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This Coconut Flour Cake is the perfect gluten-free dessert for your next birthday party or celebration. Just like my Coconut Flour Brownies, all you need is a handful of simple ingredients to make it! (And it doesn’t have an overwhelming coconut flavor.)
It’s one of the best Paleo cakes I’ve ever made.
I purposely don’t use coconut oil or coconut milk in this recipe to help the vanilla flavor shine through. This recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup, so it has a hint of maple flavor. It reminds me slightly of eating pancakes… in the best possible way. My kids can’t stop eating it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“The recipe is wonderful! Great taste and great texture. You barely notice it’s coconut flour! Everybody loved it.” – Silvina
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Coconut Flour. This can vary by brand, so I’ve also included the weight in grams, in case you prefer to measure that way. I scoop the measuring cup into the flour, and level off the excess with the back of a knife. Most recently, I’ve tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill brand coconut flour, and it worked well.
- Eggs. Coconut flour requires more eggs than regular flour does, so don’t be surprised by how little flour you’ll need compared to the number of eggs. This is not the time to use an egg substitute. If you need an egg-free Paleo cake, check out my vegan gluten-free chocolate cake.
- Olive Oil. You can use any vegetable oil you prefer for this recipe, but I don’t recommend coconut oil or butter, as they will change the cake’s texture. I like to use olive oil, and I can’t taste it after the cake is baked.
- Maple Syrup. This is my favorite sweetener for Paleo baking. It adds a hint of maple flavor without being overpowering.
- Baking Powder. This helps the cake rise much more than baking soda, so don’t confuse the two.
- Vanilla Extract. I add plenty of vanilla to this recipe to help balance any hint of coconut flavor from the flour.
Note: Coconut flour can be tricky to work with, so be sure to follow this recipe closely for the best results. I had to test over 20 variations of this cake to get the texture and flavor right, so experiment at your own risk.
How to Make Coconut Flour Cake
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, then spray two 6-inch pans lightly with oil and line them with parchment paper. (Coconut flour is sticky, so you want to guarantee the cakes will release from the pan later.) Alternatively, you can prepare one 8-inch pan for a single-layer cake.
In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, eggs, olive oil, maple syrup, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, and water. Use a whisk to stir until you see no lumps.
Step 2:
Pour the cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans. They won’t be even halfway full; this makes a relatively small cake!
Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until the top of each cake is lightly golden and the center feels firm to the touch.
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Step 3:
Let the cakes cool completely before attempting to remove them from the pan. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cakes out of each pan.
Assuming the cakes are totally cool, you can start adding your favorite frosting. (See suggestions below!)
Note: If you frost a warm cake, the frosting may melt off before you’re ready to serve. Make sure it’s totally cool before you decorate it!
Frosting Suggestions
This cake in these photos is topped with my Sweet Potato Frosting, made with white sweet potatoes, to keep the “vanilla” look. But here are some other naturally-sweetened frostings to try!
- Date-Sweetened Vegan Frosting
- 2-Ingredient Chocolate Ganache (one of my favorites!)
- Vegan “Cream Cheese” Frosting
Coconut Flour Cake (Perfectly Fluffy!)
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour , leveled
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly spray two 6-inch cake pans with oil. Press a square of parchment paper into the bottom of each pan, to make removing the cakes easier later. Alternatively, you can use one 8-inch cake pan for this recipe, instead.
- In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, eggs, olive oil, baking powder, vanilla, maple syrup, salt, and water. Use a whisk to mix well, breaking up any clumps.
- Pour the batter into the two prepared pans. Bake the two 6-inch pans for 25 minutes at 350ºF, or until the top looks lightly golden and the center feels firm to a light touch. An 8-inch cake needs to bake for 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan.
- Once the cake is cool, you can frost it with your favorite topping. You'll get a 2-layer cake if you use the two 6-inch pans, or a single layer with the 8-inch pans.
- This cake should be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, but keep in mind that it will start to dry out the longer you store it. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving again for the best flavor and texture.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Coconut Flour Recipes
- Best Ever Coconut Flour Banana Bread
- Perfect Coconut Flour Pancakes
- Healthy Carrot Cake
- Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Best Coconut Flour Waffles
- Coconut Flour Cupcakes
If you try this Coconut Flour Cake, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear how those work out for you, too. We can all benefit from your experience.
This was soooooo good! followed measurements to a gram. Actually my first time baking with coconut flour and obsessed with the taste. I wasn’t sure about all the vanilla but it was perfect. I’m curious how coconut oil would be as the oil but not sure if I feel like experimenting – but the flavor might be more coconutty which I would like.
I was wondering if I can sub extra-virgin olive oil with Coconut Oil?
Sure, I think that would work!
Can I use a rectangle pan for this recipe?
Can you us a egg substitute
It came out terrible, what did I do wrong?
You’ll have to give more info if you would like feedback. What exactly was “terrible” about it? What did your process look like? Did you follow the recipe and directions exactly, or did you make changes? No one could possibly know what went wrong without that information!
Hi,
If I bake just one 6″ pan using half of this recipe, would I bake it for the full 25 mins or less? Also, when I click “metric”, it gives me conflicting gram amounts for each ingredient. So which do I follow?
Thank you.
I made this and my cakes looked like two pancakes….very flat….what went wrong?
Made this as cup cakes just baked for 18 min.
Made a pudding with rice flour and almond milk and cut berries to make a gluten and dairy free strawberry shortcake.
I’ve just made this and it looks like a biscuit!! What went wrong ??
I loved this recipe so much! I made it for my 30th birthday & it came out wonderfully! I added sprinkles and made my own “funfetti” version, topped with sour cream frosting.
That sounds amazing! I’m making the cake as we speak. Could you post your sour cream frosting recipe please?!?!
Great recipe! It came out nice and fluffy. I was worried it would be too dense but it’s perfect. I didn’t have maple syrup so I used an equivalence of brown sugar. Sprinkled some dedicated coconut as well 😋