This gluten-free keto coconut cake packs natural sweetness and coconutty flavor into an easy, impressive dessert! Similar to my coconut cream pie, this cake offers buttery, toasted textures in every bite, all with no sugar whatsoever. Unlike many other cakes with coconut flour, this one bakes up moist, light, and sweet — never dry or gummy.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for making cake with coconut flour, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card. Certain dishes with coconut flour can become dry, so I also use Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend in the batter to lock in extra moisture (an unexpected side effect of this sweetener), all while keeping this recipe sugar-free.
Coconut Flour – Truly the best flour for coconut flour cake! If you’ve made coconut flour desserts before, you know that it absorbs a lot of moisture — which is why it’s not interchangeable with any other flour. But a little known fact is that different brands of coconut flour can actually vary in their density, consistency, and moisture absorbency properties, leading to different results in baking. Wholesome Yum Coconut Flour is the brand I used for testing this recipe (and all my coconut flour recipes) and recommend using. White flour or almond flour won’t work here, but I do have lots of other almond flour recipes, including cakes. Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – A cup-for-cup sugar substitute that tastes exactly like the real deal, with zero net carbs and no aftertaste! This natural sweetener tastes the best in this sugar-free cake and keeps it perfectly moist, but other sweeteners may work okay. Check my keto sweetener guide to learn more about sweeteners. Use a granulated sweetener, not a liquid option like maple syrup. Softened Butter – Keeps the cake batter rich and moist. Use unsalted butter here, or coconut oil as a replacement if necessary, though the flavor and texture will be different. Either way, make sure your fat is softened at room temperature, which will allow it to cream with the sweetener. Eggs – Help bind the cake batter. Flax eggs may also work, but I haven’t tried them. Coconut Milk Beverage – This is the liquid kind that usually comes in a milk carton from the dairy section (even though it’s dairy-free). I don’t recommend using full-fat coconut milk from a can, as it’s too thick and the purpose of the milk here is to thin out the batter. Unsweetened almond milk is also fine to use if you are not nut-free, or otherwise hemp milk works as well. Sour Cream – Adds richness and moisture to the coconut cake batter, and also absorbs moisture from the coconut flour without requiring a gazillion eggs. Any type of plain yogurt (including homemade keto yogurt or dairy-free coconut yogurt) should work as a substitute, though I haven’t tested it. Vanilla Extract – For richer flavor. Baking Powder – Helps the cake rise. Don’t confuse this with baking soda, which needs an acid to activate, otherwise it’s just bitter and doesn’t induce rising. Technically we do have an acid here (sour cream), but the amount of baking soda needed would be different and I haven’t tested to confirm it works. Sugar Free Buttercream Frosting – The best fluffy topping! You’ll need to scale the recipe up to 18 servings to make enough for this cake (you can do it instantly in the recipe card!). If you prefer, you can make cream cheese frosting instead. Unsweetened Coconut Flakes – Optional, but they make the finished cake look extra special.
How To Make Coconut Flour Cake
This section shows how to make coconut cake, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Recipe Variations
Looking to switch things up? Try these other flavors for making a coconut flour cake:
Chocolate – To make a coconut flour chocolate cake, simply add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and reduce the amount of coconut flour from 1 1/2 cups to 1 cup + 6 tablespoons. You can add the cocoa powder at the same time as the flour. This version would work best with sugar-free chocolate frosting. Lemon – For a zesty coconut flour lemon cake, add 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to the batter. Vanilla – Enhance the vanilla flavor by adding the seeds from 1 vanilla bean along with the vanilla extract. Carrot – Add 1 cup of grated carrots, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of additional coconut flour. You can also fold in 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans. Strawberry – Layer fresh sliced strawberries between the layers of cake, plus more on top for garnish.
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze: Place uncovered slices (or the entire coconut flour cake) in the freezer until solid. Once solidified, wrap tightly in several layers of foil or plastic wrap. To thaw, unwrap and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
More Easy Coconut Flour Recipes
Coconut flour tastes delicious in so many baked goods! Try it in these recipes: Please enter your first name for your account. Your saved recipe will also be sent to your email.
