This gluten-free almond and coconut cake is the easiest one-bowl wonder you'll ever bake, and it just so happens to be gluten-free too.
It's moist, nutty and ready in under an hour, sitting right up there with my Gluten-Free Flourless Orange Almond Cake on my go-to list of Gluten-Free Desserts when I need something quick that still feels a bit special.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Gluten-Free Almond and Coconut Cake
🕒 Ready In: 10 minutes prep + 50 minutes baking
👪 Serves: 12 slices
🍚 Calories: 368kcal per slice
🥣 Main Ingredients: butter, almond meal, desiccated coconut, eggs
📖 Dietary Info: gluten free, freezer-friendly
⭐ Why You'll Love It: one bowl, ten minutes of effort, and a cake so good people always ask for the recipe.
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Sensational cake, so many asked for this recipe, will definitely bake this again and again and again.
- Janine
This cake has been one of my most requested recipes for years, and it's genuinely as easy as everyone says. If you're on a gluten-free baking kick, try my Gluten Free Lemon Cake, Lemon & Ricotta Cake or Fudgy Chocolate Gluten Free Brownies next.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- One bowl, ten minutes - melt, mix, bake. That's genuinely the whole job.
- Naturally gluten-free, no weird gums or substitute flours, just almond meal doing the heavy lifting.
- Freezer-friendly, so you can bake it ahead and pull out a slice whenever the craving hits.
- 358 five-star ratings and climbing. This one's a proven crowd favourite, not just a pretty photo.
Cake Ingredients
Only two things here actually need explaining; everything else is exactly what it sounds like.
- Almond meal - this is what replaces the flour, so don't sub it 1:1 for wheat flour or the texture won't work. It's courser than flour and that's exactly what keeps this cake so moist. You can buy it, or blitz whole almonds in a dry blender or Thermomix to make your own.
- Desiccated coconut - adds flavour and helps with moisture, but it goes rancid fast if it's not stored properly. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Variations
- Add lemon zest: stir it through the batter for a fresh, citrusy twist, or go all in with my Lemon & Ricotta Cake instead.
- Fold through fresh or frozen berries just before spooning the mixture into the tin; do it gently so they don't break apart.
- Whip the egg whites separately until stiff peaks form, and fold them through last for an extra light, airy version.
- Make it dairy free by swapping the butter for a dairy-free block alternative, it works just as well.
How To Make Gluten-Free Almond and Coconut Cake
Four steps, one bowl, and you're in the oven in under 10 minutes.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredient quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Melt the butter. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced and grease and line a 20cm round springform tin. Melt the butter in the microwave at 50% power in 30 second bursts, then let it cool slightly.
- Step 2: Mix in the eggs. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat well to combine.
- Step 3: Stir through the dry ingredients. Add the almond meal, coconut, salt and caster sugar and stir to combine. Don't panic, the almond meal makes it courser than a normal cake batter, that's meant to happen.
- Step 4: Top and bake. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for 50 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed. Cool in the tin, then dust with icing sugar before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Testing doneness: a skewer with a few moist crumbs stuck to it means it's ready. If it comes out with wet batter, give it a few more minutes.
- If the almonds on top start browning before the middle's cooked through, loosely cover the tin with foil and keep baking.
- Make your own almond meal by blitzing whole almonds in a completely dry blender or Thermomix. It's cheaper and tastes fresher than store-bought.
- Storage: keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Gluten-Free Almond and Coconut Cake FAQs
Yes, if you've got whole almonds sitting in the pantry (especially handy if you've got a Thermomix), just blitz them in a completely dry blender until they resemble a fine, grainy powder. It's more cost effective and tastes fresher than store-bought. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Dust it with icing sugar and serve it cool for afternoon tea, or warm it up and add a dollop of cream, custard or ice-cream for an easy dessert. Fresh berries or a drizzle of berry coulis are lovely too.
