Moist and creamy vegan coconut cake with a coconutty sweet potato frosting which reminds of Raffaello! The recipe is dairy-free, eggless, gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, nut-free, and furthermore easy to make. This healthier dessert is the perfect cake for all coconut lovers out there and also a great birthday cake.
Coconut Cream Birthday Cake
Today is not only Mother’s Day but it’s also my mom’s birthday and therefore I baked a cake! Since my mom doesn’t like chocolate (yes, I know… I don’t understand it either, haha) I made a vegan coconut cake because she loves coconut as much as I do. Unfortunately, my mom doesn’t live close (actually over 7500 km away), so this cake is rather symbolic. I know she will still appreciate this little gesture, and I am sure she knows how much I love her!
Gluten Free Coconut Cake
This coconut cream cake is, of course, plant-based, and also gluten-free. I used a combination of rice flour and oat flour, however, I am pretty sure that you could also use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. And if you aren’t gluten-free, you can try using all-purpose flour or spelt flour. Please note, that I haven’t made this cake with any other flour combination, so I cannot guarantee that the result will be the same!
Allergy-Friendly Recipe
If you follow me on Instagram or already subscribed to my blog newsletter, you will know that I share vegan recipes which are, most of the time, pretty healthy! I try to avoid refined sugar, gluten, and oil (or vegan butter) because I just don’t feel good when I consume any of these ingredients.
This vegan cake doesn’t contain refined sugar, oil, eggs, or butter which makes it so much healthier than most other (coconut) cakes. It’s also soy-free, and nut-free, and I am sure you will be surprised if I tell you that this cake contains veggies!
Sweet Potato Frosting
Yes, that’s right, this vegan coconut cream cake contains sweet potatoes! I used Japanese sweet potatoes that have white flesh. Here they are called “batata” and they are totally different from orange sweet potatoes. What is the difference between white (Japanese) and orange sweet potatoes? Well, Japanese sweet potatoes are much drier (they contain more starch) and they are a little bit sweeter than orange ones. They are simply perfect to use in desserts!
I know that Japanese sweet potatoes aren’t available everywhere but if you happen to have them in your local supermarket, then definitely buy them! They are really amazing, and I am sure you will love them as much as I do.
Some people commented that they used orange sweet potatoes for the frosting, which worked fine. Of course, the color of the frosting will be different.
I cannot tell you how much I love the frosting which I made with the Japanese sweet potatoes. It totally reminds me of Raffaello, the almond/coconut candy which was my absolute favorite (besides Bounty) before I went vegan! The cream tastes almost the same, I am not kidding!
How To Make Vegan Coconut Cake?
- First, peel, chop and boil the Japanese sweet potatoes until fork tender. For this recipe, you will need 340 grams of cooked sweet potato (about 1 medium Japanese sweet potato or two small ones).
- Meanwhile, add all dry ingredients into a bowl. Process the wet ingredients in a blender and pour the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk until combined. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan (I recommend using two) and bake it in the oven.
- While the cake is in the oven, you can prepare the frosting. It’s super easy, as you need to simply process all frosting ingredients in your blender until smooth and creamy.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, frost it and decorate it with coconut flakes.
How To Store
Store the cake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the cake slices for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature.
Useful Tips:
- Use two cake pans for shorter baking time and to avoid cutting the cake into two layers.
- Add coconut rum or coconut extract for a delicious coconutty taste.
- If you don’t want to use sweet potatoes for the frosting, you can also check out my No-Bake Carrot Cake recipe. It has a deliciously creamy frosting made out of pudding (custard) and soaked cashews!
- The recipe calls for coconut butter. It can be store-bought or homemade. If you want to make it yourself, you will need to process about 3 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut in a food processor until it turns into coconut butter and has a creamy texture (which takes about 20-30 minutes, therefore I would recommend using store-bought coconut butter.
