My vegan coconut cake is delightfully moist, light and fluffy and full of wonderful tropical coconut flavour. It is topped with a simply delicious coconut glaze and a decoration of toasted coconut flakes for a simple but effective flourish.

Vegan coconut cake. A light, fluffy and moist coconut cake, drizzled in a glorious coconut glaze and topped with toasted coconut shavings. Coconut tropical heaven! Recipe by movers and bakers

Tropical summertime vibes

Coconut has long been one of my favourite flavours. Especially in summer months when I dream of sunshine and tropical holidays. Sipping cocktails on the beach or by the pool, basking in the gorgeously warm summer sun… coconut is my number one summertime flavour!

Why you’ll love this vegan coconut cake

Simple to make. It is super easy to make this vegan loaf cake. Simply mix together the wet ingredients, add in the dry before whisking together and then bake!
Widely available ingredients. It uses no unusual or hard to get hold of ingredients, making it brilliantly easy to make at any time!
Perfect results always. Bake up a moist, fluffy and perfectly coconutty loaf cake each and every time.
Easily adaptable. Want to mix in another flavour with the coconut? Simply do so with the icing for a satisfying finished bake: raspberry, chocolate, pineapple.. the sky’s the limit!

What ingredients do I need to make this coconut loaf cake

Coconut milk: makes up the liquid content of the cake, and gives a beautiful coconut flavour. I use coconut milk as you would get in a drink carton, rather than out of a tin.
Oil: the fat in the cake, using oil rather than melted dairy free butter helps to keep the cake moist and tender.
Yogurt: keeps the cake moist and tender. I use coconut yogurt to make this coconut loaf.
Sugar: I used caster sugar to sweeten the cake and icing (powdered) sugar in the raspberry frosting.
Vinegar: adds a little bit of acidity to react with the other ingredients to give more lightness and rise to the vegan coconut loaf.
Vanilla: for delicious flavour in the best coconut loaf recipe ever!
Coconut extract: gives the natural flavour a little boost for additional vegan coconut loaf cake yumminess!
Almond extract: enhances the flavour of the cake making it extra delicious.
Flour: I use plain/all purpose flour to make the vegan coconut cake.
Baking powder: for a little bit of help with rising for this vegan coconut bread.
Salt: enhances the flavours in the vegan loaf. You will not taste it, I promise!
Coconut flakes: this is an optional extra ingredient, but makes for quite a striking decoration

What equipment do I need to make a loaf cake?

Loaf tin*: to bake the coconut tea cake in.
Loaf tin liners*: for lining the tin to make this coconut bread loaf. You can use parchment paper too, if you wish, but I find this a much easier option.
Digital kitchen scales*: I provide all my measurements in cups too, however I would encourage all bakers to weigh out ingredients using weighing scales when baking. A set of digital kitchen scales is so useful and totally an essential baking tool for me.
Measuring spoons*: a set of measuring spoons is essential for any baker. This is because these are more accurate than using everyday teaspoons and tablespoons, which can vary greatly in size.
Mixing bowl*: used to mix the coconut cake with coconut milk in before baking.
Whisk*: for whisking up the moist coconut loaf cake together and making the coconut icing to top the cake too.
Sieve*: to remove lumps from the dry ingredients, ensuring everything mixes together evenly.
Spatula*: ensures you get every last bit of that heavenly cake mixture into the tin to bake! Plus useful to spoon out and spread the icing over the top of the baked coconut loaf bread.

How to make vegan coconut cake

This cake takes minutes to put together, it is just fabulous! Baking and cooling are the longest times, the icing and decoration are fantastically simple too!

Ingredients required: coconut milk, vegetable oil, coconut yogurt, caster sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, coconut extract, almond extract, plain (all purpose) flour, baking powder, salt, icing (powdered) sugar and coconut flakes. Recipe by movers and bakers

For the cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line the loaf tin with parchment paper (grease the tin to help it stay better if using parchment) or a loaf tin liner and set it aside.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, vegetable oil, coconut yogurt, caster sugar, vinegar and extracts. Sift over the flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk again until just combined. The mixture will be quite runny and bubbly as the ingredients react with each other.

Sifting the dry ingredients into the wet before whisking together...

... then transferring the mixture to the prepared loaf tin before baking. Recipe by movers and bakers

Step 3: Tip the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes. The loaf will have shrunk slightly from the sides and be firm and golden on top. A toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing and decorating.

For the glaze and decoration

Step 1: To make the coconut decoration, simply place on a warm and dry pan and heat until the edges have started to brown. Remove and cool before using.

Step 2: For the coconut drizzle, simply place the icing sugar into a small mixing bowl. Add in enough coconut milk to make a glaze the consistency you prefer, whisking until smooth.

Step 3: Once the cake is cool, drizzle the icing all over it and spread gently to the edges, allowing some to drip off the sides. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve. Enjoy!

