To-die-for coconut cream cake with coconut pecan frosting. Think German chocolate cake minus the chocolate. Super moist, super flavorful, super delicious, AND as a plus it’s dairy free.
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Hey friends!
My husband is a huge German chocolate cake fan.
HUGE.
In fact since marrying him I’ve started noticing a bunch of German chocolate cake fans that I never even knew existed lurking among the everyday people.
It’s kind of crazy how German chocolate cake is such a divider of people. Either you love it or you hate it.
So tell me, where do you stand?
Although I can’t claim to have been born among the German chocolate cake fan club. They have indeed roped me into their following and now I am every bit as diehard as any I know.
German chocolate cake fans unite!
So why am I talking about German chocolate cake when there is no chocolate at all in this cake?
Well, my friends. Let it be known that today marks the start of a new following. A following specifically for lovers of this coconut cream cake with a coconut pecan frosting.
It’s not German Chocolate Cake, but…
The obvious target group is all you German chocolate cake fans out there.
Why?
Because the frosting, my friends, is that lovely coconut pecan frosting you all love on German chocolate cake. Of course, there’s a slight little twist to it – it’s dairy free. Actually the whole cake is.
You see, my top priority for this cake was first taste (of course). But the close second was to make it dairy free.
I mentioned in this dark chocolate coconut ice cream post about my experience with my daughter’s cow’s milk protein intolerance (CMPI) while I was breastfeeding. And how I went on a dairy free diet for a year.
Well out of that year (which was painfully out of my comfort zone), came a passion for finding and creating recipes that are dairy free without tasting like they are missing something. And this my friends is one of those kind of recipes.
Yes this cake is not your normal German chocolate cake recipe floating out there. And hey I love chocolate, but dare I say that coconut pecan frosting (that we all love on German chocolate cake) is even BETTER on this coconut cream cake.
It goes together like peanut butter and jelly. Or roast and potatoes. It really is amazing.
What kind of coconut cream to use?
Like my other cream cakes, the batter is thick thanks to the cream, but in this case it’s coconut cream.
We normally use Trader Joe’s brand (aff. link) of Coconut Cream (with 30% coconut fat) but I’ve made this recipe with other brands and they have also worked well. The coconut cream is quite a bit cheaper if you have a trader Joe’s near you (rather than buying it through amazon). For the cake plus the frosting you will need almost exactly 2 cans.
As a side note, if you don’t care about dairy free, this more traditional German chocolate cake frosting (that is not dairy free but includes a honey-sweetened variation) works well on this cake too. We love to make it both ways.
Ever since I posted the first cream cake recipe (Vanilla), I’ve been actively working to create other awesome flavors. So now we have vanilla cream cake, lemon cream cake, and this coconut cream cake.
This cake has risen to become my husband’s ultimate favorite cake ever. The cake he asks for on special occasions. And I can understand why. Any occasion becomes a special occasion when this cake makes its appearance.
Coconut Cream Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting {Dairy Free}
To-die-for coconut cream cake with coconut pecan frosting. Think German chocolate cake minus the chocolate. Super moist, super flavorful, super delicious, AND as a plus it's dairy free.
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 2 ½ cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cups (13.15 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 cups (16 ounces) coconut cream see note
For Frosting:
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 ¼ cup (10 ounces) coconut cream
- 1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
For Cake:
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
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In a medium bowl add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix to combine (see note). Set aside.
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In another medium mixing bowl beat the eggs with an electric mixer for about a minute until nice and frothy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until well mixed in. Mix in the vanilla and coconut extract.
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Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then add ½ of the cream and mix. Add another ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix. Then add the last ½ of the cream and mix until combined. Add the final ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
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Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake in preheated 325 degree F oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until lightly browned and inserted toothpick comes out clean (see note). Wait until cake has cooled before frosting or cake will sink in.
For Frosting:
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In a medium saucepan, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add coconut cream, sugar, salt and egg yolks. Whisk well until mixture is fully incorporated.
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Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Simmer on medium low heat, stirring often for about 12 minutes or until mixture turns brown and thickens.
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Remove from heat and then add vanilla, nuts, and coconut. Wait until frosting is cool to the touch before using.
Recipe Notes
1. Sifting the flour mixture is optional, but it does add to the lightness of the cake.
2. Keep in mind that coconut cream is different than coconut milk. For this recipe I use Trader Joe’s brand of coconut cream (aff. link). It takes about 2 cans (13.5 ounces each).
3. If the cake jiggles after it has baked, it is not ready to be tested yet. Testing it too early may result in the cake falling in the center.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
