Gluten-Free Coconut Cake

A towering Southern-style coconut cake — snowy frosting, tender white layers soaked lightly in coconut milk, and shredded coconut on every surface. Nobody has ever cut a slice of this and asked where the gluten went.

Yield: One 8-inch layer cake · Time: 2 hr

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups (385 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with xanthan gum
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (225 g) butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) sugar
• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup (240 ml) canned coconut milk, plus 1/4 cup for brushing
• 1 tsp vanilla + 1/2 tsp coconut extract
• Frosting: 8 oz cream cheese, 3/4 cup butter, 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups shredded coconut

Directions

1. Cream the butter and sugar; beat in the egg whites in two additions.
2. Alternate the dry ingredients and coconut milk into the batter; add extracts.
3. Bake in two lined 8-inch pans at 350°F (175°C) for 30–34 minutes; cool.
4. Brush the layers with coconut milk, then beat the frosting until fluffy.
5. Fill, frost, and press coconut over the top and sides.

Pro tip: Toast half the coconut for the sides — the flavor contrast makes the snowy top look even better.

Gluten-Free Notes

If you are cooking for someone with celiac disease, cross-contact matters as much as ingredients — clean surfaces, dedicated utensils, and certified or labeled gluten-free packaged goods are the safe path.

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Browse more in Cakes & Desserts, or explore our gluten-free breakfast recipe database and hot cereal guide.