It probably just needs a bit longer in the oven, all ovens run differently. Cover with foil if the top's browning too fast and keep baking until a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Yes, wrap it well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature before serving. It also keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days if you're eating it sooner.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Cakes
If you're a fan of gluten-free baking (and honestly, why wouldn't you be), here's a few more to fall in love with:
Gluten-Free Almond and Coconut Cake
Ingredients
- 200 g butter unsalted
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 g (1 ½ cups) almond meal
- 70 g (⅔ cup) desiccated coconut
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 275 g (1 ¼ cups) caster sugar superfine sugar
- 30 g (2 tbs) flaked almonds
- icing sugar to dust over the top
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 20cm round spring form cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
- Place the butter into a large microwave-safe bowl. Melt on 50% power for 2-3 minutes (in 30 second bursts) or until melted. Allow to cool slightly.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat with hand-held beaters or a stand mixer until combined.
- Add the almond meal, coconut, salt and caster sugar and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top and bake for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed. Allow to cool in the pan.
- Dust with icing sugar before serving (optional).
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 20cm round springform cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
- Place the butter into the Thermomix bowl. Melt for 3 minutes, 80 degrees, Speed 2. Allow to cool slightly.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix for 30 seconds, Speed 6.
- Add the almond meal, coconut, salt and caster sugar and mix for 10 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 5 seconds.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top and bake for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed. Allow to cool in the pan.
- Dust with icing sugar before serving (optional).
Notes
- Making your own almond meal - you can make your own almond meal by 'blitzing' whole almonds in a clean and completely dry blender or Thermomix until they resemble a fine but grainy powder. The almond meal will taste fresher, and probably be more cost effective, than almond meal purchased at the supermarket. Store any unused almond meal in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
- Variations:
- Add some lemon zest for a fresh citrusy flavour.
- Add some fresh or frozen berries to the mix, gently fold these through prior to spooning into the tin so that the berries do not break apart.
- Serving this dessert cake:
- I love to dust over the top of this cake with icing sugar just prior to serving, and as its so moist and rich, cut into small wedges to serve.
- As a dessert cake, you may like to serve with a dollop of cream, ice-cream or custard. Add some fresh berries or a drizzle of berry coulis.
- Testing to see if the cake is cooked - all ovens are different and your cake may take longer to cook. When baked through it will stay fairly moist inside with a few crumbs sticking to the skewer, however if it is too wet, bake for a little longer, keeping an eye on it.
- Browning on top - if the cake is browning too much when baking, loosely cover it with a sheet of foil and continue to bake.
- Storing and freezing - store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this cake in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
G Middleton says
Lovely moist cake but I only used 175gm sugar and it was perfectly sweet.
Lisha Mansukhani says
Could I make this egg-free? How?
Lucy says
Hi Lisha, I haven't personally done that sorry!
Julie says
I love this cake but i think i must be doing something wrong as it doesn't rise much and is very very moist (to the point of oily). Could I lessen the amount of butter? 200g is a lot for me. I have used salted butter at times but that wouldn't be the reason. I have also added frozen raspberries (tossed in flour) but that shouldn't make a difference either should it?
would love your feedback.
thanks,
Julie
Lucy says
Hi Julie, it actually sounds like you're making it perfectly!!! It shouldn't rise much and it should be incredibly moist! You can try cooking it a little longer or higher (all ovens are different) if you would like it less moist!
Cath says
I love this recipe and have made it many times, but I'm wondering whether I could bake it as small cup cakes?
Lucy says
You could! But they wouldn't rise and be fluffy like cupcakes!
Manisha says
I’ve made this cake following the recipe and it’s so good! It freezes well too.
Would it be okay to substitute the butter for a dairy free spread to make it dairy free?
Lucy says
Hi there, I haven't personally tried that but I'd love to hear how it goes if you do!
Cath says
I've made this with Nuttelex for a dairy-free friend and I couldn't taste the difference - still just as delicious!
Grace says
If I use sweetened coconut flakes, should I reduce the sugar amt? Do you think it would come out as good as your recipe? It’s all I have in-house…
Lucy says
Thanks so much for your question! I’d recommend sticking to the recipe if you can, as the sugar isn't just there for sweetness—it also helps with the texture and moisture of the cake. I haven’t tested it with sweetened coconut flakes, but they might make the cake a little sweeter and denser. If that’s all you’ve got on hand, you could give it a go—just keep an eye on the bake time and maybe reduce the sugar slightly (but not too much or the texture could be affected). Let me know how it turns out if you try it!