Eggless Coconut Sheet Cake
This Eggless Coconut Sheet Cake is a classic coconut cake but without eggs! Lightly sweetened coconut cake is topped with fluffy coconut buttercream frosting and sprinkled with shredded toasted coconut.
If you love coconut as much as I do, then try some of my other favorite recipes like Coconut Milk Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Coconut Hot Chocolate, Coconut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, or Eggless Coconut Chocolate Chip Biscotti.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Eggless Coconut Sheet Cake
- Ready In: 2 hours
- Makes: 9×13-inch cake
- Main Ingredients: salted butter, cane sugar, powdered sugar, coconut
- Flavor Profile: sweet coconut in every bite!
- Dietary Info: eggless, no seed oils, gluten free swap available
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: rich tropical coconut sheet cake without eggs
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Eggless Cake: I love this coconut cake without eggs! As someone who can eat eggs, I really enjoy making eggless cake as eggs are not always needed. So, even if you eat eggs, you will love this Eggless Coconut Sheet Cake! Save this recipe for when you just run out of eggs.
- Coconut Cake: Moist and fluffy coconut cake is topped with creamy coconut buttercream. Then I add toasted coconut on top. This homemade coconut cake without eggs is for the coconut obsessed, like me!
- Perfect for a Crowd: I love making sheet cakes for bigger parties as you can cut the slices really easily and cut as big or small as you need them.
- Organic Cake: While you can get a simple sheet cake at your grocery sore bakery, making your own organic cake at home will not only taste butter, but you can indulge mindfully knowing you're eating clean organic ingredients.
I created this recipe when I was developing recipes for my cookbook, Effortless Eggless Baking. While this didn't make it into the book, it's so good I had to share it here! o, if you're a coconut lover, like me, then you'll love this simple homemade coconut cake. Perfect for a crowd, this easy sheet cake is egg free and so easy to make!
If you're looking for more classic desserts made without eggs, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, Eggless Monster Cookies, Eggless Cosmic Brownie Cookies, Eggless Sprinkle Cookies, or Eggless Chocolate Ganache Brownies.
Ingredients
- Cake Flour: I use my Homemade Organic Cake Flour, you can also use store bought. But, making your own cake flour is incredibly easy with all purpose flour and cornstarch, be sure to check out my recipe. The cake flour gives this cake a light and tender crumb.
- Baking Powder: Use baking powder, not soda. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
- Applesauce: I use organic applesauce, this is a great egg replacer! It provides moisture and fluffiness to eggless cake. It's also fairly neutral in flavor, which makes it perfect for this coconut cake as you just get some sweetness. Learn more in Easy Egg Replacers for Baking.
- Coconut Oil: Because this is a coconut cake, of course I'm using organic coconut oil for the fat. This not only provides fat, but also flavor in this coconut cake.
- Butter: I use salted butter for the buttercream frosting, but unsalted butter works too. If you want to use dairy-free or vegan butter, you can also do that as well.
- Coconut Milk: While milk is a common ingredient in cakes, I use organic coconut milk here for flavor. This is my favorite nondairy milk for baking as well because it has a very similar consistency to regular cow's milk. You can use canned coconut milk or coconut milk from a carton, either works.
- Coconut: I use organic finely shredded unsweetened shredded coconut for topping. But, you can use large coconut flakes if you prefer too, you'll just have a bit more texture and crunch.
- Coconut Extract: I use organic coconut extract in the frosting, which gives this cake extra coconut flavor. If you don't have coconut extract, almond is a nice substitute and goes really well with this coconut cake too! Or, you can also use pure vanilla extract as well, the cake just won't have as much coconut flavor.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- First, make sure your coconut oil is melted. You can do this in the microwave or even over the stovetop, whatever you prefer.
- Make sure your coconut milk, heavy whipping cream, and applesauce are all at room temperature. This is very important because coconut oil can solidify. So if you add these cold dairy ingredients into the melted coconut oil, it can solidify and then you can't mix properly to create a smooth cake batter. When you have pockets of coconut oil inside the cake it makes the rest of the cake dry, as the fat wasn't evenly distributed. So that is why this is super important!
- Use a coconut extract that you like. I cannot stress this enough – with flavors and extracts, some are terrible and some are amazing. You have to find which ones you like the best! I love Flavorganics Coconut Extract.
- Always use unsweetened coconut for a true coconut flavor. I use fine shredded for the topping, but the wide flake also works if you prefer.
- Make sure to store extra cake under a cake dome or in an airtight container so it stays fresh.
- Gluten Free — Replace the cake flour with scant 226 grams (1 ½ cups) gluten free flour blend and 170 grams (1 ¾ cups) organic coconut flour.
How to Make Eggless Coconut Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl add the cake flour, cane sugar, baking powder, and fine sea salt and whisk together to combine the dry ingredients.
- Add the applesauce, melted coconut oil, heavy whipping cream, and coconut milk.
