Amongst all of the holiday treats this year, this was one of the shining stars of my family’s Christmas weekend spent together. With two birthdays on Christmas Eve, my sister and I schemed up a little woodland themed celebration, and I was on dessert duty. Now let me tell you, this gluten free coconut dream cake with vegan buttercream frosting was heavenly and delicious to the very last crumb. I already can’t wait to make this again!
I decided to make this cake for two reasons: 1) it was easily adaptable for the dietary needs of my family and 2) because it sounded really, really good! It is completely dairy free and gluten free, but you’d never guess. The mixture of almond flour and coconut flour adds a tremendous amount of flavor and keeps the cake light and moist. It has the perfect amount of sweetness throughout and keeps well. If you enjoy coconut and tasty desserts, this is the perfect treat for you. Let the mixer do the work and enjoy this gluten free coconut dream cake!
Gluten Free Coconut Dream Cake
Ingredients
Coconut Cake
- 1 3/4 Cup Almond flour
- 2 Tbsp. Coconut flour
- 10 Eggs, separated
- 1 Tbsp. Coconut rum
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 tsp. Cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 Cup Unsweetened shredded coconut
Vegan Buttercream Frosting
- 3 Tbsp. Vegan butter
- 3 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp. Dairy free milk (almond, soy)
- 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
Instructions
Coconut Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line the bottom of 3 9" round pans with parchment paper.
- Separate 10 eggs with the whites and yolks in separate large bowls. With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks for about 3 minutes until pale and slightly fluffy. Add in rum and the powdered sugar less 1 Tbsp. and beat on high speed for about 1 minute until thick.
- Lower speed to low and slowly add the coconut and almond flours. It may be easier to add the last bit by hand, folding until combined. Set aside.
- Next, using clean mixer attachments, beat egg whites for about 1 minute, until they are foamy. Add in the cream of tartar, salt and reserved 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar. Beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form.
- Fold 1/2 cup to 1 cup of egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and combine. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites. Distribute the batter equally between the three pans, spreading out the tops to fill the pans evenly.
- Bake at 350 for about 22 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans for at least 1 hour. Then run a knife along the edges and invert onto cooling racks, removing parchment. Let cool completely before assembling and frosting.*
Vegan Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, whip the vegan butter with an electric mixer until it has softened. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of dairy free milk. Mix for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. If it is too dry, add in additional milk one Tbsp. at a time. If it becomes to thin, add a little more powdered sugar. It should be spreadable, but not liquidy.
Cake Assembly
- Once cake has cooled, place one layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread 3/4 cup of frosting between each layers and then use the rest to frost the top and sides of the cake. Cover the top of cake with shredded coconut.
Notes
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife
January 4, 2018I love that this cake is dairy-free as well! It sounds delicious!
Eva Minette
January 6, 2018Yes, it’s definitely an added bonus!
Create/Enjoy
January 4, 2018Sounds delicious! Looks like a great flour blend, I have been mostly Paleo and not doing the processed gluten-free flour mixes but recently made some Christmas cookies for a party from Trader Joe’s GF flour and did NOT feel good the next day so this would be much better!
Eva Minette
January 6, 2018Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! It’s hard to find a perfect replacement, but I agree that making different flour blends usually works really well.
Jeanine Tweedie
January 4, 2018The mixture of the coconut and almond flours gives it such a rich flavor, much more exciting than regular wheat flour. (Love the decorations in the “snow”.)
Eva Minette
January 6, 2018Thank you, and I’m glad you liked it!
Melissa Manos
January 5, 2018THIS SOUNDS DELISH! I’ve been adding almond flour and coconut flour to my baking pantry. Looking forward to trying this tasty treat…maybe at my next bunko! 🙂
Eva Minette
January 6, 2018It would be a great treat for bunko! Enjoy!
Renee @ The Good Hearted Woman
January 5, 2018Coconut cake is one of my favorites, and this sounds delicious! I’m curious, too – I’ve not worked much with coconut flour yet. in your experience, what do you think are the primary concerns when using it in place of regular flour?
Eva Minette
January 6, 2018I’m pretty new to using coconut flour also, and I have never used it on it’s own, only combined with another flour. One tip is that it is much more absorbent than wheat flour, and so it should be used in smaller amounts with a comparable amount of wet ingredients. Happy baking!
Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama
January 7, 2018I *love* coconut desserts, and I’m recently trying to give up gluten (at least for a period of time…). This recipe is right up my alley – and looks beautiful to boot!