Gluten-Free Coconut Cake (Dairy-Free)

Gluten-free coconut cake has to be the most popular cake I make. It is rich, fluffy and coconutty. This coconut layer cake is also dairy free and soon to be one of your favorites. Using canned coconut milk and shredded coconut, it’s full of flavor!

For more of my gluten-free and dairy free cake recipes, check out my gluten-free lemon cake and gluten-free vanilla layer cake.

Gluten-Free Flour Blends

Store Bought Gluten-Free Flour

If you prefer a store-bought blend, I recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour. Be sure to check out my collection of King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour recipes. Cup4Cup (contains milk powder) and Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend are also good certified gluten-free options. Omit the xanthan gum in the recipe if your flour blend contains guar gum, xanthan gum or inulin.

DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend

My custom blend of sorghum, millet and brown rice flours is my favorite for this cake. Some of the depth of flavor comes from the variety of gluten-free flours I use. I know it’s a little more of a hassle to have a bunch of different flours lying around but I think it’s worth it. See my tips for baking with gluten-free flour.

Also, strictly gluten-free people really need to branch out beyond the regular rice flour blends. Vitacost.com has an excellent selection of affordable, CERTIFIED gluten-free flours and has all the flours I use in my blends.

Here is my special flour blend that I love for this cake recipe and many more of my gluten-free recipes:

• 1 c sweet white sorghum flour
• 3/4 c millet flour
• 1/4 c brown rice flour
• 2/3 c potato starch
• 1/3 c tapioca starch

See the notes in the recipe for a super simple DIY gluten-free flour blend. You can save quite a bit by mixing your own.

Coconut Cake Ingredients

When I developed this recipe I had trouble getting the coconut flavor to survive the baking process. But canned coconut milk along with plenty of coconut extract does the trick. To get a noticeable coconut flavor in the cake, canned coconut milk is key. Be sure that you use regular, not light coconut milk. Especially in cooler weather, coconut milk tends to separate in the can. There will be a firm, creamy white layer on top and the more translucent coconut water on bottom. It is important that you warm the coconut milk so that the water and cream will combine. Heat in a microwave safe bowl for 30 to 40 seconds and whisk vigorously until there are no chunks of coconut cream. Then measure.

In addition to the coconut milk, I use 2 TABLEspoons of coconut extract or flavoring. This sounds like a lot of extract, but this is what it takes to give this cake a definite coconut flavor.

Shredded Coconut – I like to coat my gluten-free coconut cake with a combination of unsweetened toasted and untoasted coconut. With a sugary frosting, I feel like sweetened coconut is too much. To toast the shredded coconut, place it in a dry pan and toss until it begins to turn golden. Remove from the pan as soon as it browns! The residual heat of the pan will burn it quickly.

How to Stack a 2 Layer Cake

For a bakery style layer cake with 2 even layers and a nice flat, sharp edged top, here is how to assemble the cake:

• Use a long blade, serrated knife.
• Hold it parallel to the counter top and shave off the domed part of the cake top. Do this for both layers.
• Place one of the layers on a cake plate, cake board or cake turntable, bottom side down.
• Coat just the top of this layer with frosting.
• Place the other layer on top of it, bottom side up. This will give you a nice flat, sharp edged top layer.
• Now frost the outside of the cake

This gluten-free cake pops recipe is a perfect way to use the trimmings from the cake. You’ll just need a little extra frosting and cake pop sticks, that’s it!

Cake Frosting

The recipe card includes my recipe for cream cheese frosting but this cake would also be fantastic with my vanilla buttercream frosting or my 2 ingredient vegan chocolate frosting. Check out my full list of frosting recipes.

Fluffy & Moist Gluten-Free Coconut Layer Cake

Author: Janet Harlow

Course: Baked Goods

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 8″ or 9″ layers or 24 cupcakes

Gluten-free coconut cake has to be the most popular cake I make. It is rich, fluffy and coconutty. This coconut layer cake is also dairy-free and soon to be one of your favorites. Using canned coconut milk and shredded coconut, it’s full of flavor!

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Recommended Products

• King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cake

• ¾ c canned coconut milk
• 2½ c gluten-free flour blend*
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp xanthan gum omit if your flour blend contains xanthan or guar gum
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 c sugar
• 1 c oil
• 2 Tbsp coconut extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 6 c powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract, powder or bean paste
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 c unsweetened shredded coconut (for coating the frosted cake)

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the oven to 350° and line the pans with parchment and spray with oil.
• The canned coconut milk usually separates into coconut cream on top and coconut water on the bottom. Place the contents of the can in a small pot or in a microwave safe bowl and heat until warm. Remove from the heat and whisk until the mixture is uniform there are no lumps of coconut cream. Then measure out ¾ cup.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt together in a small mixing bowl.
• Beat the sugar, eggs, oil, milk and coconut extract and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture and mix until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans — about 2½ cups batter per pan. Or fill standard cupcake liners 2/3 full.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes for 8" layers, 30-35 minutes for 9" layers or 18-20 minutes for cupcakes or until the top is set in the center and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool the layers or cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Toast half of the shredded coconut in a dry pan until it begins to brown. Remove from the pan immediately!

Make the Frosting

• Be sure that the cream cheese and butter are very soft. If they are not soft enough, the frosting will be lumpy. They can be heated in the microwave in short bursts of 5-10 seconds to soften.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until the mixture is creamy and uniform – about 1½-2 minutes.
• Add ⅓ of the powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining 2 thirds.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the salt and vanilla and Beat on high for 10 seconds. Any longer and the frosting will have large air pockets.
• This frosting should not go more than 3 hours without refrigeration.

Assemble the Cake

• Use a long serrated knife to shave the dome off of the 2 layers, creating a flat, mostly level top.
• Put about 1 cup of frosting on top of one of the layers and spread evenly using firm pressure.
• Place the second layer on top, bottom side up. Coat the top and sides of the cake.
• Immediately coat with shredded coconut.

Notes

This recipe was tested with my DIY blend and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure and All purpose flours.

Here is my special flour blend that I love for this cake recipe and many more of my gluten-free recipes:

1 c sweet white sorghum flour
3/4 c millet flour
1/4 c brown rice flour
2/3 c potato starch
1/3 c tapioca starch

For an easy DIY gluten-free flour blend, combine:        
2 c brown rice flour        
2/3 c potato starch       
1/3 cup tapioca starch

Nutrition

Serving: 4ozCalories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 185mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25g

Did you make this recipe?Let me know how it was! Tag @chefjanetk on Instagram.