A moist coconut sponge, topped with a light, creamy coconut buttercream is decorated with mini snowmen. This vegan coconut sheet cake is perfect for Christmas. It’s vegan, egg-free and easy to make.
This recipe has been made in collaboration with Natures Charm. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)
Vegan Coconut Sheet Cake
If you’ve ever wanted homemade coconut cake but with less hassle, let me introduce you to THE BEST EVER Vegan Coconut Sheet Cake. It’s the perfect coconut cake for a hungry crowd, the family and coconut lovers. The coconut cake tastes absolutely delicious on it’s own, but with the addition of the buttercream takes it to a whole new level. It’s easy to make, decorate and will be devoured in minutes! It’s like eating a coconut cloud, soooo fluffy!
Why you’ll love this festive coconut cake
- It’s vegan
- Filled with delicious coconut
- Perfect for sharing
- Easy to decorate
- Cake is super moist
- Super easy to make
- It’s light and fluffy in texture
- Great for storing
- Can be made in advance
Why this is THE BEST coconut cake
It is one of those cakes where one slice isn’t enough, trust me! The cakes are ridiculously fluffy and moist. I am so excited to have partnered with Natures Charm to bring you this SCRUMPTIOUS recipe! I used three of their incredible products: Condensed Oat Milk, Evaporated Oat Milk and Oat Whipping Cream.
The BEST Vegan Condensed Milk
If you follow me on Instagram, you will know how much I am obsessed with Natures Charm. They are a vegan company who make whipping creams, condensed milk, and other oat and coconut based products. Their condensed milks are some of my favourite products ever! I used the Condensed Oat Milk for this recipe and used it to make the most incredible cake. The condensed milk adds a delicious oaty flavour along side the coconut, and makes it super moist!
The BEST chocolate ganache
Chocolate ganache is super quick and easy to make. It is simply melting and combining chocolate with cream. I used Natures Charm Evaporated Oat Milk. I love the flavour and texture of this milk. It makes the most incredible and smooth ganache, which is the perfect addition to this cake. Paired with coconut, the flavour reminds me of a bounty bar (which used to be my favourite chocolate bar pre-vegan)- haha!
How to make vegan buttercream
I love this buttercream recipe because it’s thick, creamy and packed full of flavour. I made it with dairy-free butter, vanilla, icing sugar and Natures Charm Oat Whipping Cream. It’s a great alternative to dairy-free milk. It’s thicker and helps create a creamier textured buttercream. It worked beautifully with the cake and ganache.
Make sure to check out Natures Charm. I rave about them for a reason, they are AMAZING! Shop Nature’s Charm on Ocado, Amazon and Holland and Barrett.
How to make a Vegan Coconut Sheet Cake
(Full recipe card & ingredients list below)
- Cake
Make the coconut cake batter. Mix the dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar together, set aside to curdle. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add in the buttermilk, condensed milk, oil, vanilla and desiccated coconut into the dry and mix until smooth. Pour into the lined tin.
- Bake
Bake the cake for the allocated time. Make sure to check the cake is ready by inserting a skewer down the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean its ready, if there is batter left on the skewer, the cake will need more time to bake. Just keep an eye on it, and make sure the top doesn’t burn. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Lift the cake out of the tin using the overhanging greaseproof paper and place on a wire rack and allow to cool fully. Once cool store the cake in a sealed container to keep it moist, and fresh before frosting.
- Ganache
Using the end of a spoon or fork, poke holes into the cake in preparation for filling with ganache. Make the ganache and add into a piping bag. Pipe the ganache into the cake and allow to set in the fridge while you make the buttercream.
- Buttercream
Cream the butter and whipping cream milk together until smooth. Whip in the icing sugar and vanilla. Smooth buttercream over the entire cake to cover. Sprinkle over coconut. Transfer white buttercream into a piping bag with large round tip nozzle. Pipe snowman shapes over the top of the cake. Colour the other buttercream black, orange and pink, transfer into separate piping bags and snip off the tip. Use the coloured buttercream to pipe the snowman details.
