Some desserts exist to impress. Some exist to be made when the craving hits and patience is in short supply and the idea of standing over a mixer for forty minutes sounds like entirely too much to ask of an otherwise reasonable Tuesday evening. This coconut cake belongs firmly in the second category — and it is the kind of recipe that will make you question why you ever spent more time on a cake than strictly necessary. The preparation takes five minutes. The result is a soft, moist, deeply coconut-flavored cake that tastes tropical and indulgent and nothing at all like something that required minimal effort to produce. It is the kind of cake that people ask about after eating it, and the kind of answer you can give with a completely straight face: yes, it really is that simple.
The secret to making a coconut cake this quickly and with this few ingredients is canned coconut milk — the full-fat kind used for cooking and baking, not the refrigerated beverage version, which contains mostly water and will not produce the same result. Full-fat canned coconut milk contains a high proportion of coconut fat that performs the same structural and moisture-retaining functions in a cake that eggs, butter, and milk typically perform together. When combined with self-rising flour and sugar and a generous amount of shredded coconut, it produces a cake batter that comes together in one bowl with no mixer required and bakes into something with a genuinely tender, moist crumb that holds together perfectly and carries real coconut flavor all the way through. No eggs, no butter, no oil, no dairy — and no way to tell from the result that any of those things are missing.
Ingredients
- 1 and a half cups self-rising flour — if you do not have self-rising flour, make your own by combining 1 and a half cups all-purpose flour with 2 and a quarter teaspoons baking powder and half a teaspoon of fine salt, whisked together
- Three-quarters cup granulated sugar — coconut sugar works as a substitute and adds a pleasant caramel undertone to the flavor
- 1 can (13.5 to 14 ounces) full-fat canned coconut milk — shake the can well before opening to ensure the coconut cream and liquid are fully combined; do not use the refrigerated carton type
- Three-quarters cup finely shredded dried coconut, sweetened or unsweetened depending on your preference for sweetness — finely shredded rather than large flakes, which blend more evenly into the batter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional but recommended)
- Half a teaspoon coconut extract (optional, for an intensified coconut flavor)
