Mocha Latte Cake!

I made this for a dinner party and it was gone in 5 minutes! The flavour pairings are beautiful. I definitely recommend making it with this icing.

Cake: dry ingredients:
3 c unbleached flour
1 t cinnamon powder
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/3 c vanilla custard powder (most custard powders are vegan)
3/4 t sea salt
4 T instant coffee granules put through a fine sieve (not coffee grinds or it will be gritty)
1/2 t cream of tartar (not crucial to the recipe, but if you have it add it)
Cake: wet ingredients:
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 T apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar if you don't have it)
2 c water (or milk of choice, but I used water and it was perfect)
2 t vanilla extract

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Add the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk until the batter is blended well.
3. oil 2 pans with vegan margarine or vegetable oil and pour the batter into each one. (you can also make one large flat cake)
4. put it in the oven on the middle rack on 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out dry when you poke it.
* When ever I make up a new recipe I divide the batter into two cake pans and make two smaller cakes so I can taste one before I bring the other to a dinner party. That's why the photo looks like a little hill and not a traditionally shaped cake.

Icing:

3 c raw unsalted cashews
2 T vanilla extract
1/4 c agave nectar
1/2 t sea salt
3 T water
3/4 c margarine (vegan margarine)
1 c icing sugar
3 T custard powder

1. mix all of the ingredients in a food processor until creamy and smooth.
2. wait until cake cools and spread over it, and in between the two layers.
3. crush 2 cups raw almonds with a large knife on a cutting board and pat them into the icing. Then drizzle with agave nectar and sprinkle with cinnamon powder (to make it look pretty). Love it!

PS. This is not one of those good-for-you, health nut cakes- it's down-and-dirty-rich... (it just doesn't happen to have any animals in it). So don't eat it every day is what I'm getting at. It will put on the pounds if you do.