Sticky Date and Coconut Cake – Vegan and Gluten-Free

Vegan and gluten-free, this creamy, dreamy, dense, fudgy, heavenly pudding-like Sticky Date and Coconut Cake feels and tastes like pure decadence, yet it only uses real, wholesome ingredients!

So I’ve started experimenting with vegan baking… For his birthday, I’d asked mah dude what kind of cake he would like, and he’d asked for his favorite: a Queen Elizabeth Cake, which is how we call a Sticky Date and Coconut Cake around here.

Of course, I was happy to oblige, but after all was said and done, I wasn’t convinced that my first experimentation had been a complete success. But then, as soon as we got to taste the cake, I knew I had to share this recipe. It definitely is a total keeper, and to be honest, the more we eat it, the more we are wowed by it! Mr Man even said that “it was the best birthday cake he’d ever had — sorry mom! (cuz she was sitting right next to him) — and wants the exact same next year please, pretty please!”

This cake is like total decadence!  It’s super dense and fudgy and creamy and smooth, with a texture that’s a bit like a cross between a brownie and a cheesecake, and a sweet, THICK, macaroon-like coconut topping.

Speaking of coconut topping, I really went all out on my version of this cake, for this is my partner’s favorite part, and I know a lot of people feel exactly the same: they can never get enough of the delicious coconut topping. Well, trust me, if that’s your case, you will be totally served with this cake. And if it wasn’t your case and preferred a thinner layer of coconut over your cake, well you could just as easily cut that in half, if you wanted to.

Oh, and one more thing before we start: be warned that this cake is very sweet and extremely calorie-dense, so you should totally keep the portions on the small side.

But hey, we all have to indulge once in a while, don’t we?  

TO MAKE THE CAKE

The fist thing you should do is make the flax eggs: to do that, mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 6 tablespoons of water. Whisk vigorously to combine and then let that mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes to set up and thicken.

While that is happening, grease the sides (with coconut oil) and line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper. Then, preheat your oven to 350°F and prep the rest of the ingredients…

In a large mixing bowl, combine the date paste, coconut sugar, boiling water, coconut oil, flax eggs (when ready) and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; Whisk to fully combine and then add that to the wet ingredients.

Whisk, more delicately this time, until all the flour has been incorporated.

Next, fold in the chopped dates and pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly…

Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or until the top appears set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out practically crumb-free. The cake will still feel somewhat soft and delicate to the touch and your fingers will leave indentations if you press too firmly on it. Kinda like when you bake brownies, you know… so don’t go over-baking it. 

TO MAKE THE COCONUT TOPPING

After your cake has been in the oven for about 45 minutes, combine the maple syrup and coconut milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, boil for about 2 minutes and then kill the heat.

Add the shredded coconut, coconut butter (you could use coconut oil if you didn’t have any coconut butter on hand) vanilla extract and salt. Stir to combine, then set aside until the cake is done.

When baked, remove the cake from the oven and set the oven to broil. Very delicately drop the coconut mixture by the spoonful all over the top of the hot cake

…then gingerly spread it with a small offset spatula and immediately place the cake under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture starts to bubble and turns slightly golden.

Now let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack, then run a spatula around the rim and remove from pan.

Oh, yeah; if you happen to have a lot of excess parchment paper around your pan, you might want to cut some of it off before you place the cake under the broiler, as it may burn a little bit if it gets to close to the element! 

TO MAKE THE OPTIONAL GARNISH

Combine the dates and walnuts on a cutting board and chop them together, so the nuts sort of stick to the dates and they get to blend into a kind of tacky crumbly mixture.

Mound that mixture right in the center of the cake and drizzle with a few tablespoons of melted coconut butter, then finish things off with a little sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut.

This cake is best served at room temperature, with a nice cup of green tea or a tall glass of non-dairy milk!

Leftovers will keep at room temperature for up to a few days; If you need to keep them for longer then that, you should put them in the refrigerator, where they will keep for up to a week. If you choose to go that route, I strongly suggest that you take what you intend to eat out of the fridge about an hour prior to serving, so the cake has a chance to get back to room temperature before you go to town.

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5 from 4 votes

Sticky Date and Coconut Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Vegan and gluten-free, this creamy, dreamy, dense, fudgy, heavenly pudding-like Sticky Date and Coconut Cake feels and tastes like pure decadence, yet it only uses real, wholesome ingredients!

Servings: 16

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

FOR THE CAKE

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup date paste
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 flax eggs*
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt, I use Himalayan salt

Add-ins

• 1 cup chopped pitted dates
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

FOR THE COCONUT TOPPING

• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup coconut butter, (or coconut oil)
• 2-1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt, I use Himalayan salt

OPTIONAL GARNISH

• 6-8 pitted dates
• 2-3 tbsp walnut pieces
• 2-3 tbsp melted coconut butter
• Unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 350°F; Grease the sides (with coconut oil) and then line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper.**(see notes)
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the date paste, coconut sugar, boiling water, coconut oil, flax eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until well combined, then set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; Whisk to fully combine and add to the wet ingredients. Whisk delicately until all the flour has been incorporated.
• Fold in the chopped dates and pecans.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it evenly and bake the cake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until the top appears set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out practically crumb-free.

FOR THE COCONUT TOPPING

• After the cake has been in the oven for about 45 minutes, combine the maple syrup and coconut milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, boil for about 2 minutes and then kill the heat. Add the shredded coconut, coconut butter (or oil) vanilla extract and salt. Stir to combine, then set aside until the cake is done.
• When baked, remove the cake from the oven and set the oven to broil.
• Very delicately drop the coconut mixture by the spoonful all over the top of the hot cake, then delicately spread it with a small offset spatula and immediately place the cake under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture starts to bubble and turns slightly golden.
• Let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack, then run a spatula around the rim and remove from pan.

FOR THE OPTIONAL GARNISH

• Combine the dates and walnuts on a cutting board and chop them together, so the nuts stick to the dates and they form a tacky crumbly mixture. Mound that in the center of the cake and drizzle with the melted coconut butter, then sprinkle a little bit of unsweetened shredded coconut.
• Serve the cake at room temperature. Keep leftovers at room temperature for up to a few days or in the refrigerator for up to about a week; take out of the fridge about an hour prior to serving.  

Notes

*To make the flax eggs, mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 6 tablespoons of water. Whisk vigorously to combine and and let sit to thicken for 10-15 minutes.

**To line the bottom of the springform pan, remove the ring and cover the bottom plate with parchment paper. Fold the excess paper back under the plate and, while holding it in place with one hand, put the ring back in its position with the other hand. Bring the excess paper back from under the pan but do not cut it off.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Sodium: 174mg, Potassium: 364mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 37g, Vitamin A: 30IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 1.6mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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