This vegan coconut cake is bursting with flaky coconut and sweet coconut flavor. Slathered in dairy-free cream cheese frosting and sprinkled in shredded coconut, it's like a tropical getaway for your face!
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups organic granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk (at room temperature)
- ⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 ½ cups shredded coconut
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese (at room temperature)
- ½ cup vegan butter (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 4 cups organic powdered sugar, plus up to 1 additional cup, as needed
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Lightly oil and line the bottoms of a couple 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper.
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Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
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In a smaller bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk, coconut oil, vinegar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract.
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Beat the ingredients together using an electric mixer at high speed, just until combined, about 1 minute.
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Fold in the coconut.
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Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans.
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Bake the cake layers for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
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Transfer the cake layers to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
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Beat the cream cheese, butter, and coconut extract together using an electric mixer at high speed. Beat until creamy.
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Begin beating in the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Add as much powdered sugar as you need to give the frosting a creamy, spreadable consistency.
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Invert one of the cooled cake layers on a plate and peel off the parchment paper. Spread the top of the layer with a thick coat of frosting.
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Invert the second cake layer over the first and peel off the parchment paper.
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Spread the remaining frosting all over the outside of the cake.
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Press shredded coconut evenly into the frosting.
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Slice and serve.