• 300g white spelt flour, sifted
• 100g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 11/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2tspbaking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2tspvanilla extract
• 350g maple syrup (you could use any other syrup)
• 460ml almond or rice milk
• 150g coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing
• 11/2 tsp cider vinegar
• 3x 400ml cans full fat coconut milk (preferably chilled overnight if possible)
• 5tbspmaple syrup (or any other)
• 5tbspunsweetened cocoa powder
• 1tspvanilla extract
• Good pinch of fine sea salt
• Handful fresh strawberries
• Dark chocolate shards (I've used orange flavoured and its delicious!)
• 1tspicing sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preparation

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/160 degrees C fan/350 degrees F/ Gas Mark 4

3. 3

   Lightly grease two 20cm cake tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper

4. 4

   For the Sponge

5. 5

   Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

6. 6

   In a separate bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients, except the vinegar.

7. 7

   Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and fold together.

8. 8

   Stir the vinegar into the mixture (it will froth up a bit), then immediately divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins.

9. 9

   Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out fairly clean. (Cover with tin foil for the last part of baking if you feel they are browning too quickly.)

10. 10

    Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to cool for 10 mins before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

11. 11

    For the icing

12. 12

    Remove the cans of coconut milk from the fridge without shaking them. Remove the lids and carefully scoop out the firm, set coconut cream leaving the coconut water in the cans. (Keep this to use for soups, curries, smoothies etc.)

13. 13

    Add the thick coconut cream to the bowl of a food processor, add the syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt and blitz until completely smooth.

14. 14

    Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

15. 15

    Assembling the cake

16. 16

    Make sure that the cakes are completely cool otherwise the icing will melt.

17. 17

    Ice one layer of cake with about half the icing, stack the second cake on top and ice the top layer. (If you have icing left over, keep it - it is great to dip fruit in for a treat!)

18. 18

    Decorate the top with strawberries and chocolate shards. Dust with icing sugar if you wish.