SPECKLED COCONUT CAKE with AGBALUMO CURD - Plant Based
Enjoying a piece of cake in the sun!
Speckled Coconut Cake with Agbalumo Curd (Plant Based)
Plant based coconut cake with plant based vanilla buttercream and agbalumo curd! Its so tropical and delicious!!
Yield: 3 x 8-inch rounds or 2 x 9-inch rounds
PREP IT!
For Speckled Coconut Cake:
2¼ cups Flour, cake
½ teaspoons Baking soda
1½ teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Salt
½ cup Vegan butter, salted (I used Earth Balance Brand)
¼ cup Vegetable shortening (I used Crisco brand)
1½ cups Sugar, granulated
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
½ Vanilla bean pod, insides scraped
3 tablespoon Flax meal (ground flax seeds)
9 tablespoons Water
1/3 cups Vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti Brand)
1/3 cup Coconut cream
1/3 cup Coconut milk, unsweetened
1 can Aquafaba - chickpea juice drained from can of chickpeas and reserved
For Plant Based Vanilla “Buttercream” Frosting:
½ cup (4 ounces) Vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti Brand)
1½ cup (12 ounces) Vegan butter (I used Earth Balance Brand)
8 tablespoons (½ stick) Vegetable shortening (I used Crisco brand)
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
4 cups Powdered sugar (start with this and add ½ cup more at a time as needed)
For Agbalumo Curd:
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
½ cup Sugar, granulated
½ cup Coconut milk, unsweetened
½ cup Agbalumo pureed
MAKE IT!
For Speckled Coconut Cake:
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare your cake pans by lining them with parchment paper and lightly greasing with oil or spraying with non-stick pan spray.
In a small cup or bowl, stir together flax meal and water. Set aside to thicken. This will provide the same binding functionality you would get if you were to add 3 eggs which is what the non-plant based version of this recipe calls for.
Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Mix vegan butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, vanilla, and vanilla bean in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, until it is fluffy and white in color.
Fold thick flax meal mixture into the wet mixture.
In a separate bowl, whisk together vegan sour cream, coconut cream, and coconut milk until smooth.
Fold a 1/3 of the dry mixture into the wet mixture then fold in 1/3 of the coconut milk mixture. Do this until all the ingredients have been incorporated.
In a clean bowl, using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand mixer, whisk chickpea juice (aquafaba) until it is the consistency of whipped egg whites and stiff peaks form. Gently fold the aquafaba into the cake batter until everything is evenly incorporated. This will provide some of the aeration and leavening (rise) functionality you would be getting from the egg whites in the 3 eggs the non-plant based version of this recipe calls for.
Immediately pour batter into cake pans and bake at 350F degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool cakes completely on the countertop and remove from the pans. Place the layers in the fridge to chill before frosting.
Once completely cooled, fill each layer with plant based buttercream and agbalumo curd (pictured below). Frost the top and outside of the cake.
For Plant Based Vanilla “Buttercream” Frosting:
Place vegan sour cream, vegan butter, vegetable shortening, and vanilla in a stand mixer or mix with a hand mixer. Whip until creamy. Add in powdered sugar until well incorporated and smooth.
Transfer frosting to a gallon size zip top bag. Refrigerate immediately. Frosting must stay cold to remain set. Cake must be refrigerated.
It stays fresh in the fridge for approximately 3 days.
For Agbalumo Curd:
Combine sugar and cornstarch to a pot and stir. Whisk in coconut milk. Then whisk in pureed agbalumo. Bring all ingredients to a simmer and cook until thickened and starch flavor has dissipated. Stir constantly.
Refrigerate to cool and use as desired.
Plant Based Vanilla Buttercream
Tips:
For Chocolate Butter Cream: add 2 cups cocoa powder (alkalized or Dutch processed for dark color and rich chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa for light color and light chocolate flavor). Add more or less cocoa powder for desired chocolate flavor.
Refrigerate buttercream if it becomes too warm while frosting cake. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving.
Store : in the refrigerator in an airtight container. for up to 3 days.
Agbalumo Fruit
Fruit cut in half
Agbalumo Facts:
Common Name: Agbalumo (Yoruba), Udara/Udala (Igbo), African Star Apple (English)
Species: Chrysophyllum africanum
Origin: Native to West Africa, specifically Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Ghana
Nutrition: Agbalumo is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.
Pick: I ordered it from a restaurant in Houston that happened to have some they were shipping nationwide. Typically you’d get it from West African vendors or get it shipped directly from Nigeria to the purchaser when it is in season and happens to be on sale. The ones that fall from the trees rather than being plucked will give you the best flavor.
Clean: Be sure to clean off any of the white gummy substance on the outside of the fruit. I scraped it off the fruit under running water and then let them soak in a bath of vinegar water. Then I rinsed them off.
Cut: Cut it in half vertically or horizontally to expose the fruit or the seeds. Enjoy the pulp! The outer skin is tough.
Puree: Scrape out all the pulp and use it for your puree. I also pulled the pulp off the seeds to add to my puree since I didn’t have that many of them. You can strain the puree once you’ve blended it.
Storage: I stored the puree in the fridge and used it as needed for recipes.
