Passion Fruit, Matcha, and Coconut Layer Cake

There's something about a cake soaked in liquid that's always made sense. It adds another dimension and intensity. Yet, it's not soggy, just super moist and delicious. Now, imagine a cake with whipped cream and tea-soaked cake and you get this amazing vegan/alcohol-free cake. Though I’m sure it would taste equally amazing if you boozed it up! This layered tea cake is definitely for grown-up taste buds since green tea is an acquired taste, unless you grew up eating and drinking green tea, but either way this is definitely a cake worth talking about.

PASSION FRUIT MATCHA COCONUT LAYERED CAKE [VEGAN]

INGREDIENTS

Spice Cake:

• 1 cup hemp myllk (or any nut myllk)
• 1.5 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 tsp ground flax seed
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (feel free to substitute with coconut flour or more almond meal)
• 2 tbsp oat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 7 tea bags of coconut chai green tea
• 1/2 medium pureed sweet potato (cook ahead or substitute for another 1/4 cup of sugar)
• 1/4 cup maple or coconut sugar (for sprinkling)

Tea Soak:

• 1 cup water
• 4 tea bags coconut chai green tea
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp matcha
• 1/2 tsp pectin (yes, pectin is vegan, just check the ingredients in case there are additives)
• 2 passion fruit
• a squeeze of fresh lemon (to taste)

Crunch Layer:

• 1 tsp matcha
• 2 tbsp raw almonds
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup coconut chips
• 2 passion fruit (keep separate)

Coconut Whipped Cream:

• 2 cans of whole coconut milk–refrigerate overnight and scoop out the separated cream
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tsp maple syrup (to taste)
• Juice from half lemon (about a tbsp)

PREPARATION

Spice Cake:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix together the myllk, vinegar, 1 tbsp coconut sugar, and flax seed.
3. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
4. In a food processor or high-speed blender, mix the rest of the dry ingredients (aside from the 1/4 cup of maple or coconut sugar) together. For the tea bags, remove from the bag and pour in the batter.
5. Then, add the avocado oil, sweet potato, and myllk mixture.
6. Blend until smooth. It should be like pancake batter. If it is too runny, add flour (a tbsp at a time), if it is too stiff, add more myllk.
7. On a cookie sheet, lay a piece of parchment paper down and pour/spread the mixture.
8. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup maple or coconut sugar on the cake
9. Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
10. Run a knife down the sides of the cookie sheet, then, flip the cookie sheet over onto a cutting board.
11. Cut 2 circles with a medium-sized bowl
12. Save the scraps for the 3rd circle cake
13. Set aside.

Tea Soak:

1. In a saucepan, add the water and tea bags (leave in the bags)
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the tea bags from the water.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
5. Set aside.

Crunch Layer:

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all the ingredients and process until roughly chopped.
2. Set Aside.

Coconut Whipped Cream:

1. Blend all of the ingredients together with an emersion blender, food processor, or electric whisk.
2. Set aside.

Assemble:

1. The easiest way to assemble is if you have a plastic mold (or small springform) you can set it in, and remove later. I did not, so I set each layer in the freezer to firm up for about 15 minutes in between so I could ensure the cake had definition for each layer.
2. For the bottom layer, form a circle out of the leftover scraps and smash together with your hands.
3. Drizzle the tea soak on the tea cake.
4. Spread a layer of passion fruit on top.
5. Sprinkle and/or spread a layer of the crunch topping.
6. Spread a generous amount of coconut whipped cream.
7. Flip the other cakes over again onto parchment paper since they will most likely be too thin to handle.
8. Cut the parchment paper in between each cakes.
9. Flip a cake circle onto the cake and repeat the layer steps above.
10. For the final cake, put the tea soak, the whipped cream, and then the leftover crunch on top for decoration.
11. Put in freezer to set for 3-4 hours. For my final decoration, I chose unsweetened coconut and a passion fruit spread, but goji berries or matcha would also be really pretty! You could also double the crunch recipe and use that.
12. Enjoy!

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/passion-fruit-matcha-coconut-layered-cake/