One Bowl MOIST Vegan Coconut Cake Recipe – Gluten Free Option!
This is truly the best vegan coconut cake I’ve ever had! So moist and fluffy, and full of fresh coconut and vanilla with a dairy free coconut cream cheese frosting that just sets this coconut cake apart from the rest!
Why you’ll love this vegan coconut cake
I’m so beyond excited to share this vegan coconut cake with you. I’ve tested it several times, and man, do we have a winner. Even my nearly 80 year old Italian grandmother (read: she’s not accustomed to eating vegan and gluten free!) loved this coconut cake. So much so, she had a second slice!
I just know you’re going to absolutely fall in love with this coconut cake, and for a few reasons:
- This cake is the definition of super moist and fluffy. I’m talking feels-like-you’re-eating-a-cloud fluffy and tender. Trust me, “dry cake” will be nowhere near your thought pattern.
- It’s shockingly easy to make. Forget the notion that making a layered cake, heck a vegan layered cake is hard. Like my classic vegan vanilla cake, this vegan coconut cake is the definition of easy, so whether you’re a pro or beginner, you’re going to love this cake.
- The dairy free coconut cream cheese frosting is out of this world. Based on my easy vegan cream cheese frosting, I could easily eat that frosting alone, but paired with the fluffy coconut cake full of toasted coconut, you’re going to see why this coconut cake is award winning!
- This vegan coconut cake is full of flavor. Don’t for a second think that vegan baking is flavorless. In fact, I think it’s quite the opposite. Not only will you be overwhelmed with the bursting fresh flavor of coconut at the first bite, but it’s also paired with a subtle yet lovely vanilla undertone that really makes you speechless. With a slight tang from the dairy free cream cheese, you’ll go back for another bite. Trust me, it’s worth the calories.
- You don’t have to be vegan to love this cake. Or bake it! If my nearly 80 year old grandmother, who hadn’t tasted a vegan treat until she was 77 years old, can say she loves this cake, then I’m certain anyone will!
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Ingredients
I really wanted to keep this vegan coconut cake super simple and easy for everyone, so you only need a few key ingredients here:
- Flour: you can use cake flour, all purpose flour with a bit of arrowroot powder, gluten free 1:1 baking flour, or even oat flour with a bit of arrowroot powder as well (listed in the ingredients).
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar here, but you can also use coconut sugar. Just keep in mind that your cake will be more tan in color!
- Vegan butter: you can also use coconut oil here, which will give this cake a more coconut flavor. I used Flora Plant Butter for a nut-free coconut cake.
- Coconut milk or coconut cream: use the coconut milk from the can. Your cake will come out extra rich and tender! If you can’t find coconut cream, full fat coconut milk will also work!
- Dairy free yogurt: this replaces the eggs found in traditional coconut cake so this is an egg free coconut cake!
- Coconut and vanilla extract: this vegan coconut cake actually has a lot of coconut flavor already, so if you’d prefer not to add in the coconut, you can omit it. I will say, the vanilla with the coconut is a really nice flavor though, so keep the vanilla in!
- Leavening agents: but of course we need something to rise our cakes!
Overview: Step by Step How to Make a Vegan Coconut Cake
As with all of my recipes, the full recipe to this dairy free coconut cake is found down below in the recipe card, along with the full ingredient measurements. However, let’s have an overview of how to bake this vegan cake!
This vegan coconut cake is actually based off of my vegan vanilla cake- one of my favorite recipes on the blog to date. It’s so light and tender, yet full of flavor. Plus, my entire family just loves it (not to mention my readers of course!). So much like my vanilla cake recipe, there’s actually two methods we can use to make it: the stand mixer method or the by hand method.
For the record, I bake all of my cakes either by hand or in a stand mixer. When I’m short on time, I use the by hand method.
Yes, you can truly make an amazing vegan cake without any fancy equipment- I even created, tested, and photographed over 120 vegan desserts for my cookbook without even touching a stand mixer! So know that either method that you choose, you’ll get an amazing coconut cake, whether you’re a beginner or a pro.
Stand Mixer Method: the first step is to make sure that the flour and leavening agents are whisked together. Then you’ll cream together the vegan butter and sugar. Once the sugar is essentially dissolved into the butter, you’ll add in the dairy free yogurt (or applesauce), along with the vanilla and coconut extracts. Then you’ll gently sift in the flour, along with the coconut cream, mixing until there are no more dry streaks. Fold in the coconut flakes, pour into your cake pans and bake!
By Hand Method: this method is slightly different, but again, works amazingly still. Whisk together the wet ingredients, then fold in the coconut flakes. Pour in the coconut milk and flour, then whisk just until combined. Pour into the cake pans and bake! That’s it!
