Coconut Cake

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For Father’s Day, I dedicated this traditional coconut cake to my father. The lessons he taught me and his culture are still pillars in my life today. I’m forever grateful that I had the privilege to be his daughter, and I hope I continue to make him proud.

Making this coconut cake is one of the ways I honor his memory and keep his traditions alive with my family. Every time I grate fresh nutmeg and the aroma fills my kitchen, I’m transported back to watching my childhood — watching his sisters move with such confidence and ease in the kitchen, the way they wouldn’t have to taste anything along the way but still bake magic. They cooked with instinct, and I like to think some of that instinct lives in me now.

This cake carries all of that love. It’s soft, fluffy, and rich in warm spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and just a whisper of allspice. The coconut oil and coconut milk give it an incredible moistness, and those coconut flakes folded into the batter add the most beautiful texture in every bite.

This recipe makes a full 9×13 sheet pan, which makes it absolutely perfect for family gatherings, potlucks, and parties. Top it with dairy-free whipped cream and a generous sprinkle of coconut flakes, and trust me — no one will believe it’s vegan.

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📖 Recipe Overview

Here’s what makes this coconut cake so special:

• Incredibly Moist — Coconut oil and coconut milk work together to create a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that stays soft for days.
• Beautifully Spiced — A warm blend of cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, ginger, and allspice gives this cake a depth of flavor that sets it apart from your average coconut cake.
• Easy Sheet Pan Bake — No layering, no leveling, no fussing. One pan, one batter, done. It feeds a crowd and looks gorgeous doing it.
• 100% Vegan — Made without eggs, dairy, or butter. Applesauce stands in as the binder, and it works beautifully.
• Perfect for Gatherings — This is the kind of cake you bring to a cookout, a family reunion, or a holiday table and watch disappear.

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🧾 Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s everything that goes into this beautiful cake:

Dry Ingredients

• All-purpose flour — The base of the cake. I haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour yet, but if you do, let me know in the comments!
• Baking powder + baking soda — This combination gives the cake its beautiful rise and fluffy texture.
• Salt — Balances out the sweetness and enhances all the spice flavors.
• Cinnamon — Warm and familiar, this is the backbone of the spice blend.
• Fresh nutmeg, grated — Please, please use fresh nutmeg here. Pre-ground just doesn’t compare. The fragrance is everything.
• Ginger powder — Adds a subtle warmth that rounds out the spice profile.
• Allspice — Just a tiny pinch goes a long way. It ties all the other spices together.

Wet Ingredients

• Organic sugar + brown sugar — The combination of white and brown sugar gives the cake sweetness with a hint of molasses depth.
• Coconut oil — Melted coconut oil keeps this cake incredibly moist and adds a subtle coconut flavor throughout.
• Applesauce — Acts as the egg replacer here. It adds moisture and helps bind the batter without any eggs.
• Coconut milk — Full-fat canned coconut milk is what you want. It makes the crumb rich and tender.
• Almond extract + vanilla extract — This combination is chef’s kiss. The almond extract adds a warmth and nuttiness that complements the coconut perfectly.
• Lemon juice — Activates the baking soda and adds the tiniest brightness to balance all that richness.

For Finishing

• Coconut flakes — Folded into the batter AND sprinkled on top for maximum coconut in every bite.
• Dairy-free whipped cream — For serving. I love a generous dollop (or full covering) on top.

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🥣 How to Make This Vegan Coconut Cake

The full recipe with exact measurements is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here’s a step-by-step walkthrough so you know exactly what to expect.

Step 1: Prep Your Pan

Parchment-line a 9×13 baking pan, letting the parchment hang over the sides — this makes it so much easier to lift the cake out later. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Step 2: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Give it a good whisk to combine, then set it aside.

Step 3: Mix the Sugars and Coconut Oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine both sugars with the melted coconut oil. Whisk together until everything is thoroughly combined and you don’t see any dry sugar pockets.

Step 4: Add the Wet Ingredients

Add the applesauce, coconut milk, almond extract, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture. Whisk until smooth and well combined.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. The batter will look a little lumpy at this point — that’s completely normal and exactly what you want. Don’t overmix.

Step 6: Add Lemon Juice and Coconut Flakes

Add the lemon juice and give it another whisk to combine. Then add the coconut flakes and fold them in gently with a spatula (don’t whisk at this stage). The batter will still look a bit lumpy, but it should be well incorporated.

Step 7: Pour and Smooth

Pour the batter into your parchment-lined pan. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth it out evenly across the pan. Give the pan a few light taps on the counter to release any air bubbles.

Step 8: Bake

Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cake feels firm when you gently press the center. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Step 9: Cool and Decorate

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the pan. This is important — if you try to decorate or remove it while it’s still warm, it’ll crumble. Once cooled, use the parchment overhang to lift it out of the pan. Top with dairy-free whipped cream and a generous sprinkle of coconut flakes.

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📝 Recipe Tips & Notes

Don’t skip the fresh nutmeg. I know it’s tempting to grab the pre-ground stuff, but freshly grated nutmeg has a warmth and fragrance that is completely different. It’s one of those small details that makes this cake taste like it was made with love — because it was. A whole nutmeg and a microplane grater will change your baking life.

Use full-fat canned coconut milk. The light stuff won’t give you the same richness. Give the can a good shake before opening, or whisk it together to combine the cream and liquid.

Let the cake cool completely before decorating. I know the wait is hard, but the whipped cream will melt right off a warm cake. Patience pays off here.

Parchment paper is your best friend. Letting it hang over the edges of the pan means you can lift the entire cake out in one piece — no stuck corners, no broken edges.

Don’t overmix the batter. Once you add the flour mixture, whisk until just combined. A few lumps are fine and actually preferred. Overmixing develops the gluten and can make the cake tough instead of tender.

This cake keeps beautifully. Store it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’ve topped it with whipped cream, keep it refrigerated. You can also bake the cake ahead and freeze it (without the whipped cream topping) for up to 3 months.

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💬 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this gluten-free? I haven’t tested it with a gluten-free flour blend yet, but I plan to. If you give it a try, please leave a comment and let me know how it turns out! A 1:1 GF baking flour would be your best bet.

Can I use refined coconut oil instead of virgin? Yes! Refined coconut oil works just fine. It has a more neutral flavor, so the coconut taste will come primarily from the coconut milk and flakes rather than the oil.

Can I reduce the sugar? I wouldn’t recommend reducing it by more than ¼ cup total. The sugar does more than just sweeten — it also contributes to the cake’s moisture and tender crumb.

What brand of dairy-free whipped cream do you recommend? I love using coconut whipped cream (you can make your own from a chilled can of full-fat coconut cream) or store-bought brands like So Delicious CocoWhip or Truwhip plant-based.

Can I make cupcakes instead? Yes! This batter would make approximately 24 cupcakes. Reduce the baking time to about 20–22 minutes, and keep an eye on them.

Can I add frosting instead of whipped cream? Absolutely. A simple vegan buttercream or cream cheese frosting would be delicious on this. The spice profile pairs beautifully with a vanilla or coconut buttercream.

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🎂 More Vegan Cake Recipes

If you loved this coconut cake, you might also enjoy these:

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💛 Did You Make This?

I’d love to see your creation! Tag me on Instagram @dedetable or use the hashtag #dedetable so I can find your photos. And if you loved this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment below — it helps so much and I read every single one.

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📖 Vegan Coconut Cake

A soft, fluffy, spice-rich vegan coconut cake made in a sheet pan. Dedicated to my father — this is how I keep his traditions alive. Perfect for family gatherings, celebrations, and holidays.