This Gluten Free Almond Coconut Cake is a light and airy cake topped with a rich cream cheese frosting and shredded coconut that will be a welcome addition to your Easter and spring menu.
Spring Recipes
Finally with the break in the weather, it actually feels like spring is here. The nicer weather puts me in the mood to start thinking of spring and Easter.
I love Easter, the spring flowers, food and Easter baskets are all so cheerful. The memories of celebrating always make me smile.
One of my favorite memories about last Easter was a delicious coconut cake that I had at a local Cincinnati restaurant. I can’t get it out of my mind, it was that good.
How to Make Gluten Free Almond Coconut Cake
I have been craving that cake all year, but wanted to come up with a gluten free version of what I remember about the recipe.
Using almond flour and coconut flour in place of all-purpose flour allows this recipe to be gluten-free. The flavor combination of almonds and coconut are dynamite (think Almond Joy minus the chocolate) meaning you won’t miss the gluten one bit.
How to Get a Moist Almond and Coconut Flour Cake
Yogurt and coconut-almond milk (you can also use plain almond or plain coconut milk instead) make this gluten free almond coconut cake perfectly moist, which to me, is one of the most important factors in a delicious cake.
Cakes that use almond flour and coconut flour tend to be a little dry, so adding yogurt and milk helps to add some moisture, in addition to more flavor.
How to Store Almond Coconut Cake
Cakes tend to dry out quickly, but this cake will stay moist for up to four days if stored in an airtight container. You can also use a cake dome to keep the frosting from melting.
If you want to take it a step further, you can freeze the undecorated cake for up to two months.
Make-Ahead Tip: The cake can be made a day in advance and stored, covered, in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.
I hope you enjoy this Gluten Free Almond Coconut Cake recipe as much as I do.
Looking for Other Easter Recipes Click (Here)
Gluten Free Almond Coconut Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 3/4 cup Almond Flour
- 4 tablespoons Coconut Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups confectioners sugar sifted
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut almond milk
- 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
Frosting:
- 16 ounces of cream cheese room temperature
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar sifted
- 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
Cake
-
Preheat oven to 350 ° and grease two 9" round cake pans, or spray with organic baking spray.
-
Add flours, cream of tartar, and salt in bowl
-
In bowl of electric mixer beat butter on high until butter is lighter and creamed, about 3-5 minutes. Lower speed of mixer to low and add eggs and extracts until mixed, and then slowly add confectioner sugar until blended.
-
Alternating between, flour mix, yogurt and milk add in thirds (1/3 flour, 1/3 yogurt, 1/3 milk) until, blended.
-
Add coconut to mix to stir and divide mixture between two prepared pans.
-
Tap down to settle and bake for 45-47 minutes.
-
Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.
Frosting:
-
Add cream cheese and butter to electric mixing bowl and beat on high until smooth and creamy.
-
Add extracts to blend.
-
Lower mixing speed and slowly add confections sugar.
-
To assemble place 1 layer on a cake plate, top side down, and spread 1/3 of the frosting over the top.
-
Place the second cake layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides.
-
To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut.
-
Serve at room temperature.
Gluten Free Peach Layer Cake
Apricots with Goat Cheese and Almond
Gluten Free Blood Orange Cake
Italian Almond Pear Cake
Looking for a great GF carrot cake recipe as Earthfare stopped carrying theirs in the bakery – shame on them! It was better than a normal carrot cake!
What size pan did you use for the cakes?
Thanks!
Hi Kells,
I used a 6 cup/ 1.8 Liters 14 x 9″ 6 cake pan.
Thanks Amy!
Hi Kells,
I made this last night, and OH MY it’s delicious!! But the batter did not rise AT ALL. Is that how gluten free cakes work? I know it’s really difficult to get them to rise. Would it help if I added baking powder/soda? Should I separate the egg yolks from the whites and beat the whites? If I did that I would think adding the cream of tartar to the egg whites would help stabilize them a bit more. I also feel as if sifting the flour mix would help too? I also had to use coconut milk (separated, drained the water) because the person I’m making this for has strict allergies.
I would love some feedback before I try it again tonight! (Fingers crossed that it will rise a bit more!!)