Should you give this vegan coconut cake recipe a try, please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I would love to see how it turned out! And for more easy vegan cake recipes, definitely check out the following recipes:
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- No-Bake Carrot Cake
- Baked Cheesecake
- Red Velvet Cake
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Vegan Coconut Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (180 g) oats (gluten-free if needed) ground into flour
- 3/4 cup (120 g) white rice flour (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups (130 g) shredded unsweetened coconut ground into flour (see notes)
- 1 cup (150 g) coconut sugar (or use 150 g of regular sugar)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup (160 g) apple sauce or 160 g peeled zucchini
- 1 1/3 cup ml) (320 ml) coconut milk canned
- 4 tbsp (80 g) maple syrup or agave syrup
- 1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Frosting:
- 340 g (1 medium or 2 small) (340 g) Japanese sweet potato (see notes)
- 2/3 cup (160 g) coconut butter (see notes)
- 1/3 cup (105 g) maple syrup or agave syrup
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut milk canned
- 4 tbsp (40 ml) coconut rum or use more coconut milk (see notes)
Instructions
- I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams on a kitchen scale.
- Peel the Japanese sweet potato and chop into 1-inch cubes. Boil in water until fork tender. For this recipe, you will need 340 grams of cooked sweet potato (about 1 medium Japanese sweet potato or two small ones).
- Meanwhile, process the oats and shredded unsweetened coconut in an electric spice/coffee grinder or blender. Then add all dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Preheat oven to 356 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease two 8-inch (20 cm) or 7-inch (18 cm) cake pans (or springforms) and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Process the wet ingredients in a blender and pour the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk until combined.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. It can still be a little bit crumbly but shouldn't be wet! If you use just one cake pan the baking time will be much longer (about 50-55 minutes) but I definitely recommend 2 cake pans.
- While the cake is in the oven, you can prepare the frosting. Simply process all frosting ingredients in your blender until completely smooth and creamy.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, frost it and decorate with coconut flakes. Chill in the fridge for about 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please use shredded unsweetened coconut, also known as desiccated coconut. Do NOT use coconut flour, as it's completely different and dries out the batter! You could use 130 grams of ground almonds (or other ground nuts of choice) though.
- Rice flour: Some people reported that they used regular flour instead of rice flour with good results.
- Frosting: I used Japanese sweet potatoes for this recipe. Japanese sweet potatoes have white flesh and are much drier than orange sweet potatoes. They are furthermore sweeter and perfect for desserts. If you don't have access to Japanese sweet potatoes I would recommend making the frosting of my No-Bake Carrot Cake but make sure to increase the amount of ingredients by about 50%.
- Some people commented that they used orange sweet potatoes for the frosting, which worked fine (I haven't tried it). Of course, the color of the frosting will be different.
- The recipe calls for coconut butter, not coconut oil. The coconut butter can be store-bought or homemade. If you want to make it yourself, you will need to process about 3 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut in a food processor until it turns into coconut butter and has a creamy texture (which takes about 20-30 minutes, therefore I would recommend store-bought coconut butter.
- If you don't want to use coconut rum, then use more coconut milk. You could also add a little coconut extract for an enhanced coconutty flavor.
- You can also check out my Vegan Coconut Cups Recipe.
- Nutrition facts are for one slice (of 12).
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Sonja Tuohy
This coconut cake is so delicious and the frosting is lovely (can’t believe it’s made with white sweet potato). I made it for my sons birthday family gathering and everyone went back for seconds.
Love this cake, it looks impressive and will definitely make again. I used all the ingredients Ela used in her cake.
Ela
I am so glad you loved it, Sonja! Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
Clara
Hi Ela!
I really wanna try your recipe because I love cocunut but cannot eat wheat or lactose! Although I do eat eggs, can I substitute the zucchini to eggs? Or that is not the right alternative?