Dairy free coconut cream cheese frosting
This dairy free coconut cream cheese frosting is arguably the best vegan frosting I’ve ever had.
It’s so good, I feel like I could just eat it with a spoon. In fact, I might have taken a few bites! This is what really sets this vegan coconut cake apart.
The cream cheese frosting is made with vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, and coconut flakes. If the frosting needs a bit more liquid, I like to add in a little more coconut cream, which also gives a bit more of a coconut flavor.
Much like my other vegan frostings, you’ll simply cream together the vegan butter and cream cheese. Add in the powdered sugar, and cream again until fluffy! If you’d like, you an also toast the coconut, which we’ll go over in the next section.
How to toast coconut
You can, of course, use raw and unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes, but I personally think that the toasted coconut adds so much depth to this vegan coconut cake and sets the bar high.
If you’d like to add toasted coconut to both the cake batter and the tops of the cake, simply toast the coconut prior to baking.
Spread the coconut flakes onto a large baking sheet and place the sheet into the oven at 350F to toast for 5-6 minutes. You want to check on the coconut to ensure it hasn’t burnt or toasted too much. When it starts to smell aromatic is when it’s done.
How to make a layer cake
If you’re new to The Banana Diaries, hi, hello, I absolutely love making layer cakes and I love teaching others to make layer cakes as well- vegan ones!
To make a three layered coconut cake, I like to use a few different tools. Always in my layer cake arsenal, I have:
- Cake turntable
- Offset spatula
- Bench scraper
- Cake stand
You can grab a few pipings tips and bags too if you’d like to do designs on your cakes, but I like to keep it simple for the most part.
If you’re a new vegan cake baker, not to worry. You do not need these tools to make a beautiful cake. In fact, the only one I really find necessary if you’re just looking for an elegant yet rustic cake is an offset spatula and a spoon (for creating swoops in frosting!).
The bench scraper and cake turntable are wonderful tools if you’d like that crisp and clean edge on the cake. The turntable helps you to continuously frost the cake without breaking the streak. Wonderful if you’re giving this cake as a birthday gift or even making your own wedding cake!
To make a layer cake, I start with the first layer on the bottom. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup of frosting (I lean more towards the generous side) and sprinkle a little coconut on top.
Place the second layer on top and repeat.
Then frost the edges of the cake and gently press the coconut onto the sides.
Recipe Q+A
Can I make this into a vegan coconut sheet cake? Or a vegan coconut loaf?
Absolutely! If you’re making a sheet cake, simply pour the batter into your prepared sheet cake pan and bake. The timing might be a little longer, so just check the cake after 27 minutes with a toothpick to gage how ready it is. For a vegan coconut loaf, you’ll need two loaf pans, or you can cut this recipe in half!
How do I store leftovers?
If, in the rare situation, you have any leftovers of this dairy free coconut cake (trust me, it’s that good!), you can easily store them for later. I like to store the cake as whole as it is (so assuming it’s already sliced, don’t slice it anymore) and cover it tightly to prevent any air.
Then place it into the fridge to keep for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. It will also stay good at room temperature for up to 2-3 days!
I hope you love this vegan coconut cake as much as I do! It’s truly just the most tender and deliciously light vegan cake I’ve had to date. If you try this recipe let me know down below in the comment section, as well as giving it a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This helps more people find this recipe, especially if you really liked it!
As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!
Happy coconut cake baking!
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Print
One Bowl MOIST Vegan Coconut Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 27
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is truly the best vegan coconut cake I’ve ever had! So moist and fluffy, and full of fresh coconut and vanilla with a dairy free coconut cream cheese frosting that just sets this coconut cake apart from the rest!
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups (410 g) cake flour, all-purpose flour or gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, sifted (do NOT skip- add in 1 tsp arrowroot powder if using all-purpose flour or gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, see Note)
- 1 3/4 cup (350 g) granulated sugar or coconut sugar (see Note)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cup (360 mL) coconut milk or coconut cream, from a can*
- 3/4 cup (150 g) unsweetened dairy free yogurt, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, softened (stand mixer method) or melted (by hand method)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup (100 g) coconut shreds, unsweetened
Vegan Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup (226 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (226 g) vegan cream cheese
- 4 cups (520 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract, optional
- 3 cups toasted coconut flakes
Instructions
No equipment version:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and grease three 6″ or 8″ cake pans with olive or coconut oil.
- Whisk the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan butter, sugar, dairy free yogurt, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and sea salt. Add in the baking powder and baking soda, and whisk just until incorporated. Then add in the shredded coconut and whisk again until incorporated.
