IN THE PAST 12 months I have been slowly converted to using coconut oil in many aspects of my life.

Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can be classified as a 'superfood'.

Its unique combination of fatty acids can have profound positive effects on health such as fat loss, better brain function and various other benefits.

It is because of this that I have started to introduce it not only into my beauty regime, but also into my baking and cooking.

A few years ago coconuts had a bad reputation as being an artery clogging, cholesterol packed food that contributed to heart disease.

However, the coconut is making a huge comeback and the best news is that they are highly nutritious, rich in fibre and packed with essential vitamins and minerals!

Pure coconut oil is derived from the mature coconuts which contain a harder flesh. The white flesh is shredded, collected, and then cold pressed at 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coconut oil is one of the most stable oils when cooking with high heat, and does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperatures like the other vegetable oils do.

Therefore, it is perfectly usable for all baking needs, which is perfect for those that are lactose intolerant and want to avoid processed spreads but like to indulge every now and again in a treat!

Cakes, brownies, bread, crumbles, cookies, even pastry, can all be made by substituting the butter with coconut oil. I’ve found that raw and organic coconut oil seems to go further than other oils or butter in cooking.

I tend to reduce the fat amount by about a quarter and it works perfectly. So, if a recipe requires 100g of butter, I would likely use 75g of coconut oil.

The other wonderful thing is that you can also reduce the sugar by about a third, therefore already your baking is becoming much healthier and perhaps you can have another slice?

When baking with coconut oil bear in mind it is much easier to use in a cake recipe if it’s melted first (it is solid at room temperature) so I’d suggest measuring out the required amount, add this to an oven proof dish and pop it into the oven whilst it’s warming up.

The oil will melt quite quickly.

I've also chosen to add coconut and lime to the cake recipe I am sharing with you this month.

The citrus and the coconut blend perfectly together and it really is a flavour explosion, however it is not for the faint-hearted, it's a tropical taste!

For the topping of this cake, as it is supposed to be an 'Easter' bake, I decided to complement the green colouring with the pastel shades of Mini Eggs. I am not a huge chocolate fan, however I simply cannot get enough Mini Eggs at this time of year.

Their sweet crispy shells and tasty chocolate hit complement this coconut and citrus-y cake perfectly.

Enjoy.

Hope you have a fantastic Easter!