Looking for more Christmas recipes, check these out:
Melting Snowman Pop Tarts (vegan)
Reindeer Vegan Cherry Bakewell Hand Pies
How to make a Giant Vegan Mince Pie
No-Bake Vegan White Chocolate Snowman Cheesecakes
‘Super popular’ Vegan Polar Bear Cupcakes
Easy Vegan Gingerbread man Cupcakes
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram and Facebook!
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Vegan Coconut Sheet Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Super fun and cute Vegan Coconut Sheet Cake which is light, moist and delicious. Decorated with desiccated coconut and mini snowman, it’s the perfect bake for the Holidays.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cake
- 230ml of dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- 100g of caster sugar
- 250g of self raising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract / vanilla paste
- 3 tablespoons of Natures Charm Condensed Oat Milk
- 70ml of sunflower oil
- 80g of desiccated coconut
Ingredients for the chocolate ganache
- 100g of dairy-free dark chocolate
- 40ml of Natures Charm Evaporated Oat Milk
Ingredients for the buttercream
- 60g of Natures Charm Oat Whipping Cream
- 120g of dairy-free butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 180g of icing sugar
- Orange food gel
- Brown food gel
- Pink food gel
Decoration
- Desiccated coconut
- Vegan mini peanut butter cups
Instructions
Method (cake)
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC fan and line an 8 x 8 inch square cake tin with greaseproof paper. Allow the paper to hang over the tin slightly, this makes it easier to remove the cake when baked.
- In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine. Add the vanilla, condensed milk and oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Fold in the coconut.
- Spoon the batter into the lined tin. Level it out with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.
- Place the cake into the middle of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know it is done when you put a knife or skewer down the middle of the cake and it comes out clean and it’s springy to the touch. If batter comes off on the skewer, it needs more time to bake. To prevent burning, top the cake with some greaseproof paper then return back into the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool fully before frosting. You can even place the cake in a sealed container once cool then frost the day after. It’s a very light sponge so be careful with it when removing from the tin.
Method (ganache)
- Place the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Fill a small saucepan 1/4 with water and place over the hob on a low / medium heat. Place the bowl on-top to create a bain-marie. Melt the chocolate. Pour in the evaporated milk and whip until smooth.
- Transfer the ganache into a piping bag, snip off the tip and set aside while you make the buttercream.
Method (buttercream)
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the oat whipping cream and butter, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
- Sift in the icing sugar and vanilla. Whip on high speed for a couple of minutes to incorporate it. Add a splash more whipping cream or butter to get it to a smooth consistency. You want it to be thick and creamy.
- Remove 3 heaped tablespoons of the buttercream and separate into three bowls. Leave the majority of the buttercream white, colour a small amount of buttercream with orange food colour, the 2nd with pink and the third with brown. You don’t need much coloured frosting for this, only for the eyes, nose and scarf details so only use what you need.
- Transfer 1/3 of the white buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.
- Using a pallet knife, spread the 2/3 remaining buttercream over the entire cake. Sprinkle over some desiccated coconut.
- Using the white buttercream, pipe snowman shapes over the top of the cake (watch the video tutorial here).
- Use the brown buttercream to pipe on eyes, mouth and buttons, then pipe on the orange nose. Pipe a scarf onto the snowman using the pink buttercream.
- Cut the peanut butter cup in half and stick onto the cake for the snowman’s hat.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
To store: Keep this cake stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Leave at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. Best eaten within 3 days of making. Un-iced cake can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 2 days.
What food colour to use? Gels are highly pigmented which means you won’t need as much. I like to use THIS brand of food gels.
What dairy-free butter to use? My favourites are Naturli Vegan Block, Naturli Spread and Flora Plant Based Block Butter. All work amazingly in vegan buttercream!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
