VEGAN COCONUT LIME CAKE

That’s Right… It’s Vegan!

By Ryan Takakawa, Guest Blogger
Native Foods Cafe....great guest!

Growing up, my love Susan had little interest in cooking or baking.  Neither of us was a foodie by any stretch.  But when our love of animals finally nudged us to follow our hearts and become vegetarians, it changed our lives in more ways than we could have imagined.  Going vegetarian led us to become more aware of our food and how it’s prepared.  And much to our surprise, we learned how to cook, and discovered that cooking was fun!  And interesting!  And vegetarian food tasted really, really good!  We’d never appreciated or enjoyed food more.

We wondered why we hadn’t known about this sooner.  And we realized it’s because vegetarians and true foodies knew this, but non-vegetarians needed to hear it, too!  We had even met grown adults who wouldn’t even put food in their mouths if they were told it was vegetarian or vegan.

So we thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could somehow do our small part for the animals, by helping to show that vegan food could taste just as good as non-vegan?  What better way than a head-to-head competition?  Susan’s first thought was for us to hire an experienced cook to create a good vegan recipe to enter and win a contest.  Then I told her, hey, why don’t you just do it?

So she did a bunch of research, read a lot of books, made a lot of really bad pies, and finally a consistently good one, and entered it into a local Apple Pie contest.  Not some vegan or health-food category, mind you.  Just Apple Pie.  And guess what?  She got 2^nd place! The presenter even made a point of saying it was vegan.  I think the crowd gasped.  I know I did.  I mean, I know my love is capable of anything she puts her mind to, but it really wasn’t that long ago that her cooking reputation was primarily based on setting a bagel on fire in the break room at her office.

Encouraged by that 2^nd place finish, she decided to enter some items in the 2009 Orange County Fair.  Again, there weren’t any separate vegan categories or anything – just head-to-head with the non-vegan stuff.  She was hoping for maybe just one ribbon.  She got FIVE.  Including a 1^st place for her Vegan Apple Pie (a tweaked version of the one that started it all), and a 1^st place and Division Win for her Vegan Sundried Tomato Cornbread Muffins.  At the award ceremony, when they announced her Division ribbon, the crowd gasped again when the announcer said it was vegan.  Maybe it was just because the photo of it looked so good on the video monitor.  And then to her surprise and delight, people (including some who had previously refused to try vegan food) started to get curious, and asked to taste the things she made.

For the 2010 OC Fair, she was energized, but also a little nervous.  What if 2009 was a fluke?  She started thinking about it months in advance, preparing recipes, making test batches.  Me, dutifully eating the early rejects and giving my unbiased feedback.  Finally, everything was ready.

In the first week of competitions, her Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies got a 3rd place.  And her Vegan Vanilla Bean Almond Brittle got a 2^nd.  Soon after that, an Honorable Mention for her Vegan Apple Tart with Almond Frangipane Filling and a 1^st place for her Vegan Chevre Tartlette.  Next, another 1^st place (plus a special Judges Award), this time for her Vegan Hawaiian-Asian Party Mix, and a 2^nd for her Ginger-Soy Lime Tofu Cutlets over Cashew Rice Salad.  Plus her Vegan Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies got an Honorable Mention.

But the biggest thrill by far, was when we went to the Fair and saw the big blue ribbon sitting next to her Vegan Coconut Lime Cake in the display case.  BEST OF SHOW!  Of ALL baked goods!  She was in such disbelief that she stood outside the hall and sent me back in (twice) to make sure that the ribbon was really for her cake, and not the one next to it.  She actually didn’t even tell anyone until the Fair was over, and she had the ribbon in her hand.  She just couldn’t believe it.  A vegan cake won Best of Show!

I can’t tell you how proud I am of her.  But she doesn’t do it because she’s competitive.  Anyone who knows Susan knows how uncomfortable she is with a lot of attention.  She’d never enter any competitions if it weren’t for her love of animals.  And when she learned that embracing vegan food not only helps animals, but reduces worldwide human suffering and starvation as well, that further strengthened her resolve to help spread the word that vegan food can be decadent and delicious.  She hopes that when people hear that vegan food is winning awards against non-vegan competition, it may help inspire them to move a bit closer toward more compassionate choices about the food they eat.

