Varia’s Germanic Chocolate Cake

For the Cake:
4 oz dried apricots, diced
4 oz water
1 cup vanilla soy or oat milk
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plain coconut yoghurt
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour two 9″x2″ cake pans

Soak apricots in 4oz water, set aside to soften.

Stir together soy/oat milk, cider vinegar, and vanilla.

Measure dry ingredients into a bowl. Sift or whisk to combine.

Puree softened apricots. Place in mixer/bowl and mix with soy yoghurt and sugar until fluffy and pale coloured.

Fold in dry ingredients.

Add soy milk/vinegar mixture, mix until batter is smooth.

Divide cake batter and bake for 30-35 minutes

Cool on rack. Frost.

For the Frosting:
4 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttery spread – baking stick
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cup soy/oat milk
2 1/4 cups shredded coconut

Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and keep on hand.
In a deep saucepan, melt the buttery spread.
Add brown rice syrup and brown sugar and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring. It will bubble up – be careful, very hot. Add the milk, stir in. Add cornstarch and water mix, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Take off the heat and stir in coconut. Allow to cool, frost bottom cake, slap top cake on, pile frosting all over.