Spreading the glaze over the top before decorating with toasted coconut flakes. Recipe by movers and bakers

What can I do if I don’t have any loaf tin liners?

If you’ve run out of liners for your loaf tin, you can make your own. Simply cut a piece of parchment paper about 6 inches larger on all sides than the base of your loaf tin. With your loaf tin in the middle of the parchment, use a pair of scissors to cut slits from two opposite sides all the way to each corner of your tin. Place the parchment into your lightly greased tin and press into the corners to encourage the parchment to remain in place. Fill with your cake mixture and bake as per the recipe.

How do I know when my loaf cake is done?

You can tell your loaf cake is done because it will be beautifully golden, firm on top and risen. It will also feel springy when lightly pressed. You can also use a toothpick or wooden skewer, poked into the middle of the cake: you should have nothing come out sticking to this if your loaf is baked. If you find your cake is browning too much on top before it’s baked, simply cover it loosely with some foil to stop the top browning further whilst the middle bakes more.

How to toast coconut

To toast the coconut flakes for the topping, simply heat a frying pan on a medium low heat. Once warm, add the flaked coconut and toss or gently move it around constantly. It will take a few minutes for the coconut to warm up before it starts toasting and browning on the edges. Cool before using to top the coconut loaf cake.

Serving vegan coconut cake

Cut into generous slices and serve with a steaming hot drink.
Serve as part of an afternoon tea spread alongside other cakes and sandwiches on pretty plates.
Wrap up in cellophane, tie up with ribbon and gift to that special friend.

Should you refrigerate coconut cake

This coconut cake loaf does not need to be refrigerated and is perfect kept at room temperature before being consumed instead.

How to store coconut cake

Store this vegan coconut cake in an airtight container in a cool place away from direct sunlight. It should be consumed within 2-3 days of baking, but is best enjoyed as soon as it is decorated.

Can you freeze loaf cake?

Absolutely! Most loaf cakes will freeze well for up to three months.

How to freeze this vegan coconut cake

I would recommend freezing this loaf cake without the drizzle and decoration on top. Once baked, leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Wrap it tightly with two layers of cling film (plastic wrap), leaving the parchment the loaf was baked in around the cake. Then wrap snugly in a layer of foil and freeze.

How to thaw a loaf cake

This cake will thaw fairly quickly. Depending on the temperature of the room, it can normally be completely thawed in 4-5 hours. To thaw the vegan loaf cakes, remove the foil and both layers of cling film and place on a cooling rack, brushing off any ice crystals as you do. Once the cake has thawed, remove the lining paper and decorate according to the rest of the recipe. Store in an airtight container as before.

Can I make this vegan coconut cake gluten free too?

Absolutely! You can substitute the plain/all purpose flour for a gluten free flour blend, but do add an additional ¼ tsp Xanthan gum if you can tolerate it for better texture.

Coconut cake success tips

Get some loaf tin liners! I used to line my loaf tins using parchment I would cut up myself, but it can be such a faff! Having the liners are so easy, it makes prep for making any loaf cake a breeze!
Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. This small step helps ensure all the ingredients blend together much more smoothly, resulting in a better bake.
When combining the wet and dry ingredients to make the cake, make sure to sift the dry ingredients in before whisking it all together. This will help ensure less lumps in the dry ingredients, and so quicker whisking together.
Do not over mix the wet and dry ingredients when combining or you will end up with a gummy cake and not a fluffy one.
When making the glaze, add as much or as little coconut milk to the sugar as you wish to get the consistency you prefer. I like my glaze thicker, so I use 3-4 tsp of coconut milk to get the consistency you see in my images.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this coconut loaf recipe, please comment below and I will do my best to help. And do remember: if you enjoy this recipe coconut loaf cake, please leave a rating and review below. You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!

More recipes from my blog for you to enjoy

Vegan lemon drizzle loaf cake: This cake is totally and utterly delightful! It is all the things you want in a good lemon cake! It’s light, it’s fluffy, it’s packed with plenty of lemon flavour and it can easily be made gluten free too!

Vegan raspberry almond cake: This deliciously irresistible raspberry almond cake has two moist vegan almond sponges and is filled and topped with a beautiful naturally pink raspberry buttercream. Add extra berries and flaked almonds to the top of the cake and enjoy a slice of this heavenly bake!

Rose pistachio and cardamom loaf cake (eggless): this cake was inspired by the stunning smells and flavours of India. Earthy pistachio, fragrant cardamom, and floral rose come together in this eggless bake to create an incredible stunning cake that is truly out of this world. This cake is not fully vegan, but is eggless so can easily be adapted to being vegan too.

Thanks for joining me today, my friends. Hope you enjoy this gorgeous coconut loaf cake recipe as much as my family does, and happy baking! x

Recommended equipment I used *

Loaf tin	Loaf tin liners
Digital kitchen scales	Measuring spoons
Mixing bowl	Whisk
Sieve	Spatula

* If you purchase any of the products through one of the links above, I will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you so much for your support!