1:  Vegan Coconut Lime Cake.  BEST OF SHOW (!), 2010 OC Fair, Baked Goods.

 

2:  Vegan Coconut Lime Cake ribbons.

 

3:  Ginger-Soy Lime Tofu Cutlets over Cashew Rice Salad.  2^nd Place, 2010 OC Fair International Foods Festival, Entrée.

4:  Sun-Dried Tomato Vegan Chevre Tartlette with Caramelized Shallots.  1^st Place, 2010 OC Fair “Art of the Tart” Competition, Savory.

 

5:  Vegan Apple Tart with Almond Frangipane Filling and Loquat Glaze.  Honorable Mention, 2010 OC Fair "Art of the Tart" Competition, Single-crust Sweet.

 

6:  Vegan Hawaiian-Asian Style Party Mix.  1st place plus Special Judges Award, 2010 OC Fair, International Foods Festival, Appetizer.

 

Additional photos posted on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/33272033@N02/sets/

 

 

 

 

VEGAN COCONUT LIME CAKE

Yield:  One 2-layer 9” round cake

Submitted by: Susan Asato, Division 486, Class 01

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Cake

12 oz. (by weight)     All-purpose flour (about 2-1/3 cups)

5 oz. (by weight)   Coconut powder (about 1 cup)

1 tbsp    Baking powder

1 tsp Baking soda

½ tsp     Salt

4 oz. (by weight)   Coconut oil (about 1/2 cup)

8 oz. (by weight)   Light coconut milk (about 1 cup)

8 oz. (by weight)   Unsweetened soy milk (about 1 cup)

12 oz. (by weight)     Sugar, non-bone char processed (about 1-1/2 cups)

3 tsp Lime zest, microplaned (about 2 limes)

4 oz. (by weight)   Lime juice, freshly squeezed (1/2 cup, about 4 to 5 limes)

2 tsp Vanilla extract

2 tsp Coconut extract

Frosting

3 oz. (by weight)   Earth Balance brand vegan butter (6 tbsp or 3/4 stick)

3 oz. (by weight)   Earth Balance brand vegan shortening (6 tbsp or 3/4 stick)

24 oz. (by weight)     Powdered sugar, non-bone char processed (about 4-1/2 cups)

3 tbsp    Light coconut milk

3 to 6 tbsp     Lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 to 3 limes)

1 tsp Vanilla extract

pinch    Salt

Garnishes

2 tbsp or as desired   Unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted

as desired Fresh lime slice(s)

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1.   Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease two 9” round cake pans and wrap in moistened “bake-even” strips for even rising.

2.   Whisk together flour, coconut powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

3.   Place coconut oil in a medium saucepot over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes and whisk until melted.  Remove from heat, then add coconut milk, soy milk, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and coconut extract and whisk until well incorporated.  If bits of coconut oil start to solidify again, place saucepan on back stove over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes and whisk until smooth.

4.   Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir by hand just until incorporated.  Do not over mix.

5.   Divide batter evenly between the two lightly greased pans.  Bake at 350°F for about 28 to 34 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

6.   Let cool 15 minutes in pan, then remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

7.   For frosting, beat vegan butter and vegan shortening in a stand mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar, coconut milk, and 3 tbsp of the lime juice.  Add additional lime juice until desired consistency, then beat at medium high speed for 10 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.  Add vanilla extract and salt and beat another 1 to 2 minutes or until incorporated.  Frost cooled cake, then garnish with coconut flakes and lime slices as desired.

    © Copyright 2010 Susan Asato

Comments

[Chef Tanya]

You guys are great! Thanks for being you and sharing that recipe! May the world take note!! :-)

[LVHealthyLiving]

Oh my gosh, I have been looking for this recipe. Yum!!!

[Chef Tanya]

Anyone try the recipe yet?