I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a big time coconut lover. Creating and testing this vegan coconut cake was such a pleasure! With shredded coconut sprinkled on the frosting, as well as in the batter, plus the addition of intensely flavorful coconut extract, this is one very coconutty cake.
What You’ll Need
For the Cake
Flour. I’ve only tested the recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, so try any other varieties at your own risk.Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.Baking powder.Baking soda.Salt.Non-dairy milk. Almost any variety that’s unsweetened and unflavored will work, such as soy, cashew, or almond milk. Don’t use canned coconut milk though! Canned coconut milk is super fatty and will mess with your cake’s texture. Feel free to use products with names like “coconut milk beverage” that are sold in cartons near the soy and almond milk.Coconut oil. Preferably use unrefined coconut oil — it will add extra flavor to your cake.Apple cider vinegar. White vinegar can be substituted if that’s what you have on hand.Vanilla extract.Coconut extract. Shredded coconut. I used sweetened coconut when developing this recipe, but unsweetened will work if that’s what you can find. Be careful if using sweetened, as the sugar used may not be vegan. I used Wegman’s brand, which indicates on the package that it’s vegan.
For the Frosting
Vegan cream cheese. Look for this in the natural foods section of your supermarket. I’ve had the best results making this frosting with Miyoko’s brand, but Kite Hill works as well.Vegan butter. You can find this near the regular butter, or right next to that vegan cream cheese that you just picked up! Look for brands like Earth Balance, Miyoko’s, and Melt.Coconut extract.Powdered sugar. Use organic to keep the recipe vegan.
For Topping
Shredded coconut.
How to Make Vegan Coconut Cake
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Make the Cake
Stir your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.Stir your liquid ingredients together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup: milk, coconut oil, vinegar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Melt your coconut oil first if it’s solid, and warm your milk up slightly (just above room temperature) so it doesn’t resolidify the oil when you mix it up.Use a spoon to make a well in the middle of your dry ingredient mixture, then pour in the liquid mixture.Beat everything with an electric mixer just until blended.
Fold the shredded coconut into the batter.Divide the batter among two oiled and parchment paper-lined 9-inch round cake pans. Tip: To get nice even layers, weigh the batter as you add it to ensure you’re adding the same amount to each pan.Bake the layers until they’re puffy and golden and a toothpick inserted into their centers comes out clean.
While the cakes bake, mix up the frosting using an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar to the other ingredients just a bit at a time, stopping when your frosting reaches a thick and spreadable consistency.Let your cake layers cool completely before removing them from their pans. Layer and fill with frosting, then cover the outside of your layer cake with frosting. Tip: If you have time, start frosting your cakes with a crumb coat, which is a super thin coat used to seal up the crumbs. Chill and then apply the rest of your frosting.Cover the entire outside of your cake in shredded coconut before slicing and serving.
Leftovers & Storage
Seal your leftover cake up tightly and it will keep at room temperature for about 3 days, in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Vegan Cakes
Vegan Chocolate CakeVegan Lemon Bundt CakeVegan Spice CakeVegan Red Velvet CakeVegan Carrot Cake