- Finish the batter: Add in the flour and pour in the coconut milk. Whisk just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly into the cake pans. Place cake pans into the oven and bake for 22-24 minutes (for 6″) or 27-30 minutes (for 8″), or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a drying rack to cool completely before frosting.
Stand mixer or hand mixer version:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease three 6″ or 8″ cake pans with olive or coconut oil.
- Whisk together just the flour, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Next, you’ll cream together the softened vegan butter and sugar until the sugar dissolves into the butter about 3 minutes. I used the flat beater paddle. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Then add in the unsweetened applesauce or dairy free yogurt, vanilla and coconut extract, and continue to beat again on medium-low speed, then increasing it to medium speed until combine, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Gradually add in half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the coconut cream, and continue beating until the entire flour mixture and the coconut cream are in the batter. Beat until the dry ingredients are just incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Fold in the coconut flakes.
- Divide the batter evenly into the cake pans.
- Place cake pans into the oven and bake for 22-24 minutes (for 6″) or 27-30 minutes (for 8″), or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a drying rack to cool completely before frosting.
Vegan Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
- When ready to frost the cakes, add vegan butter and cream cheese to a large bowl or stand mixer and cream for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, continuing the beat the mixture until it’s a thick buttercream.
- Add in vanilla, coconut extract, and 2-4 tablespoons of coconut cream or milk and continue to beat until desired texture.
- Frost the cake and press the shredded coconut flakes into the sides. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Coconut milk: make sure to shake the coconut cream can before beginning. Sometimes the fat can separate from the water. Shaking the can will help everything combine.
Gluten Free: I use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour for a gluten free coconut cake
This cake was fantastic! Thanks for the recipe… Delicious
So happy to hear this!! Enjoy, and thank you for the review!!
Hi! Could this be used to make cupcakes?
Yes absolutely! I would do 350F for 15-18 minutes!
Cake turned out well, but the frosting was very runny and not able to hold on the cake. Not sure where I went wrong, followed the instructions carefully and weighed out all ingredients.
Hi Kourtney! So sorry to hear this! It sounds like the vegan butter and cream cheese are way too room temperature when you’re beating it, OR that your cake is still really warm. Coconut cake is a denser cake than most, so it might take you longer to cool, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Another good trick to prevent the the frosting from melting is by chilling the bowl you’re about to beat the frosting in the freezer, along with the whisk attachments. I hope this helps! Frosting can take some practice, my first few cakes I ever baked, the frosting would run right off!
Can I use almond flour or whole wheat flour?
Hi Sabrina! Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work with either of those- I’m so sorry!
I made it for my birthday a few days ago and this cake is just divine! I made a coconut vanilla white chocolate ganache instead of frosting to decorate it, and I covered the cake in toasted coconut flakes. I also added some freshly grounded cardamom to the batter and the ganache. It is wonderful and it tastes even better after a few days in the fridge. Wish I could’ve taken a photo of the whole cake because it was beautiful!
Omgsh this is beautiful!! Happy belated birthday, I’m so glad you loved the cake!! May this be your best year yet 🙂
Would it work if I used mashed bananas in place of the dairy free yogurt?
Hi Michele! Absolutely!! It will have a banana flavor, but honestly I think that would pair so well with the coconut cake 🙂 Enjoy!!
I’m wondering if this recipe would work with maple syrup instead of sugar. I’m trying to make it vegan, gluten free, and sugar free.
Hi Alita! Coconut sugar or maple sugar, as long as it’s super powdered, will work here!
I’m so excited to make this! I have one question – can I substitute the powdered sugar? would coconut sugar work, or maybe maple syrup? I’m on a restrictive anti-inflammatory diet and cane sugar is out.
Hi Jamie! Oh I can’t wait for you to try!! So yes, coconut sugar or maple sugar, as long as it’s super powdered, will work here!
Hi, can I substitute the butter with neutral flavour oil?
For the cake, yes; however, not the frosting!
This looks amazing! I am hoping to make this for my moms birthday as she loves coconut cake.
Question – if you make the recipe times 1 and split it into three 8in pans, is that enough to make three layers? Or, do you have to make the recipe times 3? Also, can use still use coconut oil instead of vegan butter for the frosting?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Sarah! Yes, it is! You’ll just have slightly thinner layers and I’ve used coconut oil before in frosting recipes- just make sure that it’s solidified and not liquid at room temp 🙂 Enjoy!!
Just made this as a sheet cake 13×9 gluten free, half cane sugar half coconut sugar. I baked the sheet pan for 35 minutes. My only comment is I think the cake could use a little more salt. Wonderful wonderful recipe, thank you!
hello there
I cannot eat sugar.
can I not add any sugar?
how to adjust the recipe if not adding any sugar?
thanks you
Hi Yujung! You can make it sugar free by using coconut sugar or maple sugar, as long as it’s super powdered! Hope this helps!
