Name: Vegan Coconut Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups soy milk; 2 tablespoons lemon juice (, fresh-squeezed); 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 cup canola oil; 1/3 cup applesauce; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon coconut extract; 2 1/2 cups cake flour ((sub all-purpose)); 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 cup shredded coconut (, sweetened ); 1 cup vegan stick butter (, slightly softened at room temp); 3 cups powdered sugar (, sifted (more if preferred)); 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract; 1-4 teaspoons non-dairy milk (*only if needed); 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (, more if needed )

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This homemade Vegan Coconut Cake will surely impress your guests. It's soft, tender, and brimming with delicious coconut flavor! It's heavenly!

Overhead view showing 3 slices of vegan coconut cake on plate with forks on the side.

If you love coconut, then you're going to go crazy for this Vegan Coconut Cake! It has the perfect balance of sweetness and coconut flavor that will make your taste buds dance. It's a coconut lover's dream come true!

Plus, you can create this bakery-style cake with simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions. This coconutty goodness can be yours in no time!

To make it extra special, I turned my Vegan Buttercream Frosting into a delicious Coconut frosting, but you can also make my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting or if you're feeling daring, you can use my Vegan Chocolate Frosting instead.

Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions

️🌟 This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. For the complete ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

all ingredients to make the coconut cake on a table top.

Lemon Juice - You can replace it with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Granulated + Powdered Sugar - choosing organic will ensure that it's vegan.
Canola Oil - any neutral-flavored oil will work such as sunflower, avocado, grapeseed, or vegetable oil.
Cake Flour: produces a light and fluffy crumb. However, all-purpose will still produce a beautiful crumb.
Soy Milk - it yields a consistency similar to dairy buttermilk when an acid is added. You can use any non-dairy milk, just note that it won't thicken, but the recipe will work.
Vanilla + Coconut Extract - pure vanilla tastes the best, but you can use imitation. Coconut extract provides a wonderful coconut flavor and I highly recommend it.
Apple Sauce - it yields a tender crumb. Plain non-dairy yogurt will work too.
Vegan Butter - I love Miyoko's, but I was out the day of the shoot and I used Good & Gather and it worked beautifully too. I don't recommend tub butter because it tends to contain more moisture and could alter the frosting results.
Coconut Shreds - You can use sweetened or unsweetened for this recipe. The sweetened variety will be softer and has more moisture in it. It's usually sold as larger shreds which will add more texture. If you don't prefer it that way, you can finely chop the shreds with a knife or pulse them in a food processor.

How to make Coconut Cake

6 process photos showing how to make cake batter and them pouring into cake pan.

Combine the soy milk and lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle and thicken.
Add the oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla, and coconut extract and whisk to combine.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Whisk together until just combined and gently fold in the coconut shreds.
Divide batter evenly into each cake pan and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Success Tips

You can make this vegan coconut cake with great results if you follow the recipes exactly. Here are more tips to help you along!

For accurate results, don’t scoop the flour with a measuring cup directly from the container. Instead, aerate it, then scoop it from the container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Lightly sweep a knife across the top to remove excess.
Measure all ingredients accurately and don't add more or less of any ingredient or it can change the results.
For best results, use room-temperature ingredients. If some are cold, leave them out while you pre-heat the oven and prep.
It's important to maintain the right oven temperature for successful results. An oven thermometer is the best way to detect the accuracy of your oven.
Make sure baking soda and baking powder are not expired otherwise it could alter the final results.
Don't overbake or the cake will be on the dry side.

Front view of fully decorated vegan coconut cake on a wood cake stand.

How to make Coconut Frosting

You won't believe how easy it is to make your own frosting! It takes just 3 easy steps to create this fluffy goodness!

3 process photos of making frosting in a stand mixer.

Add softened vegan butter the bowl and beat until pale and fluffy...
Add the vanilla extract, coconut extract and mix until incorporated.
Now add 1 cup of powdered sugar over low speed until it's mostly incorporated. Turn up to medium-high speed and mix until smooth and fluffy then repeat step until the sugar is gone.

Frosting Tips

Frosting a cake is easy once you get the hang of it. Here are a few helpful tips to ensure success!

There is enough frosting to cover the entire cake in a thin layer. I usually make a double batch because I like a thicker coating of frosting.
The frosting will stay at room temperature for a while without melting, so you can leave the cake out, but if it's too warm, the frosting may start to soften. I prefer to store the decorated cake in the fridge and take it out 30 minutes before serving. Chilling the cake will also help set the frosting and keep the cake moist.
To prevent frosting from getting on your cake plate, cut 4 thick strips of parchment paper and lay them near the edges of the plate. Place the cake on top and decorate and carefully slide them out when done.
Add coconut shreds immediately after frosting so they stick well. I did this over a large rimmed baking tray for easy cleanup.
Let cake completely cool before frosting or it will melt.

Can I freeze this cake?

Yes! This vegan coconut cake freezes perfectly unfrosted for 2-3 months. Just be sure it's wrapped well. Thaw for 20 minutes before frosting.

You can also freeze the frosted cake for 2-3 months. I usually slice it into individual slices first then I'll thaw it for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Front view of a vegan coconut cake with one slice being removed with a cake server.

More Vegan Desserts to Try

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5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Vegan Coconut Cake