Gluten Free Coconut Cake
This perfect gluten free coconut cake is incredibly moist with a soft and fluffy crumb and delicious coconut flavor. It’s dairy free friendly, topped with a coconut buttercream and fresh strawberries for a dessert that is bound to impress!
Ok not going to lie, I never thought coconut cake was a favorite of mine, but I have two (non gluten free) friends who love it, so I had to make a gluten free coconut cake and impress them!
This recipe took quite a bit of trial and error to get that perfect coconut flavor and light and fluffy texture, but we finally nailed it and it was worth every second. The cake has a moist and tender crumb, a rich coconut flavor thanks to the coconut milk, shredded coconut and a bit of coconut extract and is finished with an easy coconut buttercream. The whole thing is gluten free and can be made dairy free too!
I opted to make it in three, 8 inch cake pans, but you can definitely halve it and just make it in one 9 inch cake pan. The bake time will be a little bit longer since the individual layer will be thicker. Start by adding 5-10 extra minutes and adjust from there,
This gluten free cake is perfect for a birthday, celebration or just a fun dessert! If you love this recipe, try my gluten free coconut cookies or gluten free strawberry shortcake next!
How to make gluten free coconut cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 3, 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat the melted butter, oil and sugar for about 30 seconds.
Add in all remaining wet ingredients and beat to combine. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat to combine.
Fold in the shredded coconut and mix until combined. The batter will be fairly thick. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans, spreading the top out smooth.
Add to the oven on the center rack and bake for 32-38 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Coconut buttercream frosting
Meanwhile, prep the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
From a can of coconut cream, scoop out just the top white part and add to the bowl. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat on low speed for about 2-3 minutes or until nice and fluffy. Add more sugar if it is too thin or a splash of the coconut water/milk from the can if it’s too thick.
Once the cake has cooled completely, add about 1 – 1 1/2 cups of frosting between each layer, then coat the outside of the cake with frosting.
I add the cake stand to a baking sheet to add the shredded coconut all along the sides and the top. It can get messy so a baking sheet keeps it somewhat contained! I opted to top mine with fresh strawberries, but you can also just keep it plain with the coconut! Slice and enjoy.
Key ingredients & substitutions
Flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour, which I recommend here. If you use a different blend, just be sure it has xanthan gum in the mix as this is key to bind everything together.
Egg whites. I opted for just egg whites and not whole eggs because I wanted the cake to be pretty white and there is so much fat in the coconut milk/shredded coconut so we needed to balance that out. I do not recommend any subs for the egg whites here, and be sure to measure them out properly!
Sugar. You need white granulated sugar for this recipe. I don’t recommend any swaps because this will change the color of the cake quite a bit.
Coconut. You need canned coconut milk which will add a rich coconut flavor, plus shredded coconut and coconut extract. I opted for sweetened shredded coconut because it has a slightly stronger flavor, but you can use unsweetened. Whichever you use, it needs to be shredded coconut, not coconut flakes!
Greek yogurt. This will add a lot of moisture to this coconut cake. I opted for plain and full fat.
Butter. Butter will of course add moisture and a rich flavor but you can swap for a dairy free butter if you prefer.
How to store and freeze
Once made and frosted, this gluten free vanilla cake will keep for about 3 days at room temperature or 1 week in the fridge. Store in an air tight container for best results. The cake can be prepped 24 hours ahead of time, just let cool, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge before frosting.
You can make the cakes in advance, let cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer safe bag for a few days before serving. You can decorate the cake while it is frozen, and then let it sit at room temperature before serving.
Tips to keep it moist
This gluten free coconut cake is made very moist thanks to the butter, oil, eggs, milk and coconut. Be sure to keep it covered, either with a cake stand cover, in a container or covered with foil to ensure it stays moist once it is sliced.
Because of the ingredients, you will have no problem keeping the cake moist. The biggest tip is to simply not over bake. The top should be a golden brown and a toothpick should come out clean.
However, if you put berries on top, you will want to keep it in the fridge. The berries will grow mold quite quickly at room temperature, so it does best in the fridge.
More cake recipes you’ll love!
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Gluten Free Coconut Cake
by: claire cary
This perfect gluten free coconut cake is incredibly moist with a soft and fluffy crumb and delicious coconut flavor. It's dairy free friendly, topped with a coconut buttercream and fresh strawberries for a dessert that is bound to impress!
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14
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line 3, 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat the melted butter, oil and sugar for about 30 seconds.
Add in all remaining wet ingredients and beat to combine.
Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat to combine.
Fold in the shredded coconut and mix until combined. The batter will be fairly thick.
Divide the batter evenly among the three pans, spreading the top out smooth.
Add to the oven on the center rack and bake for 32-38 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Meanwhile, prep the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
From a can of coconut cream, scoop out just the top white part and add to the bowl. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat on low speed for about 2-3 minutes or until nice and fluffy. Add more sugar if it is too thin or a splash of the coconut water/milk from the can if it's too thick.
Once the cake has cooled completely, add about 1 – 1 1/2 cups of frosting between each layer, then coat the outside of the cake with frosting.
I add the cake stand to a baking sheet to add the shredded coconut all along the sides and the top. It can get messy so a baking sheet keeps it somewhat contained!
I opted to top mine with fresh strawberries, but you can also just keep it plain with the coconut! Slice and enjoy.
Notes
You need to use shredded coconut here, not coconut flakes!
Serving: 1slice / Calories: 515kcal / Carbohydrates: 71g / Protein: 6g / Fat: 37g / Saturated Fat: 19g / Sodium: 427mg / Fiber: 5g / Sugar: 55g / Vitamin C: 3mg