This gluten-free and vegan coconut cake is the perfect bake to shake off the cobwebs as we move into spring. Three layers of light tender sponge sandwiched between fluffy vegan buttercream and lime curd. You may not be able to head to the tropics but the tropics can certainly come to you and this cake is your boarding pass.
What do you need to know before you make this coconut lime cake?
This cake is highly customizable, if you don’t like the flavour of coconut leave out the coconut flavouring and replace the desiccated coconut with almond meal. Sub the lime in the curd for a different citrus if you prefer or leave it out altogether. This cake can also be made as a two-layer cake or a single cake, you’ll just need to adjust the bake time.
Questions about the recipe? Do you want to change something Or did something go wrong with your vegan coconut cake? I’ve included all the recipe notes at the bottom of the page with the hope of improving your experience here at blue border. If you found this useful, I’d love your support on Instagram, click here to follow.
ingredients
For the coconut cake
- 50g desiccated coconut
- 350g non-dairy milk
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 275g gluten-free flour, all-purpose
- ¾ tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- 115g sunflower oil
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. natural coconut flavouring, optional
For the lime curd
- 1 Tbsp. corn starch
- 2 Tbsp. water
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 40g caster sugar
- 2 tsp. non-dairy butter or margarine
For the buttercream
- 150g non-dairy margarine
- 310g icing sugar
- Generous pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
To decorate
- 50g toasted coconut flakes
process
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F and line three 19cm loose bottom cake tins with parchment paper.
Place the desiccated coconut on an oven tray and toast for 3mins, keeping a close eye on it as coconut burns quickly.
Combine the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large jug or bowl, mix and set aside.
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the toasted coconut and mix briefly.
To the milk, add the oil, sugar, vanilla and coconut flavouring. Mix until well combined and then add to the dry mix. Mix again until well combined.
Divide the batter between the three cake tins (I highly recommend weighing it out so that they all bake evenly). Arrange the cake tins in the oven so that none of them sits directly below another. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
While the cake is baking make the buttercream and lime curd. For the lime add the lime zest, juice and sugar to a small pot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Combine the corn starch and water in a separate bowl and mix until the corn starch has fully dissolved. Add the corn starch slurry to the pot and use a whisk to combine. Keep mixing until the curd thickens and add the butter just before removing it from the heat.
For the buttercream beat the non-dairy margarine with electric beats until light and fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar and salt. Beat again until well combined and add in the vanilla, briefly mix and place in the fridge until ready to ice the cake.
To assemble
Before you ice the cake make sure the sponges and lime curd have completely cooled. Spread a generous amount of buttercream over the top of two of the sponge layers and top with lime curd. Carefully stack the cake layers, placing the flat side of the bare sponge facing up at the top. Ice the outside and top of the cake with a thin layer of icing (the crumb coat) making sure to fill any gaps between the layers with icing. Use the remaining buttercream to ice the cake in your preferred style and decorate with more lime curd, toasted coconut flakes, lime zest etc.
NOTES: Gluten-free Vegan Coconut Cake
*I use Dove’s Farm gluten-free all-purpose flour to make this vegan coconut cake and I love the way it performs. It’s important to keep in mind that all-purpose gluten-free flour is made of a blend of gluten-free flours (potato starch, corn starch, brown rice flour, white rice flour etc.).
If you use a different brand of flour you may need to add a touch more liquid as each GF flour mix will absorb moisture to a different extent.
Allow your batter to sit for a few minutes after mixing. The batter will thicken up significantly and, if it’s very thick, this is a good indicator of whether your mix needs more liquid. Try adding 10-15% more liquid.
Recipe Questions
Do I have to use the xanthan gum?
Yes – see ‘Why is my gluten-free cake falling apart?’
Can I use coconut sugar instead of caster sugar?
Yes, you can replace the caster sugar with coconut sugar to make this cake processed sugar-free but keep in mind this will also change the colour of the cake. Instead of a pale white sponge, you’ll get a caramel coloured sponge.
Can I make this cake a different flavour?
Absolutely. This recipe without the desiccated coconut (replace with 50g almond meal) and coconut flavouring is a great vanilla sponge. From there the world is your oyster in terms of flavours.
Gluten-free Cake Baking Questions & Troubleshooting
Why do you use baking powder and baking soda?
Gluten-free bakes always need a little more help. Both raising agents together have a greater leavening ability and gives GF cakes an extra boost.
Why is my gluten-free cake falling apart?
You left out the xanthan gum. In this recipe (and many others) xanthan gum is standing in for gluten and eggs as a binder, without it, GF bakes tend to crumble. If you’re opposed to xanthan gum you can try a flax egg (1 Tbps. ground flaxseed and 2.5 Tbsp. water) but note that I haven’t tried the recipe with a binder other than xanthan gum.
OR
You didn’t let it cool completely before handling it. Gluten-free cakes are more fragile than cakes made with wheat flour. Allowing your cake to cool completely before icing or slicing allows the crumb structure to fully set. If you skip this step you may find your cake falls to crumbs.
Why is the cake baked at 160C?
In general gluten-free bakes are baked at a lower oven temperature. Low and slow baking helps with the development of structure in the absence of gluten, prevents crumbling and stops your bakes from drying out.
Why does my cake have a gritty texture?
Rice flour is to blame for a gritty texture in gluten-free bakes. Try using a different all-purpose gluten-free flour or make your own mix. I like this recipe for gluten-free flour by Minimalist Baker and even better make it with superfine brown and white rice flour.
