Light Coconut Cake

Ever since my mother and I won a cake baking contest in her unassisted living facility. This light coconut cake with pineapple filling and cream cheese frosting has been our favorite. I call it light coconut cake because I do not like chewing on coconut shreds so the coconut flavor is not strong in this recipe. If you love shredded coconut please by all means add it to the frosting and it will increase the coconut flavor. I just learned how to make it into a vegan recipe by changing the butter, sugar, and egg whites. Which I am excited to share with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Ingredients

For the Coconut Cake:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup Miyoko's cultured vegan unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups of Florida Crystals organic raw cane sugar

13.5 ounces of canned unsweetened organic coconut milk

2 teaspoons of coconut extract

15 tablespoons of Aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas drained, see the bottom of the article for details.)

For the Pineapple Filling:

20 ounce can of organic crushed pineapples

2/3 cup of organic raw cane sugar

2 Tablespoons of cornstarch

For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup vegan butter at room temperature

8 ounces vegan cream cheese at room temperature

4-5 cups organic raw cane powdered sugar

1 – 2 Tablespoons leftover coconut milk

Instructions

Coconut Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides of the pan lightly with cooking spray. If you prefer not to use parchment paper make sure you wipe your pan with a light coating of butter and evenly cover it in a light dust of flour so the cake will be easy to remove from the pans after it has been baked.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Then set the bowl aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed with an electric mixer for one minute until light and fluffy. Add sugar and mix for one more minute.

Add 1 1/4 cups of coconut milk and coconut extract then mix.

Gradually add the flour mixture as you mix on medium speed for two minutes.

In another bowl, beat the aquafaba liquid until stiff peaks form. Fold the mixture into the cake batter until it all blends together.

Divide cake batters evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the pans from the oven and allow them to cool for five minutes before putting them onto a cooling rack.

Once the cakes have cooled, use a sharp knife to cut each cake round in half horizontally, so that you end up with four thin cake rounds.

Pineapple Filling:

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and looks "glossy", about 5-8 minutes.

Pour filling into a container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling. Once cooled, cover the container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat vegan butter and vegan cream cheese together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and a splash of the remaining coconut milk and mix until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add a little more milk, to thin, or powdered sugar to stiffen, if needed, until you reach your desired frosting consistency.

Assembling instructions:

Place one layer of your cake on a serving plate. Spread half of the pineapple filling over it. Top with another layer of cake and smooth a layer of cream cheese frosting on it.

Place the third layer of cake on top of the second one. Spread the last of the pineapple filling over it. Place the last (4th) layer of cake on the top. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the cream cheese frosting.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, before serving.

Premade and Freezing Instructions:

The cake, pineapple filling, and cream cheese frosting can all be prepared a few days in advance. Bake the cakes, and allow them to cool completely. Then wrap each layer well in plastic wrap and place them in a ziplock freezer bag. They can remain frozen for up to one month. Frozen cakes are easier to work with, and to frost. The pineapple filling and cream cheese frosting can be made up to a week in advance or frozen for several weeks as well. Make sure that the coconut frosting is at room temperature before you spread it on the cakes.

Aquafaba:

A great replacement for egg whites in a vegan recipe is the liquid inside a can of chickpeas. That liquid is called aquafaba. Three tablespoons of aquafaba are equivalent to one egg. One can of chickpeas drained will contain about half a cup of aquafaba.