Gluten-Free Coconut Cake with Coconut Flour
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 04/16/2022 - Last updated on 11/23/2023
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This Gluten-Free Coconut Cake is a moist coconut flour cake perfect for any occasion.
Plus, this gluten-free coconut flour cake is also keto-friendly and dairy-free, so keep reading to learn more.
This moist gluten-free coconut flour cake is perfect for coconut lovers! It’s an alternative to the two-layered Coconut Flour Cake, and a vanilla version of my Keto Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake.
What’s better than a coconut cake filled with toasted coconut and coconut cream?
Is Coconut Flour Gluten-Free?
Coconut flour is a low-carb, gluten-free flour.
It’s also a very healthy flour high in fiber, protein, and nutrients. It’s perfect for baking low-carb, gluten-free recipes like gluten-free cakes or gluten-free cookies.
Coconut flour also adds a delicious coconut flavor to your baked goods, perfect for this coconut cake recipe.
How To Make A Gluten-Free Coconut Cake
It’s very simple to make gluten-free coconut cake using basic coconut ingredients.
Ingredients
- Coconut flour – make sure you are using fresh flour, with no lumps for precision.
- Unsweetened desiccated coconut – some coconut contains added sugar, so check the ingredient list.
- Coconut cream – I love to use full-fat canned coconut cream to enhance the coconut flour of this raspberry coconut cake, but heavy cream works as well.
- Shredded coconut
- Large eggs – at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Granulated sweetener of choice – use Erythritol or any other keto sugar-free crystal sweetener you like for a keto cake.
- Baking powder
- Coconut extract for enhancing the coconut flavor of the cake.
Making The Cake Batter
First, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and granulated sweetener until fluffy and lighter in color. It takes about 1 minute at high speed.
Next, add coconut cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Beat on low speed until just combined.
Finally, add the coconut flour, baking powder, and shredded coconut and beat on low speed again until the batter is well combined.
Keep in mind that coconut flour cake batter is slightly thicker and grainy in texture.
Optional Cake Add-Ons
This step is optional. You can stir in the batter some fresh fruits like:
- Pineapple
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
Or some chocolate chips.
Here the gluten-free coconut cake batter is filled with juicy raspberries and dark chocolate chips.
Baking
Line a 9-inch square baking pan with lightly oiled parchment paper. Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F (180°C) or until a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Making Cake Layers
If you want to make a layer of cake, I recommend two options.
- Option 1: fill the pan and bake the entire recipe in a round greased 9-inch cake pan. Then, cool down the cake for a few hours at room temperature and cut the cake lengthwise to form two layers.
- Option 2: bake the recipe in two 9-inch greased round cake pans (or 8 inches for thicker layers). Set the oven on the convection mode if you are baking both layers at the same time. Then place both pans in two different oven levels – center and bottom, for example, and bake until a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Otherwise, bake on the regular mode in the center rack of the oven and keep the over pan at room temperature while the first layer is in the oven.
Cooling Down
Cool the cake layers down on a cooling rack at room temperature for about 1 hour before frosting or adding any toppings.
Decoration
You can serve this coconut flour cake on its own or with some delicious toppings like:
- Whipped cream
- Toasted coconut
- Powdered sugar
- Homemade caramel sauce
If you are making a layer cake, use buttercream frosting to assemble the cake layers.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, unfortunately, the recipe won’t work with gluten-free all-purpose flour or almond flour.
In fact, coconut flour contains four times more fiber than other classic flour, and therefore it requires more liquid in the batter to create a moist cake.
Yes, you can add crushed pineapple pieces to the cake batter.
Absolutely! You can use this recipe to make two 9-inch layers of cake and assemble them.
You can use cane sugar, coconut sugar, or any sugar-free granulated sweetener like allulose or xylitol, or erythritol.
Coconut flour is diabetic-friendly, and if you are using one of the sugar-free sweeteners, the cake will be keto-friendly.
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
If you love gluten-free baking recipes using healthier low-carb flours, I recommend also trying:
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Gluten-Free Coconut Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large Beaten Egg at room temperature
- ½ cup Granulated Sweetener of Choice I used sugar-free erythritol but sugar works as well
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Coconut Extract
- 1 cup Canned Coconut Cream full-fat or heavy cream shake the can before opening and measuring
- ¾ cup Coconut Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Optional – frosting
- 1 cup Whipped Cream
- ¼ cup Toasted Coconut Flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat eggs and granulated sweetener on the high-speed setting until light and fluffy – it takes about one minute.
- Add in vanilla extract, coconut extract, and coconut cream and beat on low speed for a few seconds to combine.
- Fold in coconut flour, baking powder, shredded coconut, and beat on low-medium speed until it forms a thick cake batter.