Ela
Hi Clara, I cannot answer your question since I am vegan and haven’t tried it. The recipe calls for applesauce OR zucchini though, so I offer two options. 🙂
Camila
Hi Ela,
Thanks for this recipe it’s good! I followed your instructions for the cake but the only thing I changed was that I used brill brown rice flower instead of white. The cake was tasty but did not rise and wasn’t moist. I Wonder if that was because I changed the flour? Is it supposed to be the same measurements? Thank you! x
Ela
Hi Camila, I never made the cake with brown rice flour. White rice flour is lighter than brown rice flour, so it actually does make a difference in gluten-free baking. I am glad you liked the taste. Maybe you will give it another try with white rice flour. 🙂
Rochelle
I find the Japanese sweet potatoes at Whole Foods Market. They are soooo good. These are the only ones we’ve been buying of late. I bake them cut in half, seasoned and oh so yummy. I cannot wait to bake this cake recipe using these for the frosting! YUM!!!
Ela
That’s awesome, Rochelle! I am glad they are available at Whole Foods Market. 🙂
Tom
Hi
I’d love to try this one but I don’t have coconut butter can I substitute it with something?
Thanks
Ela
You could use cashew butter or make the frosting of the carrot cake which is linked in the recipe notes. 🙂
Cara
Hello Michaela,
Made this cake today, & it is fantastic! Thank you so much for the recipe! I usually don’t like to add any sugar, but I did use the whole cup of coconut sugar, and it added just the right amount of subtle sweetness! I used oat flour along with a gluten-free flour blend, and it worked very well. I live in the US, and purchased the potatoes at Trader Joe’s. They are called Murasaki Sweet Potatoes. Could you tell me how long you boil the potatoes? I think I may have overboiled them and caused my frosting to be a bit runny. I also used coconut cream, as I think that may be the same thing as coconut butter.
Ela
Hi Cara! Thanks for sharing the name of the sweet potatoes. I boil them until they are fork-tender, but not too soft. Coconut cream is softer than coconut butter and it’s not the same. Coconut butter is also known as coconut manna. I am glad you liked the cake! 🙂
Dianna Pape
I can’t get Japanese sweet potatoes, what else can I use?
Ela
Hello Dianna, it’s explained in the recipe notes:
Gretchen
Dear Ela, I made this cake for my birthday and it turned out so great! I had to vary the flours a little, since a friend of mine has problems to digest regular oats (and I needed to empty the shelf a little 😉 ) I used spelt flour, shredded rye oats and cornstarch and the dough turned out great. A little rustic, but I liked that a lot. Besides, I was happy that it had worked, I was a little worried with this really different mixture. Also, I reduced the amount of sweetness and added lemon zest to the frosting, as well as a layer of blueberries in the middle. I think just pure coconut would have been to heavy for me. The lemon really lightens it a little. – Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for being such an inspiration. I am always looking forward to your new recipes and I love what you do. Thank you 🙂
Ela
Sounds lovely with the lemon! I am so glad you enjoyed it, Gretchen. Thanks for your great feedback and happy belated birthday. 🙂
Donna Hobbs
Thanks for this yummy recipe!! I thought I bought white sweet potato (hard to find where I live) but when I got home, discovered they were orange inside. The idea hit me then to make the icing orange flavoured using 2 teaspoons orange rind & the juice from the orange along with the rest of the original icing ingredients. It turned out beautifully! I’ve noiw taken it to two church potluck lunches and it disappears even though many who eat it aren’t special diet. My husband doesnt like special diet food normally (our daughter has severe allergies) but he likes this cake! Just thought I’d share the orange icing idea if white sweet potatoes aren’t obtainable.. Thanks again, Donna
Ela
Thanks so much for sharing, Donna! An orange coconut cake sounds wonderful! I am sure it also looked very pretty. 🙂
Irina
Sorry just read about coconut flour
But late
Already mix it together
Irene
Hey Ella ! Ready to cook this magic! Coconut flour from shop is suitable in this recipe as I got ? Thank you ❤️
Ela
Hey Irene! Why coconut flour? The recipe calls for shredded unsweetened coconut! Please read the recipe notes:
Ede
If I have coconut rum, do I use the rum and a dash of coconut extract as well? Or just stuck to using the rum? I’m going to make this in a couple days and I’m so excited!
