Vegan Coconut Cake

You can't deny this delicious, creamy Vegan Coconut Cake - it's the perfect combination of sweet coconut, vanilla cake, and creamy frosting!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 526kcal

Author Marly McMillen

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup vegan butter , softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
13.5 oz can whole fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon coconut extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cashew Coconut Cream Filling

1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water at least 2 hours up to overnight)
¼ cup agave nectar
½ cup coconut flakes
1 tablespoon coconut oil (see note)

Vegan Vanilla Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup vegan butter or coconut oil , softened
2 – 3 tablespoons plant-based milk
½ cup coconut flakes , sweetened

Cups - Metric

Instructions

For the Vegan Coconut Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C degrees. Grease and flour two round 9-inch cake pans. Cut circles of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pans. Place rounds in bottom of pans and top with additional vegetable spray.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and cream together for up to 2 minutes, until light. Add the coconut milk, vinegar and coconut flavoring. Cream well until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add flour to creamed mixture, beating until just mixed.
Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles for a more level cake.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool Completely.

For the Cashew Coconut Cream Filling

For the filling between the cake layers, you can use frosting or this cashew cream coconut filling. To make the cashew filling, drain soaked cashews and add them to a blender or food processor. Add the agave nectar, coconut oil, and coconut flakes.
Pulse in short bursts to break apart the cashews. Use a spatula to push down contents from the side of the bowl and pulse again in short bursts. Repeat this process until a cream begins to form. Then begin pulsing in longer periods to break down the cashew and coconut bits even more. Once this mixture is creamy to your liking, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.

Vegan Vanilla Frosting

Add the vegan butter to a mixing bowl and use a mixer on medium speed to cream it. Add one cup of powdered sugar and mix that into the butter, until well combined. Repeat with the remaining powdered sugar. Once all the powdered sugar is added, it will be a crumbly mix. Add the plant-based milk one tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired, spreadable consistency.

Assembling the Coconut Cake

Once the cakes have cooled, place the bottom cake on a plate. Use a serrated knife to level the cake (if there is a dome or it's uneven on the top). Spread either the cashew coconut filling or a layer of icing over the top. Place the second cake on top of the frosting or cream filling. Add additional frosting on top and sides of cakes. Garnish the top and sides with coconut flakes.

Notes

Either ice the entire cake, sides and all, or ice only between the layers and top of the cake.

To reduce overall sugar in this recipe, substitute Swerve for sugar.

Batter Consistency

The batter for this cake may be thick, but it should be pourable. But there can be variations in the fat-to-liquid ratio in a can of coconut milk which can impact the consistency of the batter.

If your batter is too thick, stir in up to 1 cup of water to the batter. Be careful not to overstir the batter once the flour is incorporated.

Nutrition