Tender yellow cake is layered with fluffy cocoa buttercream, and all gently sweetened with the floral notes of raw honey. Fresh milk, eggs with richly colored yolks, and dense coconut flour combine to make a cake of substance that won’t throw you into a sugar-spiral. It is nice to enjoy your food without having to pay the price for it later!
This cake is moist, dense, and perfect for a birthday celebration or holiday. Like my little boy’s birthday party! I have missed having the yellow cakes from my childhood as I have gone through my real food transformation. I only remember making cakes from boxes as a child. I do not think it even occurred to me that I could make one from scratch. Also, I just could never get it quite right with sprouted flour (though I am still determined to figure it out here!)
This is my favorite version of this cake, which is a riff I have been working on inspired by Jenny’s coconut flour cake here. I have changed a few things, but it remains delectable and a sure crowd-pleaser. In fact, I made an almond flour cocoa cake to go alongside this cake at the party, but everyone preferred this cake over the double chocolate option.
Make sure that you cut this cake thinly, since coconut flour is dense and contains a fair amount of fiber. It will fill you up more quickly that it’s white-flour-made counterparts. Savor each bite and do not feel guilty. This is cake the way it was meant to be eaten!
Equipment Needed:
- round cake pans
- parchment paper
- hand mixer OR stand mixer
- cooling racks
- cake stand (optional)
- frosting spatula (optional)
Yellow Coconut Cake
makes two 9-inch round cakes
one dozen eggs
2 1/4 cups milk* (find raw milk here)
3/4 cup honey (buy raw honey here)
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract (buy high-quality extracts here)
2 cups coconut flour (buy coconut flour here)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda* (buy aluminum-free baking soda here)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (buy unrefined sea salt here)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two round cake pans, line with parchment circles cut to fit the pans, and then butter the parchment paper as well. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix eggs, milk, honey, and vanilla together until completely blended and smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk coconut flour, baking soda, and salt together to get out as many lumps as possible.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine very thoroughly with a mixer.
- Pour into the prepared pans and bake for about 40 minutes, or until slightly browned on the edges and the cake pulls away from the sides of the cake pan.
- Place the cakes on cooking racks until completely cool before you loosen them from their pans. Run a knife around the edge and carefully turn the cake pan over until the cake comes out.
- Assemble cake by placing one cake on a plate, spreading with Cocoa Buttercream and stacking the second cake directly on top. Then frost the entire cake with the rest of the Cocoa Buttercream Frosting (below).
makes enough for one double layer cake
- Put butter and honey into a bowl on your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at a high speed for 3-5 minutes until well-combined and light colored. Turn mixer off and add cocoa powder and vanilla. Start mixer slow until combined, then whisk on high for another 3 minutes. Turn off, scrape down the sides of the bowl, unhook the whisk attachment and use to combine by hand.
- Chill entire bowl and detached whisk attachment in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove and whisk once more for 3 minutes. Use to frost immediately. Store leftover frosting in the fridge.
*If you are on GAPS, use coconut milk instead of milk and omit the baking soda.
**A small amount of coffee in chocolate recipes really makes the chocolate flavor pop. You don’t taste the coffee, but the chocolate tastes better. If you don’t want to use coffee, use a good quality coffee substitute, like Teeccino or Dandy Blend (though neither are GAPS-legal). Weak coffee is GAPS-legal. The coffee substitutes are kinder on your body (not acidic, no caffeine). Pick whichever suits you best!
This post is a part of Weekend Gourmet, Sunday School, Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Healthy2day Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, The Mommy Club, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Full Plate Thursday, Fight Back Friday, and Fresh Bites Friday.
Looks delicious! Will have to try this.
Your body with thank you. Heehee!
I’m drooling! That frosting looks amazing. My husband’s birthday is Sunday – this may have to be on the menu…
Perfect timing. Do it!
Have you tried this cake as cupcakes?? Do you think it would just take a different bake time?? I like doing cupcakes for kids parties, so much easier!!
I haven’t, but now I want to. Let me know if you try it, and I will update the post when I try it to show what works.
Ummm…My oldest is allergic to eggs so I guess that means more for me
. I wonder if coconut oil would work in the frosting since he’s seriously allergic to dairy too. This looks amazing. One dozen eggs – makes me smile! 
.
Adrienne, can he have ghee? I think that would be awesome! If you use coconut oil just keep it chilled (or make it in winter, lol!)
OH, Kendahl. This looks crazy amazing!! I’ve never even made cake before, but this is enough to make me go out and buy some round cake pans. I’m going on GAPS soon and I’ll be counting down the days til I’m off intro and can make myself some of this cake in celebration!!
Awesome! This will be a great treat to have after intro
Are you doing the GAPS Challenge with us here?
Ooh, didn’t know you were having a challenge! I’ll go check that out!
What a great looking recipe! My mom always used that coffee trick too. What also works, if you’re on GAPS (like me) or don’t want to use coffee, is half of a freshly squeezed orange. Same principle – orange flavor disappears if you don’t use too much, and the chocolate tastes chocolatier.
Really!? That is so cool to know. I will try that in my next batch of something chocolatey (I’m not a very good influence, am I? Eating chocolate all the time, mwahahaha!)
Kendahl,
This is a beautiful cake that would be just perfect for our dessert this evening. Your frosting looks awesome! Thank you so much for sharing with our 1st Anniversary Party at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week end and come back soon!
Miz Helen
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This great post is featured at Sunday Snippets this week! Thanks for sharing! Come and check it out!
http://realfoodforager.com/sunday-snippets-january-15-2012/
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wow this is so so good!! I was totally surprised at how good this is! I used coconut milk since we are doing GAPS, and I really can’t even taste coconut, which is what I was afraid of. So so good. I cut myself a slice and one for my husband and I must admit, I’m eating his since he’s still at work…shhh, don’t tell!
thank you for such a great recipe!
This looks so amazing. I love coconut and have been trying to find a recipe that has coconut flour in it. Love it, love it, love it. Can’t wait to try it.
Michelle
Okay, I am very happy with this recipe and will use it again sometime!
I made one cake and 12 cupcakes with the mix (a small layer of cupcake stuck to the paper cases, but were tasty (unfrosted) regardless! I am freezing 8 cupcakes for another day). I like that the cake isn’t super sweet like some other coconut flour recipes I have tried, perfect for my young children as a special treat.
As for the chocolate buttercream frosting… Oh. My… where has it been all my life??! That was DELICIOUS!!!! And not sickly sweet like “normal” frosting/icing. Wow, wow, wow! Considering it is basically organic butter and raw honey, this is a perfect energy snack! I think this Mummy will keep a stash of it in the fridge to eat a spoonful now and then… a secret treat for the adults!
So good!!
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