Coconut cake is an all time favorite dessert of mine, especially for celebrating Easter! It’s also my mom’s favorite so I make it every year. Recently my mom became gluten free and I developed an intolerance to dairy. My mom is also diabetic so she needs sweets to be low in sugar. With these guidelines in mind I created a delicious gluten free, low sugar and dairy free coconut cake. Wow that’s a mouthful…but let me tell you, it does not disappoint! It’s moist, delicate and bursting with coconut flavor.
Coconut flour is a great swap for a gluten free cake, especially when you’re looking to really taste the coconut. It’s also low in carbs and high in protein which is an added benefit! However it absorbs way more liquid than traditional flours. To compensate for this you need to make sure your liquid to flour ratio is correct. There’s a lot of eggs in this recipe, this helps with adding moisture and good flavor. I like to use a combination of canned coconut milk and unsweetened coconut milk from the carton. The canned coconut milk is rich and thick from the fat content and helps to make this dairy free coconut cake moist. I also add a bit of coconut milk from the carton. This will help add liquid to the flour mixture and bring even more coconut flavor without as much fat.
Like most cakes, oil and butter help deliver flavor. I use plant based butter and coconut oil in this recipe. You can use all butter but I like to add just a little bit of coconut oil to add more natural coconut flavor. You’ll find most good cake recipes call for sour cream, yogurt or even mayonnaise as a secret ingredient. I love this tip but in order to make it dairy free I use coconut yogurt. I use unsweetened Cocojune coconut yogurt here, it has an intense coconut flavor and makes this dairy free coconut cake so moist! Feel free to swap out for your favorite plant based yogurt.
As always I am a huge fan of naturally sweetened treats. I love using Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener with erythritol in place of traditional white sugar. It brings all the sweetness you want in a cupcake with only 1 gram of sugar and is low in net carbs.
Finally, let’s talk about frosting! I love a good cream cheese frosting…so naturally I needed to figure out a dairy free version. This frosting is sweet, coconutty and creamy! To make it dairy free I use vegan Toffutti cream cheese, plant based butter and a touch of canned coconut milk. I also like to keep it low in sugar and cals by swapping traditional powdered sugar for Lakanto Sugar Free Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener. In true Balanced By Bri fashion I don’t like to leave out all of the fun. So I coat this frosted dairy free coconut cake in sweetened shredded coconut. It’s a tradition to use sweetened coconut on my Easter dessert so I will not break that here. Luckily we’ve compensated for it in other areas so this treat is still guilt free!
You can make this as a traditional 8-9inch round cake or cupcakes, enjoy!
Other similar recipes
- Gluten free, low sugar sweet potato cake
- Healthy Pumpkin Banana Muffins
- Gluten Free Skinny Blueberry Pancakes
- Healthy Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
- Healthy Chocolate Muffins
This gluten free, dairy free coconut cake is perfect for Easter or Mother's Day! It's so sweet and bursting with coconut flavor! It makes for great cupcakes too!
Ingredients
Cake:
- ¾ plant based butter, at room temp (I use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread)
- 1 ⅔ cups Monkfruit Sweetener with erythritol (I use Lakanto)
- 1 ¾ cup coconut flour
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt (I use Kirkland Pink Himalayan salt)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or bean paste)
- ¼ teaspoons coconut extract
- 7 large eggs, at room temp
- 150 grams coconut yogurt, at room temp (I use Cocojune, plain unsweetened)
- 1 cup canned coconut milk unsweetened
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut milk from the carton, at room temp (I use Silk)
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
Frosting: (this frosting recipe has been adapted from Sally’s baking addiction)
- 1 cup (230g) plant based butter (I use Earth Balance)
- 8oz vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti)
- 5 ½ cups powdered monkfruit sweetener (I use Lakanto)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon coconut extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
*If you are not in need of making this low sugar you can use traditional confectioners sugar (it’s more cost efficient)
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line 2, 8 inch round cake tins with plant based buttery spread and parchment paper. *If you're making cupcakes use muffin liners, this batter typically makes 24-28 cupcakes.
- In the kitchen aid mixer beat buttery spread with sugar until fluffy, add vanilla and coconut extract. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
- In a medium bowl mix coconut flour, baking soda and salt, set aside
- In a small bowl combine coconut milks and yogurt.
- With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and milks. Once it’s all combined, set the mixer to stir and add the coconut oil. The batter will be crumbly, this is what you’re going for.
- Evenly distribute batter into both cake pans. Bake 30-35 min, let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 min before removing.
Frosting:
- Make sure the butter, cream cheese and milk are at room temperature. Using a large bowl and handheld mixer, cream the butter, then add cream cheese and mix until smooth.
- Add vanilla, coconut and milk. Gradually add powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Beat on high for about 3 minutes. Do not overmix.
Notes:
*Cake can be stored at room temperature for 4-6 days (if frosted refrigerate). Cake can be frozen for up to 6 months.
*If you'd like to make these as cupcakes follow the same instructions for the batter and frosting. Use cupcake tins with liners and reduce baking time to 18-20 min
*Nutrition is based on 28 cupcakes with frosting as cakes are sliced differently exact nutrition cannot be provided.
Amount Per Serving: Serving Size, 1 cupcake with frosting Calories: 188 Total Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 396mg, Total Carbohydrate: 49g Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 1g, Protein: 3g
