Coconut Milk For Tendercake

Our answer

Nigella's Lemon Tendercake With Blueberry Compote (from AT MY TABLE) is a vegan cake made with canned coconut milk. The cake itself is best on the day it is made but leftovers that have the blueberries and yogurt on top can be stored in the fridge, loosely covered, for a day. The texture of the cake is not as light if it is stored in the fridge so we only recommend this for leftovers. We would not recommend freezing the cake.

Canned coconut milk can be found in both regular and "light" (or reduced fat) versions. The cake should be made with the regular type of coconut milk, this usually has over 50% coconut extract (coconut solids) and a fat content of around 15% or more. Light coconut milk has a much lower level of coconut extract and a fat content of under 10%. When coconut milk is left standing it should separate so that the thicker coconut cream sits on top of a layer of water. Coconut milk often contains stabilisers and emulsifiers (such as guar gum or carrageenan) that will prevent or reduce this separation, so you may want to look for brands that do not list too many additives. We would also suggest looking for a brand that has at least 60% coconut extract. The coconut milk should separate if left for a couple of days in a cool place, but if it is hot weather you can put the can in the fridge for at least a day to help the process. Be careful not to shake the can when you open it as this will re-distibute some of the thicker coconut cream.