- Transfer the batter into a 9-inch x 9-inch square baking pan, covered with a piece of oiled parchment paper.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut on top of the cake if desired.
- Bake 40-45 minutes at 350°F (180°C) or until the cake is set in the middle. Insert a skewer in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is baked.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then pull out the pieces of parchment paper to release and transfer the cake to a cooling rack. Cool for about 2-3 hours or until it reaches room temperature.
Storage
- Slice into 12 squares and store the cake for up to 3 days in the fridge, in an airtight container.
- Freeze leftovers in an airtight container and defrost the day before.
Serving suggestion
- Serve with unsweetened whipped cream on top and toasted coconut.
Tools
Getting Started What Is Keto? Macro Calculator Sweetener Converter Intermittent Fasting Keto Fruits Keto Vegetables Keto Flours Fighting Keto Flu Healthy SweetenersWant My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
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Cakes & CupcakesDisclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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Amazing cake! Made this for my sister on Easter. I ended up making 2 because my family ate the first one. I did add some crushed pineapple and it did make it more moist. My sister loved it too!
Amazing! I’ve tried many other gluten free cake recipes, but they all contain a ton of starches. This one doesn’t and it’s so moist and delicious! I’m going to look in your other recipes to see if you have a chocolate cake version, because that would be fantastic. thank you for sharing!
Great recipe! I used sugar and baked for only 35 minutes, it was perfect, moist and delicious, way better than I expected. My celiac colleagues will be enthusiastic. Thank you!
Fabulous and moist cake. Everyone loved it.
This was really tasty! It made everyone’s taste buds happy – including a gluten free family member.
It was a bit dry, but I imagine if I made this with the crushed pineapple then it would be resolved. Or perhaps unsweetened apple sauce.
Served with coconut whip cream to keep this dairy free.
Hello…can I use maple syrup instead of the sugar?
You will get better result swapping a crystal sweeetener by a crystal sweetener so coconut sugar, date sugar or unrefined cane sugar would be my recommendation. Maple syrup should work, but the cake might be a bit too moist to set
I am going to try this cake. I would like to make it for Easter but I need a big cake. Can I double recipe & bake in 9x 11 or 11 x13??
Hi Jeanie,
Yes, if you keep a similar thickness, the cake should bake in about the same time in a larger baking dish, so you can definitely double the recipe.
This cake is amazing! Everyone loved it. I made it on back-to-back weeks, it was SO good! The additions I made for the 2nd go round was to add sliced almonds to the coconut on top, before cooking, & drizzled it w/melted Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips before serving. Fantastic! I also used 1 cup heavy cream w/1 tsp coconut extract because I didn’t have unsweetened coconut cream.
My only other note would be to adjust the recipe cook time. It has 40-45 minutes, which is too long, & you notes in the description before it mentions 30 minutes. Other than that, this is DEFINITELY a keeper.
Hi Carrie, is it possible to omit the Chocolate from this recipient without affecting the moisture levels for the coconut flour?
Absolutely!
Great! The coconut flour makes it a bit dry but the raspberries add some moisture. I’ll just add to your comment about storage – I made these on Thursday and stored them in a plastic container in the pantry but the temperature has been 25-30 degrees C. I just found them mouldy on Sunday morning so next time I’ll only make them for a group of people or store them in the fridge. Do you think they would freeze ok?
Thanks for the lovely feedback. In fact, if it is hot where you live it is safer to store them in the fridge as the jam may get mouldy. I will update the recipe. Thanks again for trying my recipes, XOXO Carine
Just to clarify about this amazing dessert, is it gluten free?
Hi Jonathan, Yes it is 100% gluten free. Coconut flour and coconut are both safe if you don’t tolerate gluten. Of course, always keep an eye on the baking powder you choose from the store – I know that some contains gluten! Pick the right one. Enjoy the recipe and see you soon on the blog. xoxo. Carine.
Is this really a sugar-free recipe with the dark chocolate included? Doesn’t most dark chocolate contain sugar?
Hi Kathleen, No you can use sugar-free dark chocolate. In New Zealand we have got two brands I love that naturally sweetened their chocolate with stevia – the healtheries sugar-free chocolate baking bites – read more here or well naturally sugar free melts. I hope it answers your question! Enjoy the recipe! Carine.
Awesome…….looks so yummy. I can’t wait to make it and taste it. Thanks a lot for sharing this delicious recipe.
For more collection of chocolates: http://mychocolateheaven.com/
Your photography is just beautiful Carine! I’m not a huge fan of raspberries but these look amazing, I love the coconut on the top too!
Thank you so much Amanda. I am more a baker rather than a photographer so it makes me really happy to read your lovely comment. I was not a big fan of berries before but that is one of the fruits I am allowed to eat as a diabetic. But you can substitute them by any kind of fruits I guess.