Coconut Coffee Cake
When my daughter, Haley, decided to go vegan, I was challenged to create delicious meals and desserts that would satisfy her, along with my meat-eating boys. Suffice it to say that I was constantly preparing two different main courses at each meal, but I got lucky with the desserts, especially this one!
Made with coconut milk, soy or almond milk, and vegetable oil, it is a vegan’s dream. But, even if you aren’t vegan, this will become your favorite coffee cake. It is so moist and light and the flavor is exceptional!
With the addition of a brown sugar-cinnamon ribbon running through the cake, and a crunchy crumble on top, you will be hard-pressed to decide if it’s a brunch-y thing, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up or a late-night craving satisfier (is that even a word??). Any time of the day that you choose to eat it will be the perfect time!
I used to make this coffee cake in a Bundt pan but struggled to get it to loosen from the pan after it was baked. It seemed that the brown sugar ribbon running through it would stick to the sides, so sometimes, half of the cake was left in the pan (I, of course, would dig that out and enjoy it anyhow). I found that if I made it in a spring-form pan, that issue didn’t exist. The only issue now is that it takes 90 minutes to bake, which is a long time! But, I promise that it’s worth it! So, relax, read a good book and enjoy the amazing scents wafting from your oven as it’s baking. I promise, you won’t be disappointed!
By the way, you can still make it in a Bundt pan, just be uber careful to keep the brown sugar mixture away from the sides of the pan.
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Coconut Coffee Cake
Makes: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 90 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour & 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 & 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup canola or avocado oil
- 14-ounce can coconut milk, well shaken or stirred
- 1/2 cup soy or almond milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 & 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
Crumble:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- Confectioner’s sugar, optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease with oil or baking spray a 9”-diameter springform pan or Bundt pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, coconut milk, soy or almond milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine. (See Chef’s Notes below)
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in batches, mixing well after each addition. Fold in the coconut.
Crumble:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Assembly:
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/3 of the crumble over the batter. Add remaining batter, and then sprinkle the remaining crumble over the top. (See Chef’s Notes below.)
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes (bake for 1 hour if using a Bundt pan) or until a toothpick or skewer inserted through the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. If using a spring-form pan, gently unlatch the pan, and remove the cake. Place it on a rack to finish cooling. If you are using a Bundt pan, wait a full 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Place a wire cooling rack over the pan, gently flip over, and release the cake from the pan to cool completely.
Once cooled, sift a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar over the top, if you are using it.
Chef’s Notes:
You can use a stand mixer if you’d like. I typically use one, but if you’d prefer less cleanup, mix as directed above.
Do not worry if there are chunks of coconut milk solids in the batter. They will dissolve as the cake bakes. You could always whisk the coconut milk prior to adding to the rest of the ingredients if the chunks bother you.
I switched from using a Bundt pan to a spring-form because I had difficulty getting the cake to release from the Bundt pan. The crumble tends to stick to the pan. If you use a Bundt pan, make sure it’s well-oiled or sprayed, and try to keep the crumble away from the edges of the pan.
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