I’m growing a lime tree in the backyard, and it’s inspired me to use lime juice and zest in just about everything I make! I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday, and my family loved it so much that when my son’s birthday rolled around two weeks later, I made it again – with a few tweaks.

This recipe is the tweaked version, which was even more popular!

Its coconut content makes it higher in fat – and in particular, saturated fat – than most of my recipes, so keep this one for special occasions.

Ingredients:

1 cup plant milk (I used oat milk)
2 tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 cups wholemeal plain flour
2.5 tsp baking powder OR 1.5 tsp cream of tartar + 1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plain soy yoghurt*

Topping

2.5 tbsp desiccated coconut, divided
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp plain soy yoghurt
2 tbsp coconut sugar
Zest of 1 lime

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 21 cm round cake pan with baking paper.

Add lime juice to plant milk and set aside while preparing other ingredients.

Sift flour with baking powder. Stir in coconut and sugar.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add milk-lime juice mixture, vanilla and yoghurt. Stir until all lumps have disappeared, but do not overmix.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Topping

Mix 2 tbsp of desiccated coconut with lime juice, yoghurt and coconut sugar. Spread over the top of the cooled cake and sprinkle with additional coconut and lime zest.

* I make my own soy yoghurt using Vitasoy Protein Plus soy milk and non-dairy yoghurt culture.