Coconut Layer Cake with Lemon Frosting (vegan)

The summer before last, I made this amazing coconut cake with lemon frosting because - duh - that's an amazing combination. Buuut as delicious as it was, it was kind of falling apart. So I referenced my chocolate cake recipe in order to make this one more stable and it turned out pretty well!

The cake recipe itself is really easy and doesn't require any fancy ingredients. The frosting recipe does use plenty of vegan butter and bunches of powdered sugar, so make sure you're stocked up on those ;)

So if you're not a chocolate person (how?!) then this recipe is perfect for you to try! It's also perfect for the warmer weather, it really gives me summer vibes!

I wanted to add something to the top of this cake, so I candied some extra lemon slices using this recipe. They look beautiful!

Coconut Layer Cake with Lemon Frosting

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup of vegan milk + 1 Tbs vinegar (mix and let sit)
• 2 flax eggs (mix 2 Tbs flax with 5 Tbs water and allow to set and gel)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups shredded coconut

For the frosting

• 1 cup vegan butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 Tbs lemon zest (you'll need about one lemon in total)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease 3 8" cake pans.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift and then combine the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder and soda and salt - and set aside.
3. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the "buttermilk" (created with the milk and vinegar) and vanilla. Then add in the applesauce and set flax eggs.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Then fold in the shredded coconut.
5. Add about 1.5 cups of batter into each cake pan and bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. They will be pretty brown, as shown in photo above.
6. Allow the cakes to cool for about ten minutes, and then set in the fridge while we make the frosting!
7. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the vegan butter with an electric beater until smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time.
8. This is super simple - just mix in the lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and a little bit of salt. Taste the frosting to make sure you like it. Add in more vanilla, salt, or lemon as you see fit.
9. Place a dab of frosting on the surface where you are going to keep your final cake. Put one cooled cake layer on top of the frosting so that it will stick. Top that layer with a layer of the completed lemon frosting, making sure that it is smooth and completely covers the top of the cake. Then add on another layer, and repeat with the rest. Allow this and the rest of the frosting to cool in the fridge.
10. After about half an hour, take out the cake and frosting. Put a layer of frosting on the very top of the cake and on the sides. Smooth out into a clean layer - it does not have to be perfect. Reference my photos above.
11. I topped my cooled and completed cake with some candied lemon slices, which I linked a recipe for above. You could put some coconut, lemon peels, or anything else you like on top. 
12. Store in the refrigerator if possible and enjoy!