The Ultimate Paleo Coconut Cake

If you are not a huge fan of coconut, back slowly away from the computer. Everything is going to be okay. There are plenty of posts here you will love.

If coconut is your jam, this is your cake.

If you do much Paleo baking, you know coconut and Paleo go hand in hand. The vast majority of Paleo recipes I make have some kind of coconut in them. I wanted to use that to my advantage to make the coconuttiest of coconut cakes. Because a coconut cake cannot shy away from its primary flavor.

This begins with a tender (read: delicate) cake. It’s moist and packed, I said packed, with coconut. Coconut flour, coconut sugar, coconut milk, coconut shreds. COCONUT! Once baked it must be treated with care, but if it cracks, just put it back together and know that it means the coconut pastry cream will be able to sink in that much better.

Oh, yeah, I said coconut pastry cream. Cake without filling isn’t really cake at all. And this filling is going to be your new favorite. It’s creamy and luscious and packed with more toasted coconut for a seriously complex flavor.

You’re looking at the glaze on this cake and wondering where the coconut is. Oh it’s there, but it’s stealthy here. We’re looking at coconut butter, coconut oil, and coconut milk. You don’t have to do the pretty spider web pattern, but you only need a toothpick, so I say give it a try and have some fun. No matter how it turns out, it will look cool.

This recipe arrives just in time for Easter. I’m not sure why but there’s something about coconut and Easter that just go together.

Cake

¾ cup coconut oil, room temperature
1 cup coconut sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups coconut flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups coconut milk (the kind in the carton)

Pastry Cream

1 ¾ cups coconut milk (the kind in the carton)
¾ cup coconut sugar
3 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons coconut butter

Coconut Glaze

1/3 cup coconut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1-2 tablespoons coconut milk (the kind in the carton)

Carob Glaze

1/3 cup carob or cocoa powder
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon coconut milk (the kind in the carton)

Make the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil 2 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment.

In a large bowl, cream the coconut oil and sugar until well combined. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. Alternately add the coconut flour and baking powder with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. You may do this by hand or use a hand or stand mixer. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter until only a few streaks remain. Divide evenly between the pans and bake 20-25 minutes. Cool cakes completely in the pans before gently removing when it comes time to assemble the cake.

Make the pastry cream. In a medium pot, combine the milk and sugar. Stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil and the sugar dissolves. In the meantime, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and tapioca. When the milk comes to a boil, spoon some of it into the bowl and whisk into the egg mixture. Do this until about 1/3 of the milk is whisked into the eggs, before adding the eggs to the pot and returning to the stove. Continuing to whisk constantly, cook until the cream thickens, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted coconut and coconut butter. Pour into a heat proof bowl. Cool for 30 minutes at room temperature before covering with plastic directly on the surface of the cream and refrigerating until chilled, about 2 hours or up to overnight.

Assemble the cake. Place one cake on a serving platter. Carefully cut it in half horizontally and dollop some cream on top, spreading into an even layer. Replace the second half and top with more pudding. Repeat with the other cake.

Make the carob glaze. Melt the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Stir in carob or cocoa powder, honey, and milk, adding more milk as necessary until a spreadable consistency forms. Spread on top of the cake, gently nudging the glaze over the sides.

Make the coconut glaze. In a microwave safe bowl, melt coconut butter and honey in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted. Stir in vanilla and milk until a spreadable consistency forms. Add more milk as necessary. Drizzle in concentric circles on top of the carob glaze. Use a toothpick to draw straight lines through the circles, making a spider web.

Slice and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.