- Mix on low to medium speed until combined into a smooth batter.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Once the cake is done baking, don't turn the oven off. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the fine shredded coconut and spread out in an even layer.
- Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, coconut milk, and coconut extract.
- Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high for 2 to 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl part way through mixing to ensure everything is mixed properly.
- Transfer the frosting to the cake and spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top of the cake.
Eggless Coconut Sheet Cake FAQ's
I use applesauce as an egg replacer in this coconut cake. It's great for adding moisture and making cakes fluffy. Plus, you don't taste apple, this cake just tastes like sweet coconut!
Yes, if you want to make this smaller, you can half the recipe and use an 8×8-inch baking pan. You will need to bake for a few minutes less, try 30 minutes and go from there. Be sure to test if it's done with a toothpick or butter knife in the center of the cake.
You can, you can use 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans (you'll need 2 or 3). Separate the batter evenly into the prepared pans (weigh it) to ensure you are getting the correct amount in each layer. Then, you can bake the layers for 25 to 30 minutes (check for doneness) as may not need as long as the sheet cake.
Coconut oil lends flavor to this cake, so it is ideal. But, if you don't have it, you can use olive oil, avocado oil, or canola oil in its place. If you do this, you. may want to add 1 teaspoon of coconut extract to the cake batter as well if you want it to have coconut flavor.
You can make this vegan or dairy-free too. Replace the heavy cream with coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk from a can). And, then use your favorite vegan butter for the frosting, I recommend Miyoko's for the best flavor.
You can, but I don't love sweetened coconut as I don't feel it's necessary especially on top of a sweet buttercream frosting.
I make a coconut buttercream frosting for this cake for more coconut flavor. But, you can switch it up if you prefer. Try out Caramel Buttercream Frosting, Honey Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting, or even Strawberry Buttercream with Fresh or Freeze Dried Strawberries for a fun fruity option! You can even use Homemade Chocolate Ganache for a chocolate coconut cake too.
When baking, be sure to not over bake the cake as that will dry it out. The best thing about eggless cakes is they can stay very moist without eggs as eggs can actually dry out baked goods. So, always go towards the lower end of the time frame first and check for doneness. Once the cake is baked, be sure to store in an airtight container so it stays moist.
If you measured incorrectly or you baking powder was bad, the cake can be dense. The applesauce is a great egg replacer for creating a light and fluffy cake. Just be sure your baking powder is fresh and that you are using a digital food scale to get correct measurements.
You can make this in advance. If doing so, I recommend making the cake a day in advance and wrapping in plastic wrap completely so it doesn't dry out. You can store in the refrigerator or even freezer if making more than a day in advance. Then you can just thaw and make the frosting the day you plan to serve it.
This cake needs to be stored in an airtight container to stay soft. Store extra slices in a tupperware or under a cake dome to keep it fresh.
Yes, if you want to prep just the cake you can freeze it wrapped completely in plastic wrap ahead of time. Then, just thaw for 24 hours in the fridge before frosting. If you want to freeze extra slices, wrap them completely in plastic wrap to prevent drying out and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
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Eggless Coconut Sheet Cake
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- 9×13-inch Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper Sheets
Ingredients
Batter
- 680 grams cake flour
- 454 grams cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 226 grams applesauce (room temperature)
- 226 grams coconut oil (melted)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (room temperature)
- ½ cup coconut milk (room temperature)
Frosting
- 226 grams salted butter (softened)
- 454 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
Topping
- ½ cup unsweetened fine shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl add the cake flour, cane sugar, baking powder, and fine sea salt and whisk together to combine the dry ingredients.
- Add the applesauce, melted coconut oil, heavy whipping cream, and coconut milk and mix on low to medium speed until combined into a smooth batter.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Once the cake is done baking, don't turn the oven off. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the fine shredded coconut and spread out in an even layer.
- Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, coconut milk, and coconut extract. Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high for 2 to 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl part way through mixing to ensure everything is mixed properly.
- Transfer the frosting to the cake and spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top of the cake.
Video
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- First, make sure your coconut oil is melted. You can do this in the microwave or even over the stovetop, whatever you prefer.
- Make sure your coconut milk, heavy whipping cream, and applesauce are all at room temperature. This is very important because coconut oil can solidify. So if you add these cold dairy ingredients into the melted coconut oil, it can solidify and then you can't mix properly to create a smooth cake batter. When you have pockets of coconut oil inside the cake it makes the rest of the cake dry, as the fat wasn't evenly distributed. So that is why this is super important!
- Use a coconut extract that you like. I cannot stress this enough – with flavors and extracts, some are terrible and some are amazing. You have to find which ones you like the best! I love Flavorganics Coconut Extract.
- Always use unsweetened coconut for a true coconut flavor. I use fine shredded for the topping, but the wide flake also works if you prefer.
- Make sure to store extra cake under a cake dome or in an airtight container so it stays fresh.
- Gluten Free — Replace the cake flour with scant 226 grams (1 ½ cups) gluten free flour blend and 170 grams (1 ¾ cups) organic coconut flour.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
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