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Gluten-Free Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 10 servings

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Last updated on May 17, 2024

It’s another big day here on The Recipe Rebel.

My first one-layer cake.

one layer gluten free coconut cake on parchment paper topped with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles

I know, I know – what’s the big deal? I just always find that a 2 or 3 or 4 layer cake gets a few more oohs and aahs, you know? And apparently I work for oohs and aahs.

But I thought maybe sometimes people look at a multi-layer cake and think, “too much work,” so I thought I’d keep it simple today.

So I mentioned when I made this Mexican Chocolate Cake that I was really intrigued by this idea of naturally flourless baking. Both of the recipes are from the cookbook Flourless by Nicole Spiridakis, and if you’re interested in naturally gluten-free baking, you need to get this book.

overhead image of gluten free coconut cake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles

I’m not trying to sell you anything, I’m just saying the way she comes up with flour substitutes that you can find in your own pantry is amazing. Since I’m not gluten-free, I don’t have a whole slew of specialty products to bake with.

I wanted to try another one of her recipes for an Easter dessert, and I saw she had some carrot cake cupcakes. I tried them out, and they were good – the texture was great and they were super moist – but they had a stronger carrot flavor than I’m used to.

And I’m just not one who eats carrot cake for the carrots. You know?

slice of coconut cake on white plate with a bite taken off the end

So I skimmed through all of my dog-eared pages and came across this coconut cake. The hubs and I both really like coconut, so I decided to give it a whirl.

I have found that my blender can get these flourless cake batters smoother than my big expensive food processor, and I really recommend finding something that can get it super smooth.

The other great thing about making the batter in the blender is that you just dump it in, turn it on, and then pour it right out into your pan. It’s way easier!

I didn’t have the full amount of coconut required for the recipe, but I remembered that she used oats as a flour substitute in the Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake, so I threw in a few oats to make up the difference. I added the corn starch to the blender last so that it would have an easier time getting the coconut and oats smooth.

I was a little nervous when I pulled it out of the oven. It looked good, and the toothpick came out clean, but it didn’t look 100% like a regular cake. I flipped it out onto a wire rack and saw that there were some indentations in the bottom that I’d never seen in any other cake.

When I cut into it I could feel that it had a somewhat dense texture, and I wasn’t sure if it would be too dry or chewy.

Let me tell you, it is not dry at all! It is a denser cake, but I’ve made regular wheat flour cakes with a similar texture. It is not at all like a crumbly, cheap cake mix. It is super moist and has great coconut flavour!

With a slather of cream cheese frosting, it’s perfect for Easter or Spring!

*Note: I used a small amount of oats in this recipe because I didn’t have the full amount of coconut. If you need the cake to be entirely gluten-free, make sure you use certified gluten-free oats. Otherwise, use the full amount of coconut (and no oats).

*Update: April 6, 2015: I made this again for Easter with all coconut and no oats, and we loved it again! It’s definitely an easier way to get a fully gluten-free cake than buying certified gluten-free oats. You could make it either way and it would be awesome.

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Gluten-Free Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 1 vote
Gluten-Free Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: a super easy, naturally flourless cake that’s moist and full of coconut flavor! Perfect for Easter or Spring! www.thereciperebel.com
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Servings 10 servings
Calories 374cal

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 7 tbsp unsalted butter cut into pieces
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup instant or quick oats
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch

Frosting:

  • 4 oz cream cheese ½ package
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2-4 cups powdered icing sugar to reach desired consistency
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Line an 8” round pan with wax or parchment paper and grease the pan and the paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • To a blender or food processor, add eggs, butter, vanilla, coconut, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. Don’t be afraid to let the mixture process for a good 3-6 minutes – you want it as smooth as possible.
  • Add in the corn starch and puree until smooth and combined.
  • Pour into prepared pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs (but never batter!).
  • Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • For the frosting, combine cream cheese and vanilla in a stand mixer (or use a handheld) until smooth. Add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
  • Frost cake when completely cooled.

Notes

*Use certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free cake

Nutrition Information

Calories: 374cal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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Recipe adapted from Flourless by Nicole Spiridakis.

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  2. Justine | Cooking and Beer says

    I am really, really, really TERRIBLE at baking cakes. Like take your children, run and hide from my cakes. I partially blame the altitude, but we all know the real reason. I’m just horrible at cake baking. 😉 So loving this, Ashley and totally jealous of your skills!

    Reply

  5. Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says

    This coconut cake looks amazing! I am all for the single layer, less calories for me! lol Pinned!

    Reply

  8. Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says

    I have a few friends and family members with Celiac’s Disease who would love this. Although I’m not gluten-free, I do enjoy some of the treats especially if they’re made with almond or coconut flour. 😀

    Reply

  9. Danielle says

    Double or triple layer cakes are great too, but sometimes a single layer is all you need! This looks so delicious, Ashley! That frosting on top sounds delicious too.

    Reply

  14. Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says

    I am so the girl that passes up layer cakes. I just can’t make them pretty in my opinion. I want to, but they just turn out blah and messy. My OCD really kicks in then, hehe. This sounds delicious and gluten free. I really want to try another GF dessert. I tried my hand at it a while back and just didn’t like the texture. Gonna try this one for sure.

    Reply

  16. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says

    This is amazing Ashley! That cake looks perfect! Would never guess that it was gluten free. And I love that it’s made from coconut flakes and oats, rather than coconut flour and oat flour. The blender will get these nice and smoothed out. Can’t wait to make this!

    Reply

  18. Shashi at RunninSrilankan says

    I try to bake mostly gluten free treats (for my daughter) and love using ground up oats as a flour sub – and while I’ve used coconut flour before – I’ve never used flaked coconut to make a whole cake like you mentioned the original was made from! This is gorgeous Ashley! Love the texture of coconut and oats!

    Reply

  19. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

    Ashley, this cake is anything but simple!! So pretty! Wow, no flour and sweetened flaked coconut and instant oats?! I’m so intrigued!!! this cake is fabulous! hooray for your first one-layer cake!!

    Reply

  20. Melanie @ Carmel Moments says

    Love this Ashley! It doesn’t have to be double decker to look good. I’d say it’s just right!
    Have a lovely Wednesday!

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

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