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.
Heather Hartin says
Hi Lucy, I have now made this cake x2 in the last week for my hubby’s Covid safe 70th birthday celebrations. He is a Coeliac & this recipe is sooooo easy to make. My first one sank a bit even after a longer cooking time so 2nd one I added 1Tspn of baking powder & cane out perfectly flat on top, thanks for sharing the recipe, cheers Heather
Lucy says
Oh that's fantastic!! Thank you so much for the feedback!!
Marvin Cohen says
So I’ve had this recipe open on my phone for about two weeks now. I finally decided to make this for myself and my wife yesterday. This has to be the most delicious thing I’ve ever made. It was so tasty and moist and so easy to make as well. I read all the comments above about the worry that the cake still looked wet so I knew that’s what it should look like and didn’t worry too much about that. We have a 1/4 of the cake left. I’m going to make another one of these next weekend. So amazing. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Lucy says
Hi Marvin, that is just so wonderful to hear! Thank you so much - I'm thrilled that you and your wife enjoyed it!
Marvin says
Hi Lucy. So today is next weekend. Lol. I am doing this again today. Can’t wait till it’s ready.
Lucy says
Yay! That's fantastic! Enjoy 🙂
steph says
This cake came out extremely wet in the middle - I don't feel that I did anything wrong but do you have any idea why this could be the case?
Lucy says
Hi Steph, this is a very moist cake but from what you've said it may have needed a little longer to cook. All ovens are very different so it's best to test with a skewer. If you think the cake is over-browning, just loosely pop a sheet of foil over the top and continue cooking.
Malou Lee Sunshine Coast Qld says
I have to share this with you Lucy I made three in the last couple of weeks and thought I’d make another one last night for my husband it turned out terrible and I thought what have I done wrong? then I made another one same thing then I realised I put psyllium husk’s instead of Almond meal needless to say so they went in the bin. Third attempt just beautiful. Definitely a take two or bring to recipe to keep thanks again Lucy
Lucy says
Oh my goodness! That is HILARIOUS!!!! You have made my morning!!!! At least you'll have a good hit of fibre!!!
Sam says
Hello, Just wondering why mine came out really squishy inside still, even after extra time in the oven??
Lucy says
Hi Sam, it is a very moist cake (it's definitely not light and dry!). You could try increasing the oven a little... but I think it sounds like it turned out how it's meant to!