Ela
I would also add a dash of the coconut extract because it’s so lovely! 🙂
Amanda
I tried this recipe, without the icing as I was unable to find the batata.
My cake was not very moist though and I am wondering if your measurements for the dry ingredients are in whole state or ground state. For instance, should I measure the oats, and then add them to the processor? Or should I first make oat flour, and then measure the amount.
I first processed the ingredients so they were in “flour” state, and then I measured. I am thinking this is why the recipe was too dry,
additionally, is this cake intended to be fluffy?
Ela
Hi! Please ALWAYS measure the ingredients in grams for an accurate result. That’s really crucial for gluten-free recipes! However, if the recipe says two cups of oats, then you need to measure oats and not oat flour. As you can tell from the photos, the cake is rather dense and moist. If you want it to be fluffy and light you would need to use regular flour. Hope this helps!
Cara
This recipe rocks! I made this tonight. The only changes I made was to to 1/2 cup almond flour and in replace of some of the coconut flakes and reduces the sugar from 1 cup to 1/2 ish and reduced the maple syrup to 2 tbsp and in the frosting I used 2 tbsp and added lemon juice to lift it up a touch. Thanks for a brilliant recipe
Ela
I am so happy you loved the recipe Cara! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Sarah
Made this last night. Soooooo delicious. Substitutd some tapioca and garbanzo flour for the rice flour. It’s divine!
Ela
I am happy the coconut cake turned out very delicious! Thanks for your great feedback, Sarah. 🙂
Nancy
I was so excited to see this recipe but it’s loaded with fat and sugar so it’s not really healthy unfortunately. I know the fat can’t be helped because it’s coconut. But have you tried making it with the sugar substitute like stevia?
Ela
You can always use any sweetener of choice. Erythritol, Stevia, Xylitol, date sugar can be used instead of coconut sugar.
Danae
Is there anything could replace the coconut butter in this recipe?
Ela
Maybe cashew butter would work.
Valerie
Is it possible to make this as cupcakes? How long to bake the cupcakes? Thank you!!
Ela
Sure! It depends on the size/depth of the cupcake pan though. I would bake them maybe for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean!
May
What is a decent sub for rice flour? It doesn’t need to be GF.
Thanks!
Ela
You could try regular wheat flour or spelt flour. Please note that I never tried it though. 🙂
Stephanie
Best cake I have ever made, so moist and good! I totally recommend to anyone, vegan or not (especially the non vegans because it was better than any cake I had before being vegan)
Ela
Yay! I am so happy you loved the recipe, Stephanie! Thanks for your wonderful feedback. 🙂
Sabrina
Hi Ela!
I usually don’t leave notes but this time I really felt I had to. We had friends over for dinner yesterday and I made your cake and served it for dessert. I have a lot of dietary restrictions but I could make the cake without making any changes. Honestly I didn’t know Japanese sweet potatoes exist but I found them in the Asian store.
Back to yesterday night. Everybody loved your cake. Even though I was the only one that had to eat a vegan cake. My husband, normally very skeptical to vegan desserts, ate two pieces. I couldn’t believe my eyes. He doesn’t even like energy balls! This is truly the best commendation you can get!
I just made one little change to the frosting. I added the juice of half a lime. Made it a little bit fresher.
Oh, and I had to pass on the recipe! So thank you for this delicious cake recipe. I will surly make it again!
Sabrina
Ela
Wow, that’s such a nice compliment! Makes me so happy that you all enjoyed the cake. Thanks so much for your lovely feedback, Sabrina! I really appreciate it. 🙂