Vanilla Coconut Cake with Creamy Caramel Frosting
A deliciously decadent, moist & surprisingly nutritious vanilla coconut cake with a super creamy caramel frosting.
If you are looking for an absolutely yummy – yet totally healthy vanilla cake recipe that tastes amazing & leaves you feeling great then you’ve hit the jackpot!
…because this recipe is really good for you! It’s refined sugar-free, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free & soy-free AND it’s well balanced! It contains healthy protein, healthy essential fats and good carbs.
Enjoying a big slice of this cake won’t leave you feeling sluggish and gross, in fact it will leave you feeling amazing!
It was my birthday this week and so I had to celebrate by making lots of healthy cake! (check out my amazing layered chocolate birthday cake)
I’ll freely admit it – I’ve always been a total cake snob. There are very few cakes that can tempt me enough to eat a forkful… and when I do take a bite, I’m usually bitterly disappointed with the taste and texture of the cake.
Making a great cake is all about finding the right balance with flavour, sweetness, texture, moistness and firmness… and it has to be complemented with great frosting! Can I get an amen?
I love vanilla cake (who doesn’t), I love coconut AND I LOVE CARAMEL!!!! But I hate the way that regular cake and caramel make me feel (sick and gross) and so I had to create my own healthy vanilla coconut cake with a super creamy caramel frosting.
Vanilla + coconut + caramel = perfection
It’s been a dream of mine for the last few years to create the an amazing vanilla cake recipe that’s totally grain, sugar & dairy-free and so I’m thrilled to have finally done it! Happy birthday to me!
Ingredients (cake):
-1/4 cup coconut flour
-1/2 cup almond flour (ground almonds)
-1 cup desiccated coconut
-1 cup sweet potato (cooked and mashed)
-1/2 cup cold-pressed, melted coconut oil
-3 free-ranged eggs (separated & beaten)
-8 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
-4 teaspoons ground vanilla powder/ pure vanilla extract
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-pinch sea salt
Ingredients (frosting):
2/3 cup unsweetened nut butter (almond, cashew or macadamia)
-4 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
-2 tablespoons cold-pressed, melted coconut oil
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 teaspoon ground vanilla powder/ pure vanilla extract
-pinch sea salt
Suggested toppings (optional):
-1 or 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut sprinkled on top
-a handful of coconut chips
-fresh blueberries
(makes a 1 layered cake – to make a 2 layered cake simply double the quantities used for both the cake & frosting)
Please note: I have made this cake into a bundt cake shape because I wanted to spice things up a little, but this recipe works for both a bundt cake & a regular shaped cake.
Instructions (cake):
-preheat your oven to 180 degree’s Celsius (360 F)
-roast the sweet potatoes by wrapping them in aliminium foil and baking them in the oven for 30 to 60 minutes (or until really soft and starting to caramelize) at 180 degree’s Celsius (360 F)
-once fully roasted, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and the foil (when cool enough to handle)
-after leaving them to cool for a few minutes, remove the skin by gently peeling it off
-mash the roasted sweet potato with the back of a fork until completely smooth and measure out 1 full cup (discard any excess)
-melt the coconut oil by pouring boiling water into a large bowl and a placing smaller bowl into the water (without burning your hands or getting water into the small bowl), then place the coconut oil into the small bowl and wait for it to melt
-separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, and beat the egg whites with an electric beater until firm (keep aside)
-mix the egg yolks, mashed sweet potato, melted coconut oil, almond flour, coconut flour, desiccated coconut, pure maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt together in a bowl until smooth and well blended
-gently fold the egg whites into the mixture but do not mix
-pour the mixture into a cake pan greased with additional coconut oil (please note that the cake will not rise in the oven)
-even out and smooth the top of the batter with the back of a spoon
-place the filled cake pan into the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes
-you will know that the cake is ready when you can pierce it with a sharp knife and it comes out clean
-once cooked, remove the cake from the oven & from the cake pan and leave to cool
Instructions (frosting):
-melt the coconut oil by pouring boiling water into a large bowl and a placing smaller bowl into the water (without burning your hands or getting water into the small bowl), then place the coconut oil into the small bowl and wait for it to melt
-mix the nut butter, melted coconut oil, pure maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt together in a bowl until smooth and well blended
How to put it all together:
-once the cake has cooled, spread the creamy caramel frosting on top of it (using a butter knife or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly)
-sprinkle additional desiccated coconut and a few coconut chips over the cake (optional – but it’s super yummy & it makes the cake extra coconutty)
-garnish the cake with fresh blueberries (optional – but it adds a gorgeous pop of color)
-admire your vanilla coconut creation (and snap a quick picture – why not!)
How to eat it (the best part):
-slice, serve, share, eat & enjoy every single bite!
-store in the fridge in an airtight container to keep extra fresh for longer
Made with love by Liezl Jayne xo
Total preparation time: 45 to 60 minutes
Total bake time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 to 12 (or 1 – there is no judgement here)
