It is almost summer! you wouldn't really believe it looking at the weather at the minute. Storm, rain and the occasional hail storm really give the illusion that it is actually turning into autumn, while skipping spring and summer. Don't get me wrong, I really look forward to pumpkins and other autumnal treats, but I really need some sun!
This coconut cornmeal cake really tastes like summer, especially with the added berry topping, and so could help you pretend that the very much needed sunshine and warmth is on its way. It has kind of been inspired by/ half stolen from the Thug Kitchen cook book, although it has been slightly tweaked. I have been really enjoying the Thug kitchen cookbook and truly recommend it to anyone looking for a good, fuss free vegan cookbook for inspiration. I know its a bit controversial because of the language etc, but some of the recipes in there are ace. They also have a blog, so check them out! A lot of the recipes in the book are quite simple to make, use simple ingredients, yet still seem quite innovative.
I had never really used corn meal before, it is not something that is very present in my food culture I think. But I must say I really like the texture. So today I will share with you my version of the cornmeal cake, and tell you what I used for the icing. This all really takes 5 minutes prep and half an hour in the oven, so very simple and easy cake!. The measurements are in cups and tsp. If you don't own these types of measurement equipment you can find conversions online. You can also just invest in some, they are generally cheap, which I recommend as it makes life easier. So without further ado - here we go.
What do you need for the cake
1 1/4 cups of corn meal ( you can get it in bigger supermarkets, I got mine from a more international/ pakistani food store that I have locally )
3/4 cup all purpose white flower or pastry flower
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
(the recipe asks for vanilla and lemon zest - I did not have this and I think it tastes pretty fine without it )
What you need for the topping
The book suggests to just serve it with some whipped coconut milk. If you put full-fat coconut milk in the fridge over night, the solids separate from the liquids. you can then whip up the solids with a hand mixer the create something that looks and tastes a bit like whipped cream - vegan style.
I decided however to create something entirely different but it is your choice.
I used:
3 cups desiccated coconut
3 tbsp of icing sugar
2 tbsp of coconut oil
Jam
blueberries
What you will need to do:
1. preheat your oven - I did it to about 200 degrees. Also- good time to grease a baking tin.
2. mix all the dry ingredients in the bowl - flower, corn meal, sugar, and baking powder. When it is all nicely mixed up, make a well in the middle and poor in your wet ingredients - coconut milk, and if you did decide to use some the lemon zest and the vanilla. Mix it all until you have a smooth batter.
3. put in baking tin, that you already greased ;). Put in the oven for about 30 minutes. If you can put in a tooth pick ( or any other utensil of choice) and it comes out clean, your cake is done!
4. While the cake cools down - put your coconut, coconut oil, and icing sugar in a food processor. let it stir for a while until its a thick buttery consistency. I think it took me 5-10 minutes. This might be a bit thick, you could add some water if you prefer to have it a thinner consistency.
5. when the cake is cooled down sufficiently, spread the coconut butter mixture on the top of the cake. Mix some jam with water to make it a nice runny consistency and spread this on top of the coconut mixture. decorate with some blue berries, or fruit of your choice .. et voila - vegan cake!
