Vegan Coconut Lemon Cake

Adapted from Rachael's blog here

For the cake:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (or rice milk)
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• juice from 1/2 of a lemon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• zest of a whole lemon
• 1/2 cup raw cane sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

For the Frosting:

• 3 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoon coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced for top of cake
• 1/3 cup coconut (toasted for 5 minutes in the oven)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
2. Line a springform pan bottom with baking paper and then grease the pan with coconut oil.
3. In a bowl start by mixing all the ‘wet’ ingredients (coconut oil, coconut milk, vinegar, lemon juice, vanilla extract) with a hand or stand mixer.
4. To the mixing bowl add the sugar and beat again. Then mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix again, then add in lemon zest and 1/4 cup shredded coconut and mix.
5. Spoon into springform pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting it.
6. While the cake is cooling, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and add remaining shredded coconut to the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
7. To make the frosting cream together coconut oil and milk, then add in vanilla extract, and slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until it is a smooth and thick frosting consistency.
8. Spread frosting on the top of the cake, then sprinkle toasted coconut around the edge of the cake, and layer thinly sliced lemons in the top centre of the cake.