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Vegan Chocolate Cake - Coconut Oil: Recipes for Real Life by Lucy Bee

It’s World Vegan Month so why not start as you mean to go on and indulge in this Vegan Chocolate Cake. 

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

A vegan chocolate cake that is utterly delicious and beautiful to look at. I feel this is going to be a very popular recipe!

100g/3 1/2 oz Lucy Bee coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing 

200g/11/2 cups gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour 

100g/1/2 cup coconut sugar 

85g/2/3 cup Lucy Bee cacao powder 

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder 

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

2 bananas 

1 apple, peeled and cored 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

200g/7 oz coconut yoghurt, or vegan yoghurt of your choice 

220ml/scant 1 cup hot water from the kettle

FOR THE FILLING AND TOPPING 

320ml/11/4 cups coconut cream (thick coconut milk), refrigerated 

½ tsp vanilla extract 

1 tbsp icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus extra for dusting 

200g/11/2 cups blackberries, strawberries and raspberries, or other berries of your choice 

SERVES 10

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. 

Grease and line two 20cm/8 in cake tins. 

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a food processor purée the bananas and apple together until smooth then transfer to a second bowl. Add the melted coconut oil, vanilla and yoghurt to the purée. Mix together, add to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Slowly add the hot water, while stirring the mixture. Once combined, pour into the prepared tins and bake for 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of one comes out clean. 

Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the filling and topping, put the coconut cream into a bowl with the vanilla and icing (confectioners’) sugar and, using an electric hand-held mixer, whip until combined. 

Store in the fridge until the cake is completely cool. Smooth half the coconut cream over one cake, top with half the berries and place the second cake on top. Spread the remaining coconut cream on top and add the remaining berries. 

Finally, sift a light dusting of icing sugar over the top and serve.

Hello again,

Lately on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube I have seen various videos, tips and posts on how coconut oil is effective on your appearance and not just a healthy alternative to your usual oil when cooking. After reading so many posts about how coconut oil is some people’s DIY home beauty savior, I decided to test out a few tips and tricks.

Eyelashes - Supposedly, coconut oil makes your eyelashes grow after a period of time using it. I started by heating up just under a tablespoon of coconut oil in the microwave until it had liquefied (approximately 20 seconds). Once cooled down, I placed lightly over my eyelashes. So far, the procedure seems to be working once mascara has been applied as my lashes already look longer. 

Eyebrows - The same as eyelashes, coconut oil is meant to make your eyebrow hair grow. As you may already know, I am very particular about the shape of my eyebrows and want them to be much fuller and thicker. After doing the same process as what I did for my eyelashes, my eyebrow hair seems to be growing in quicker than usual. As much as I love the fact that this actually works, I hate not being able to pluck my eyebrows to say the least!

Hair - Many posts stated that coconut oil was used for stimulating hair growth and keeping the roots smooth and rejuvenated. I placed 2 tablespoons of coconut oil into a bowl and heated it up for 30 seconds. In between washing my hair, I drizzled the coconut oil into my roots and left to soak for 5 minutes meanwhile massaging it into my scalp. When rinsing, I had to do 2 thorough washes because it’s an oily product and can leave the hair looking unclean. Afterwards, it made my hair feel so soft and smell amaZING! 

I definitely recommend trying these beauty tips and I hoped you enjoyed reading this post.