This vegan coconut raspberry cake is packed with tropical coconut flavor and lightened with sweet juicy raspberries! It doesn't require any fancy decorations and is perfect for afternoon tea with a cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients you'll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Unsweetened canned coconut milk. All brands of coconut milk are different and will affect how your cake will turn out. For this recipe, I recommend using a runny coconut milk that is in between 12-18% fat, although 5-12% will still work. This can be full-fat or reduced-fat coconut milk. Some brands are higher in fat and thicker in consistency, and will make this cake too heavy.
Dairy-free milk (beverage-style milk that comes in a carton) to lighten up the cake. This balances out the coconut milk which adds a lot of fat and density to the cake. I tried making this cake with only canned coconut milk, but the end result was too heavy.
Raspberries. This simple cake works well with either fresh or frozen raspberries. If using frozen, don't let them thaw in advance and add a few minutes to the baking time.
Finely shredded coconut (desiccated coconut) for flavor and texture. If your coconut isn't very fine, quickly blend it in a food processor.
Tips for preparing the cake batter
The cake batter is easy to make as we're just mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, and then folding in the raspberries.
You can prepare the batter by hand using a large bowl. Or you can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, as long as you fold in the berries by hand. The final batter should be thick.
For the best coconut raspberry cake, I recommend:
- Using room temperature ingredients, especially the non-dairy milk and coconut milk. Cold liquids don't emulsify well with dry ingredients and will change the consistency of your batter and cake.
- Avoid overmixing the batter after you've added the raspberries. Overmixing will cause the raspberries to bleed into the batter and this will make the cake heavier.
Baking this coconut raspberry cake
This delicious cake contains a lot of moisture from the coconut and raspberries, so it will take around 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake. Don't worry, the cake will not dry out!
The shredded coconut on top of the cake won't burn (in most ovens) thanks to the natural moisture and steam from the cake. However, if your oven has a strong top-heat element, the top of the cake may brown too quickly. If it does, please cover your cake tin with aluminum foil.
Customizing this cake recipe
I have only tested this cake as it's written. However, I think it will work similarly without raspberries (the cake will take a little less time to bake).
The coconut and coconut milk are too prominent in this recipe to omit. However, if you're looking for a cake with only raspberries, I suggest baking my blueberry lemon cake recipe and replacing the blueberries with fresh or frozen raspberries.
This cake would be lovely with some lemon zest, or almond extract. I don't recommend adding extra lemon juice to the cake as it can be finicky in baking.
As there are a lot of flavors and textures in this recipe, I don't recommend adding any other ingredients as it will weigh down the cake. Alternatively, you may like my passionfruit coconut cake.
This cake would be lovely with:
- Coconut buttercream. Use your favorite buttercream recipe but replace the milk with coconut milk.
- Vegan cream cheese frosting. Use half a batch of the frosting from my mango cake.
- Raspberry buttercream frosting or raspberry cream cheese frosting. Use half a batch of my strawberry frosting or strawberry cream cheese frosting recipe but replace the strawberries with raspberries.
If you want to make a layer cake, scale up the recipe by 150% and divide the batter between 2 round cake pans.
More single layer vegan cake recipes
Follow Rainbow Nourishments on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of our latest recipes!
Vegan Coconut Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup (80g) unsweetened fine shredded coconut / desiccated coconut, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (125g) dairy-free milk
- ½ cup (120g) canned coconut milk, shaken and at room temperature (ensure your can has less than 18% fat, note 1)
- ⅓ cup (85g) neutral flavored oil, or melted vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon (15g) lemon juice, or use ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar and ½ tablespoon of dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, (note 2)
- 1 cup (125g) raspberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
To decorate
- ~1 cup (125g) raspberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
- ~⅓ cup (20g) unsweetened shredded coconut, or coconut flakes, optional
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F). Line a 20 cm (8-inch) round cake pan with parchment paper.
- If your dried coconut isn't very fine, add it to a food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs.
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Add all the wet ingredients (except the raspberries) to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Add the raspberries and gently fold them through. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Scatter the additional raspberries on top and gently press some of them into the cake. If desired, sprinkle some shredded coconut on top.
- Bake the cake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes (shorter if using fresh raspberries, longer if using frozen raspberries). The cake is ready when the surface is golden brown and you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean. If you gently press the center of the cake, it should bounce back.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then cool on a cooling rack. If desired, top the cake with additional toasted shredded coconut.
Serve and Store:
- Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the cake into slices and serve. The cake is extra delicious with some raspberry preserves! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Canned coconut milk is a little thicker than beverage milk. If the coconut cream separates from the water, please shake the can before using. Brands of coconut milk vary incredibly, so I recommend using a brand of coconut milk that is between 12-18% fat, although a lower-fat one will work. A coconut cream with a higher fat will make your final cake heavy and gluggy.
- This cake had enough coconut flavor and texture for me, but for extra coconut flavor, you can add ½ teaspoon of coconut extract or use coconut oil. Note that coconut oil solidifies at room temperature, so your cake may not feel as cakey and soft.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Kate says
Made this cake for my birthday and it was very popular (even with non-vegans)! Served with raspberry coulis and coconut yoghurt. Making again this weekend, thank you!
Anthea says
Hi Kate, happy belated birthday! I'm thrilled that you and your guests loved this cake. And serving it with raspberry/coconut condiments would have been delicious. Thanks soo much for letting me know 🙂
Cláudia says
It's one of my favourite cakes to bake because it's simple and delicious. Very delicious 😋 Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. You are my favourite vegan baker 💚Hugs from Portugal 🇵🇹
Anthea says
Hi Cláudia, aw what a lovely compliment!!! I'm so happy that you loved this cake and thank you sooo much for your ongoing support and kindness! Hugs from Australia x
Amy says
Recepie looks great, would I be able to sub the sugar for date paste?
Anthea says
Hi Amy, date paste works a bit different to sugar so while the cake might work, it will have a very different texture. Hope that helps!
Kari Du says
So simple to make and absolutely delicious.
Anthea says
Hi Kari, that's great to hear! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Jane Fitzpatrick says
I upped the coconut and raspberries slightly and reduced the sugar. Great cake
Anthea says
That's great to know, Jane! I appreciate your comment 🙂
Veganazer says
This cake is something heavenly!!! My batter wasn't runny at all, I had to scoop it on the form, so I was afraid it will turn out dry (because I used coconut milk only), but it came out just PERFECT! After the first bite I had a strong desire to make 2nd batch😄 And as a bonus, making it was a breeze! Thanks so much for this wonderful addition to my fav recipes💚
Anthea says
Oh that's amazing! I'm glad that your cake still turned out well. And I'm honored that this recipe will be a keeper for you! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment 🙂
Diane says
Oh gosh, why has no one commented on this delicious recipe yet? I love the combination of raspberries and coconut. The cake was perfect in texture and no one would believe it's vegan. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe. Definitely recommended and it is worthy of serving to company. I'll be making this again, and again.
Anthea says
Aw, you've truly made my day, Diane! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the texture of this cake and I'm honored that you would share it with guests. Thanks so much for the glowing feedback 🙂
Teo says
Can this cake be made gluten free?
Anthea says
I haven't tested this with gluten-free flour, but I imagine it would work with a good quality 1:1 flour.