Moist, fluffy and coconutty, this healthy gluten-free coconut cake is just wonderful. It is made with coconut flour and sweetened with honey.
I adore this gluten-free coconut cake. It’s moist, fluffy and coconutty. And so easy to make! It’s just perfect with a steaming cup of coffee, and I’ll go ahead and admit it – I sometimes like to have it for my breakfast! Especially on weekends.
When I started experimenting with gluten-free baking I fully expected to compromise on taste and texture, but I’m happy to report that this gluten-free coconut cake is at least as good as a wheat flour cake.
Why no frosting on this cake?
It’s true that I don’t frost this cake. I think it’s unnecessary, as it’s so very good just as it is. Plus, adding frosting would force me to reclassify it from “breakfast” to “dessert.” 😀
You could, of course, add frosting if you wish. Simply mix together 8 oz softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 teaspoon coconut extract. You can mix it by hand with a hand whisk, but be thorough and whisk until very fluffy.
J’s amazing coconut cake
Speaking of frosted coconut cake. My good friend and ex-neighbor J. used to bake this amazing, tall coconut layer cake, back when she was living next door to us. It was an elaborate recipe that took several hours to make and included adding toasted coconut flakes on top of the beautifully frosted cake.
It was an amazing cake, quite unhealthy of course (lots of sugar and white flour). But who cares- she only made it on special occasions, notably for my oldest daughter’s birthdays (my daughter loves coconut). Good neighbors are hard to find. I miss J. and her family.
Is this a healthy recipe?
It’s healthy for a cake. It’s still cake, and it’s fairly high in carbs. So this gluten-free coconut cake shouldn’t displace other, more nutritious foods from your diet. but if you’re going to have cake, then this is certainly an improvement over refined-flour-and-sugar cakes.
How to store gluten-free coconut cake
Once completely cool, I keep leftover cake slices in the fridge, in Ziploc bags. I very briefly warm them in the microwave prior to enjoying, 10 seconds per slice. You can also freeze individual slices in freezer bags.
More gluten-free cakes you might enjoy
This coconut flour cake is excellent too, and less coconutty. Whether that’s a plus or a minus is up to you to decide. And this gluten-free pumpkin cake is wonderfully fluffy and fragrant.
Gluten Free Coconut Cake
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for the pan
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, soft (50 grams)
- 1 cup canned coconut milk, full fat, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (75 grams)
- 1 cup coconut flour (130 grams)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a glass pie dish (9.5 inches, 24cm) with butter.
- Place all the ingredients in the food processor. Process until combined.
- Transfer the thick batter to the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top with a spatula, or with your hands. Bake 40 minutes, then carefully shield the edges with foil strips and continue baking 10 more minutes, or until browned and fragrant and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on a cooling rack 10 minutes, then invert onto a cutting board and back onto the cooling rack. Let cool 20 more minutes before slicing and serving. Leftovers keep several days in the fridge. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