Melanie,
Glad the you liked the cake. Yep it is tough to get that gluten free batter to rise. Separate egg yolks and the whites. Add yolks where directions specify, and whip egg whites to soft peaks. When the rest of your cake is combined, take 1/3 of your whites and mix in to the cake, then take the rest and fold it gently in. This will, hopefully, give you a lot more lift to your cake without sacrificing the structural integrity when you are baking.
Hope this helps,
xo
Amy
Hi Melanie,
My cake didn’t rise either, but my client LOVED the cake. I’m actually using the recipe for a wedding cake! But honestly, it’s easier for me to fill my pans completely, and not have them rise. That way when they’re ready to put icing on, I can count on having a cake with a flat top. The bride has a flower arrangement for the top of the cake.
Please let me know if the separating the eggs works though!
Thanks,
Kells
5 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar?????Not healthy , not even a treat!
I made this cake, but half of the recipe because I wanted just one cake. It’s delicious my family loved it! However, it’s like a pudding cake, not a cake. Any clue?
Hi Lilan, Not sure what you mean by pudding cake?
Hello, I want to bake this cake for Easter. Can i use a bundt cake pan?
Christine, Yes it should work fine. Though I don’t know the proper cup size to tell you what size pan to use.
I’m about to embark on a journey to make this magical cake that I have been salivating over since I saw it a few months ago. Will be serving tomorrow at a family Easter party. Will return with reviews!! Thanks Amy!!
Great Amanda, I hope your family loves it!
I’m preparing this cake mix and your ingredients list calls for almond and vanilla extracts but the directions don’t say where/when to add the extracts. Did I miss it? I see it for the frosting but not the cake mix. Any suggestions?
Liz,
Sorry for the omission, I fixed the recipe. You add the extracts when you add the eggs.
Awesome! Thanks so much. I ended up adding them at the end and it worked just fine. Recipe is delicious!
I haven’t read every comment, so perhaps you’ve already answered this. Just wondering if you having suggestions for substitutions for all the confectioners sugar-that’s A LOT of refined sugar!
Kristi, The only powdered sugar substitution I have been able to find for making frosting is coconut sugar. Use same amount of coconut sugar as you would use powdered. Process coconut sugar in food processor until it starts to turn into a powder. You still end up with a delicious frosting flavor, however the texture will be a tiny bit grainy {the more you process into a powder the better} and the color will be brown. Hope this helps!
What can I use instead of confectioner’s sugar? For sweeteners I only use honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar. Please tell me what I can use instead. Thanks!!
Ilene, try the frosting that I used on my Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes. You can just skip the puree… or not.:) http://ahealthylifeforme.com/blackberry-lemon-cupcakes/
This frosting needs to keep refrigerated or it will become too soft.
can you make this recipe into cupcakes?
Hi Kristin, you can. You may end up with an odd number of cupcakes. Cook them around 20 minutes.
Spring is my absolute favorite time of year here in DC! This cake is gorgeous – I can never resist coconut! Love that it’s gluten-free.
I made this for my husband’s birthday cake and it was superb. Many people wanted the recipe and were surprised upon learning it was paleo. I’d post a photo if it were possible. Thanks for the recipe.
P.S. I should mention that I substituted xylitol and stevia for the sugar as I’m diabetic, and my version was not strict paleo but it was extremely delicious and beautifully moist.
Hiya
Can you please explain the abbreviations at the start of your recipes (which by the way look delicious.)
[br] [b] Cake: [/b]
Thanks a million.
Hi Martha,
I am having trouble with the application that handles my recipes.
There is no abbreviation.
Sorry for the confusion. Amy
Hi! I just came across this! It’s my absolutely all time favorite cake. I am wondering if the layers can be wrapped and frozen. I am having a large dinner party and would like to get some things done in advance. I spent 35 years in WDC. It does have the best spring! Even though we were jaded locals, we still fought the traffic and the parking to see the cherry blossoms. They are all over Northern Virginia and Maryland but they are always the best at the Tidal Basin. You saw Washington at the best time!
I did everything the recipe said to do. But the batter was a very stiff batter and I had to pat it in the pan. It is a very crumbly cooked cake. 🙁Are all the measurements correct. Has anyone else had this problem?
I can’t have sugar can I substitute confectioners sugar with Natvia or similar