Vegan Pistachio Coconut Cake

I have a confession to make - besides being a decent (at least that's what people say!) cook who loves to create recipes, I struggle a bit with baking since the process is exact. However, I challenged myself and came up with a vegan recipe - a pistachio coconut lemon cake that turned out delicious. Although I'm not a vegan, I love taking on new challenges, and this cake was one of them. Plus, it has a special place in my heart since I'm obsessed with pistachios - I even have the same nickname. So, let's dive into this delicious vegan treat, and yes, you can do it!

Ingredients:

Batter:
1 cup of flour
½ tsp of salt
1 tbsp of matcha powder
¾ cup of coconut sugar
1 tsp of baking powder
¼ tsp of baking soda
½ cup of roasted pistachios, finely ground in a blender or a coffee grinder (leave a few tbsp for toppings)
1 tbsp of lemon zest
¼ cup of avocado oil
½ cup of either cashew or coconut yogurt
2 tbsp of egg substitute (I used JUST egg brand)
4 tbsp of coconut or almond milk
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 can of full-fat coconut cream
½ cup of powdered sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Optional: 2 tbsp of cornstarch

How-to:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch round pan with wax paper. Grease the paper with avocado oil.

2. Mix flour, baking powder and soda, pistachios, sugar, matcha, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, egg substitute, yogurt, lemon zest, plant milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add to your dry batch and mix well until combined, then transfer to a baking pan.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes until a skewer inserted is dry. Once ready, let it cool for at least 30 mins.

5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Use chilled coconut cream for the perfect whipped coconut cream. Scoop out the thick part of the cream, mix with powdered sugar and vanilla, and whip quickly until light and fluffy.

6. Time to assemble: smear your frosting all over the cake and top it with pistachio powder, lemon zest, and coconut flakes. Consume chilled. Yuuuum!