This vegan coconut cake is super moist and bursting with sweet coconut flavor. Made with three layers of tender cake slathered in dairy-free cream cheese frosting and covered in shredded coconut, it's like a tropical getaway for your face!
Oh, the irony. If you've been around here for a while and read my posts, you know how I feel about summer: I'm just waiting for it to go away. The Pennsylvania climate in July melts me like the Wicked Witch of the West. And yet, for a heat hater, I sure do love tropical flavors! I guess it's weird, but it works out. I can enjoy a taste of sunshine while avoiding the actual sun from the comfort of my air-conditioned home.
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Coconut is at the top of my tropical favorites list. I love it in sweet treats like my coconut cream pie, as well as savory dishes like my coconut rice and coconut tofu. But if I had to pick a favorite, this vegan coconut cake would be pretty hard to beat.
Coconut is already decadent, and so is cake, but this cake takes both to the next level. It's positively packed with coconut — you've got shredded coconut in the cake and coating the outside, coconut milk in the batter, and coconut extract for some extra flavor. That's a lot of coconut! Plus, the combination of coconut, vanilla, and vegan cream cheese frosting (did I mention this was decadent?) is basically magic. It's enough to make you cancel your next trip to the Caribbean, which is fine — cake is cheaper and more convenient.
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Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Flour. I've only tested the recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, so try any other varieties at your own risk.
- Cornstarch. This will help give your cake a soft, tender crumb.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional sugar is sometimes bleached using animal bone char.
- Baking powder.
- Baking soda.
- Salt.
- Non-dairy milk. Almost any variety that's suitable for drinking, unsweetened, and unflavored will work, such as soy, cashew, or almond milk. Read my guide to dairy-free milk if you need help choosing.
- Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk from a can. Light coconut milk might work, but I haven't tested it. Steer clear of coconut milk beverage products sold in cartons, which are heavily watered down.
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral oil you like to bake with will work, such as canola oil, corn oil, and yes, even melted coconut oil.
- Apple cider vinegar. White vinegar can be substituted if that's what you have on hand. Want to use something else? Read my guide to apple cider vinegar substitutes for baking.
- Vanilla extract.
- Coconut extract.
- Almond extract. A tiny splash of almond extract rounds out the coconut flavor without making the cake taste like almonds.
- 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.
- Vegan cream cheese. Look for this in the natural foods section of your supermarket. I've had the best results making this frosting with Tofutti brand.
- 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.
- Lemon juice. This is optional, but it will enhance the flavor of your cream cheese frosting.
- Powdered sugar. Use organic powdered sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
How It's Made
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!
Get ready. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Grab three 9-inch round cake pans. Grease them, line them with parchment paper, grease the parchment paper, then flour everything. We want to ensure that nothing sticks!
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients. Stir together the milk, coconut milk, vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and almond extract.
Mix the batter. Combine the wet and dry mixtures, then beat them together for about a minute, until you've got a pretty smooth batter.
Add coconut. Gently fold in the shredded coconut.
Pour and bake. Pour the batter into your three baking pans, then pop them into the oven for 15 to 17 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of a cake when they look set and golden. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done. Let them cool completely on cooling racks.
Make the frosting. First, beat the cream cheese, vegan butter, coconut extract, vanilla extract, and optionally lemon juice together, then slowly start beating in powdered sugar, adding it until the frosting is thick, creamy, and spreadable.
Assemble and frost. Invert your layers onto a cake plate or turntable, spreading each one with frosting. Once they're all stacked, spread the rest of your frosting all over the outside of the cake, then press shredded coconut into the frosting.
Serve. Your vegan coconut cake is ready to enjoy! Slice it up and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven't tried making a gluten-free version, but if you'd like to give it a try I'd recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
Yep! Simply divide the batter among two 9-inch round cake pans instead of three, and increase the bake time to about 24 to 26 minutes.
Usually this is the result of old baking powder and/or soda. Test your baking powder by sprinkling a pinch into a glass of water. Do the same for soda, but using vinegar. They both should fizz. If either doesn't, toss and replace it.
Seal your leftover cake up tightly and it will keep in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. I don't recommend storing it at room temperature, as the frosting can get runny.
More Vegan Layer Cakes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Coconut Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus a bit more for the pans
- 1 ½ cups organic granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk, room temperature
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
For the Frosting
- 12 ounces vegan cream cheese (Note 1), chilled
- ¾ cup vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
- 6 ½ cups organic powdered sugar, plus up to 1 ½ additional cups, if needed
For Topping
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
To Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Oil the inside of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Oil the parchment paper, then flour the insides of the pans.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a smaller bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk, coconut milk, vinegar, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and almond extract.
- Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture, then beat at high speed with an electric mixer until fully combined, about 1 minute.
- Fold the coconut into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans.
- Bake the cake layers for about 15 to 17 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the cake layers to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
To Make the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese, butter, coconut extract, vanilla extract, and lemon juice (if using) together using an electric mixer at high speed, until creamy.
- Begin beating in the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Add as much powdered sugar as needed to give the frosting a thick, spreadable consistency.
Frost the Cake
- Invert one of the cooled cake layers onto a plate or turntable and peel off the parchment paper. Spread a thick coat of frosting over the top of the layer.
- Invert the second cake layer over the first, then peel off the parchment paper. Spread a thick coat of frosting over the second layer.
- Invert the third layer over the second layer, then spread the remaining frosting all over the outside of the cake.
- Press shredded coconut evenly into the frosting.
- Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to four days.
Notes
- I recommend using the Tofutti brand if it's available. It gives me the best and most consistent results in frosting.
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Very dense but taste nice
Damn that was good. I think I over baked it slightly, and completely forgot the extract in the frosting but it was still SO delicious. My husband can't stop raving. Tropical, indeed! Tastes like being on vacation.