with the remaining 1½ tsp water and stir this paste into the blueberries. Return to heat and stir gently for 30 seconds; the sauce will bubble and thicken. Pour the compote into a bowl to cool. It will set once cold.
7. To make the icing: Mix the yoghurt and vanilla, sieve the icing sugar over the yoghurt and stir to combine.
8. To assemble the cake: Turn the cake over (so the underneath is now on top) onto a plate. Place most of the icing on top of the cake. Spread out and bring a small amount down the sides, evenly scraping so that you can see some of the cake through the icing (sides only.) Decorate with lemon zest, thyme, and blueberries. Dust the blueberries with icing sugar. Slice and spoon with a generous amount of the blueberry compote. If not serving immediately, the cake can be refrigerated until ready to serve.
note
- Don’t shake the tin of coconut milk; try to get as much of the thick creamy part as possible and purchase a better quality can of coconut milk to ensure thick milk.