Hi, I can’t find the coconut extract. Is there something I can use instead?
Hi Dina! You can actually just leave it out altogether and it will still be delicious! Hope this helps!
Hi there
I’m really keen to make this cake. I can see you have a picture of apple sauce but it’s not listed in the ingredients. Please can you advise how much you need. Many thanks
Hi There! So sorry about that! Feel free to use 3/4 cup of applesauce OR dairy free yogurt at room temperature. 🙂
I’ve only got one big pan so I hope so much it works out okay!
thanks for your fabulous fail safe recipes 🙂
x
You’ll probably have to adjust the baking time, but let me know how it comes out!! 🙂🙂
This is so delicious! I am making it a second time for my husbands birthday tomorrow! I have a tip, sorry if it was mentioned but I make the best cream cheese that is so tart and blows away store bought. A different way from yours and so simple. Just soak a couple of cups of cashews over night in a little salt or boil them and cream them with a high powered blender, adding a little water sparingly at a time until you get them all creamy (not watery,) it takes time. Then I transfer to a jar and add a tablespoon per cup of cashews used of kombucha starter (or add a probiotic) let it ferment for 24 hours. The longer it ferments the more tart it gets. It is so delicious for frostings and cakes. And good for your gut.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
Hi Chris! This is WONDERFUL! Thank you SO much for sharing and we’re so happy you loved the coconut cake!
Hello. Excited to try this recipe for the first time! I had a couple questions: how many 6” layers can this recipe make? I have a set of 5 6” pans. And does it make difference to the recipe if cornstarch is used instead of arrowroot? Is one recommended over the other?
Hi Aditi! So you can definitely use 6″ cake pans here- the cake will yield three very thick 6″ cake layers or you can do four 6″ cake layers. I hope that helps! As for the cornstarch or arrowroot, the only reason to use one over the other is if there’s an allergy. I don’t notice any difference in which I use (cornstarch or arrowroot)!
I made the recipe this weekend along with. a lemon curd filling. The cakes were a little sweet but great texture except for the top. Each layer (I did 3 8” ones) had a thin gummy/unbaked coating that I had to scrape off. But underneath was fine.
The issue was the frosting. Every time I make vegan cream cheese frosting it splits. Doesn’t matter the temperature (usually ingredients are room temp) or how long I beat it. I did it very minimally today and it looked fine at first but then curdled all of a sudden. I tried warming it a little and adding back in as this time I had added the coconut cream that was on the cold side. Didn’t work well. Added xanthan gum, which fixed it enough to be presentable. It’s so frustrating to never get a good cream cheese frosting. The frosting was okay. Sweeter than I like it and not tangy enough but I felt I needed to keep the sugar amount close to the recipe so it wouldn’t be too runny.
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday with a lemon curd filling. Overall turned out well. They baked up with a nice texture except for the very top of each layer (I did 3 8”), all of which had an unbaked gummy coating. I scraped it off and they were fine underneath.
The frosting was challenging-I always have trouble with vegan cream cheese. I barely mixed it and had started adding in the sugar when it curdled. I tried heating it as I’ve done that before but the only thing that really worked was adding xanthan gum. It salvaged it so it was presentable. I wish it would have been more tangy and less sweet but I didn’t want to reduce the powdered sugar.
Hi,
I noticed apple sauce in the picture. In the recipe it says yogurt. Which do you usually use?
Thank you
Hi Kim! Oh yes! So I used to use applesauce, but the recipe has been further tested and I found df yogurt to produce better results!
Can you make the cakes a day ahead of time and refrigerate them? If so, do they loose their moisture?
I would actually NOT refrigerate the cake layers by themselves- simply wrap them in plastic wrap and leave on the counter top if you plan to frost the next day! If the full cake is frosted and assembled (and it’s generously frosted on the sides) it would last in the fridge overnight and not lose moisture 🙂
Hi, I baked 25mins but cake is juggling, any idea or advice? It smells so good I can’t wait to try it!
Hi there! Keep it in for a little longer, everyone’s oven temp can always vary a little. If it starts to brown more on the top, try sticking some foil on top!
Hi, can you use coconut or olive oil instead of vegan butter and if so how much?
Hi Dipti, that should work no problem!
Can I add pineapples to this to make it a pineapple coconut cake?
Oh absolutely! I would do it as a cake filling rather than a mix-in to the batter!
Thank you for responding!
My sister made this for me as my wedding cake! It was incredible and went down a treat!
This is awesome 🙂 Thank you Olivia!! So so happy you loved this!! And congratulations!! I’m so honored that this was your celebration cake 🙂