Moist and airy vegan coconut caramel cake with fluffy vegan caramel buttercream, sweet and creamy vegan caramel sauce, and shredded coconut to top off the cake.
This recipe makes a two layer 5 inch cake!
No amount of adjectives can describe how good this cake is! Can you believe that this recipe is 100% dairy and egg free?? Even without animal products, the texture and taste of the cake remains top tier.
Coconut and caramel is such an underrated flavour combo. I just love how the sweetness of the caramel balances the creaminess of the coconut. Coincidentally, coconut cream is perfect for cakes, as it is very creamy and makes the cake soft and moist.
Read on to learn how to make this cake recipe, and don’t forget to give this recipe a star rating if you try it out!
Coconut caramel cake
The cake is made by curdling non dairy milk and apple cider vinegar, sifting together dry ingredients, and adding wet ingredients in the bowl of dry mix. The batter is then baked in a non stick 5 inch cake pan until a toothpick comes out clean.
Dry ingredients
- All purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- unsweetened shredded coconut
Wet ingredients
- non dairy milk
- apple cider vinegar
- coconut cream
- vegetable oil
- vegan caramel sauce (I have an easy homemade recipe on my blog!)
Vegan caramel buttercream
The buttercream is made with just 3 ingredients: unsalted vegan butter, icing sugar, and vegan caramel sauce.
Assembling the cake
Assembling a cake can either be excitably fun, or frustratingly dreadful. Unless you are making this cake for a special occasion, I’m here to tell you that your cake does not need to look flawless- it will taste great either way! 🙂
To assemble the cake, you will need the following equipment:
- Cake plate
- Cake stand (preferably one that can rotate)
- Angled spatula
- Medium piping bag
- Piping tip of your choice (I used the 1M star tip from Wilton)
Ingredients needed
- one 5 inch cake sliced in half diagonally – you can use a long serrated knife, or a cake levelling tool.
- caramel buttercream
- caramel sauce
- shredded coconut
Start by sticking a layer of cake on the cake plate using a small smear of buttercream. Spread buttercream evenly on the first layer of the cake using the angled spatula. It’s okay if the buttercream sticks out from the sides. Place the second layer of cake on top, making sure it aligns with the bottom layer.
Coat the two layers of cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This will be the “crumb coat”, which will secure the two layers of cake in place, and trap any cake crumbs. Refrigerate the cake for 5mins, remove the cake from the fridge, and spread on the final layer of buttercream.
To decorate the cake:
- Carefully press shredded coconut onto the sides of the cake. You can add as much shredded coconut as you like!
- Drizzle the caramel sauce down the sides of the cake using a squeeze bottle or a small dessert spoon.
- Fill a piping bag with buttercream and pipe florets on top of the cake. This is where you can get creative and pipe your own designs.
- Sprinkle on some more shredded coconut, and voila!
FAQ
You can slice 8 small slices of cake.
For sure! I would recommend thinning out the sauce for the cake batter if it is very thick.
I have not tried substituting all purpose flour for gluten-free flour. If you do, please let me know how it goes!
For baking, I like to use soy, almond, or cashew milk!
Have a questions about this recipe? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me a DM on Instagram! I’d love to help you out. 🙂
Some similar vegan dessert recipes for you:
- Vegan chocolate Oreo cake
- Salted caramel apple galette
- Carrot sheet cake with spiced cream cheese frosting
Vegan Coconut Caramel Cake
Ingredients
Coconut caramel cake
- ½ cup unsweetened non dairy milk
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp coconut cream
- 2 tbsp vegan caramel sauce
Caramel buttercream
- 1 ½ cup unsalted vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup icing sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup vegan caramel sauce
Decorations
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- remaining caramel sauce
Instructions
Make the caramel sauce
- Make the vegan caramel sauce using my Traditional Vegan Caramel Sauce recipe.
- Alternatively, you can use your own store bought vegan caramel sauce. You will need about 1 cup for the entire recipe.
Make the coconut caramel cake
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and set the oven racks to the middle.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the non dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside to curdle.½ cup unsweetened non dairy milk, ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- Meanwhile, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Mix in the shredded coconut.¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1 cup all purpose flour
- Make a well in the bowl of dry ingredients and pour in the curdled plant milk, vegetable oil, coconut cream, and caramel sauce.1 tbsp coconut cream, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp vegan caramel sauce
- Mix the batter using a spatula until smooth and thick.
- Pour the batter into a non stick 5 inch cake pan.
- Bake the cake for 35-40mins, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 5 mins before carefully transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the caramel buttercream
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric or stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth.1 ½ cup unsalted vegan butter
- Gradually add the icing sugar while beating on low. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.½ cup icing sugar
- Gradually pour in the caramel sauce. Beat on high until the buttercream has increased in volume (about 5 mins).¼ cup vegan caramel sauce
- Use immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use. Remove the buttercream from the fridge 30 mins before frosting.
Assembling the cake
- Evenly slice the cake lengthwise to create 2 layers.
- Tape a cake plate onto a spinning cake stand.
- Secure the first layer of cake on a cake plate using a small dollop of buttercream. Spread about ½ cup of buttercream on the first layer of cake.
- Place the second layer of cake on top, making sure it aligns with the first layer. Coat the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream to create the crumb coat.
- Refrigerate the coated cake for 5 mins, or until the buttercream hardens slightly.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and cover the crumb coat with a final layer of buttercream.
- Use a spoon or your hands to press the shredded coconut on the sides of the cake. Drizzle the caramel sauce down the sides of the cake using a squeeze bottle or a small dessert spoon. Pipe buttercream florets around the cake using a piping bag and piping tip of your choice. Finally, sprinkling some shredded coconut on top of the cake.½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, remaining caramel sauce
Notes
Storage instructions
- Store the cake in a cake container, or slice the cake and store in smaller containers in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Extra buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month
- You can freeze unfrosted cake for up to 1 month. Do not refreeze the cake once you thaw it for decorating.
