This coconut flour cake is light, moist, and wonderful tasting. It’s a white cake that can be baked in layers or as a sheet cake. This cake is Paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free with keto options.
I created this coconut flour cake to be exactly like a traditional white cake. White cakes are made from egg whites instead of the whole egg. The cake is white and even has golden brown edges just like a white cake.
This coconut flour cake is moist, light, tender, and not eggy tasting. I know how important it is to have coconut flour recipes that don’t taste eggy so I increased the sugar slightly to prevent an eggy taste. If you decrease the sugar this cake might taste eggier to you.
This coconut flour white cake would be perfect for parties, birthday parties, or enjoying as a special treat. With the buttercream icing, it reminds me of a wedding cake.
I created a 3-layer cake but you can use this recipe to make any size of cake you want. I have included the recipe for 2 layers, 3 layers, and even a sheet cake size in the “alternative recipes” section below.
Coconut flour cake ingredients list
Because there are only a handful of ingredients, quality counts. Here’s what you need:
- 8 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp erythritol or sugar if not keto
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, cold or softened but not liquid (you can also make your own coconut oil at home)
- 1/4 cup + 1 heaping tbsp coconut flour (here’s my coconut flour buying guide)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the buttercream frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sweetener (I used powdered lakanto)
- 2 tbs heavy whipping cream (or coconut whipping cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Coconut flour cake tips:
Baking with coconut flour can be a little tricky so I want to give you a few tips before you get started.
- First, sift your flour. It’s a simple step but it makes a difference in the texture of the cake.
- Allow the eggs to come to room temperature.
- Coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid so don’t add more than what the recipe says to. The batter will be thick!
How to make coconut flour cake
This cake is extremely easy to make. You cream together the coconut oil and erythritol (or sugar) until it looks like frosting.
Then add the coconut flour, baking powder, and salt and combine.
Next, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks and gently fold them into the coconut flour mixture. Then pour into a baking pan and bake.
Alternative coconut flour cake recipes
If you’re looking to make adjustments, here are a few alternatives for different numbers of layers and baking dish sizes.
2 layers or 1 11×7-inch baking dish:
- 16 egg whites, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, cold or softened but not liquid
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp’s coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
3 layers:
- 24 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 cup coconut oil, cold or softened but not liquid
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
FAQ
You can easily make this cake keto-friendly by using erythritol instead of sugar and using powdered erythritol to make the frosting. I do not recommend using a sweetener like stevia because you need something that acts like sugar and will add bulk to this recipe.
No, you can’t substitute coconut flour 1:1 for almond flour. There are ways to convert a coconut flour recipe to an almond flour recipe but it would also require decreasing the eggs. For this recipe, I suggest you use only coconut flour or search for a Paleo almond flour cake recipe. Why does this recipe use barely any coconut flour? Coconut flour is highly absorbent. Think of it like sawdust haha (you’ll understand once you start baking with it). Coconut flour recipes soak up all of the liquid so that’s why you need a higher amount of eggs and liquid ingredients. When you see a coconut flour-based recipe don’t be alarmed when the amount of coconut flour seems too low and DON’T be tempted to add more coconut flour unless you are used to baking with this special flour.
If you are allergic to nuts it makes sense to wonder if you can eat anything made with coconuts. Coconut is not a botanical nut; it is classified as a fruit. If you are allergic to tree nuts, please talk to your allergist/doctor before adding coconut to your diet.
White cake doesn’t use vanilla extract unless it’s the clear vanilla extract. The dark vanilla affects the color of the cake so it is often left out. You can include it if you want. You can add a splash of vanilla per layer when mixing the dry ingredients.
When using egg whites in a recipe that requires you to whip them it is best to work with room temperature egg whites. I personally find it easier to separate egg whites from egg yolks when the egg is still cold. Crack the egg and pour the egg white into one small bowl and the egg yolk into another small bowl. Then pour the egg white into the large bowl. Keep adding the egg white to a small bowl. If you happen to get a little egg yolk mixed into the egg white you need to discard it. Instead of discarding a whole bowl of egg whites you only need to discard one egg white. Then set the egg whites out on the counter to come up to room temperature.
I have never tested an egg-free version of this recipe. I’d recommend using Just Egg as the closest thing to eggs in terms of texture and how it bakes. You can also try replacing the eggs with a “chia egg”, bananas, applesauce or whatever you usually use in place of eggs. The cake may taste a little different.
When creaming sugar and fat together you need to use fat that is solid. You would never use melted butter to cream together with sugar. This technique helps to add more air to the recipe and helps to dissolve the sugar.
This coconut flour cake will last about 3 days if you store it in an airtight container in a cool place and about 5 days if you keep it stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator. You can also keep it stored in your freezer for up to 3 months.
You may also like:
- Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake
- Keto Coconut Flour Mug Cake
- Coconut Flour Coffee Cake
- Paleo Carrot Cake Recipe
Coconut Flour Cake
This coconut flour cake is light, moist, and wonderful tasting. It’s a white cake that can be baked in layers or as a sheet cake. This cake is Paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free with keto options.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Total Time: 57 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 8 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp erythritol or sugar if not keto
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, cold or softened but not liquid
- 1/4 cup + 1 heaping tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
My favorite buttercream frosting is below:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sweetener (I used powdered lakanto)
- 2 tbs heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Whip all the ingredients up until light and fluffy! My dairy-free cream cheese frosting is a good choice as well.
Instructions
This recipe makes the 1-8inch cake. See recipe notes for directions to make 2, or 3 tier cakes or sheet cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the cake pan with coconut oil or preferred fat.
- Place the egg whites in a large bowl and set them aside.
- Place the sugar and coconut oil in another large bowl, and using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the two together, until it looks like fluffy icing, about 10 minutes.
- Add coconut flour, baking powder, and salt to the creamed sugar and coconut oil, mix until combined. Set the bowl aside.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the egg whites until you have stiff peaks, about 6 minutes. The egg whites will look a little glossy and when you lift the whisk it will have egg whites that stay in a stiff peak.
- Pour the egg whites into the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold the egg whites with the dry ingredients until combined. Do this slowly to help the batter retain as much air as possible.
- Pour into a cake pan and bake for 25-32 minutes, until the cake is golden and a toothpick can be inserted into the baked cake and comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes and then take a knife and gently insert it along the edges to remove the cake from the pan. Then invert the pan onto the cooling rack to release the cake and allow it to fully cool before frosting.
Notes
Note: I used a general buttercream frosting to frost this 3-layer cake. Frostings that would taste great would be cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, chocolate frosting, etc.
Making more layers all at once? Here’s the recipe converted for 2 layers and 3 layers.
If you are making more than one layer at a time I recommend having the correct number of cake pans so you can bake them all at once. If you leave the batter out too long it will deflate and you’ll end up with a dense cake.
2 layers or 1 11×7-inch baking dish:
- 16 egg whites, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, cold or softened but not liquid
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp’s coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
3 layers:
- 24 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 cup coconut oil, cold or softened but not liquid
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 Slice (From 1 layer)
- Calories: 97
- Fat: 7.5g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 11.9g (1.3g net carb)
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 4g
