[Paleo] Coconut Cake with Lemon Frosting

Paleo Update:  Jon and I are officially 17 days into our Paleo challenge!  Although there have been some temptations and many cravings, we haven’t even come close to our “breaking points.”  Good news, right? 😉  Here are a few of our insights:

• I don’t feel noticeably different.  I was hoping to feel like I had extra energy on Paleo since a lot of people have had that experience.  Nope… I feel the same.  BUT, Jon astutely pointed out that that’s a good thing!  We are functioning just as well on about half of the calories we used to consume!
• I didn’t lose any weight for almost the entire 2nd week – I just stayed flat.  After losing almost 5lbs the 1st week, it was pretty disappointing especially since I had worked out FIVE times and eaten really well.  Jon thinks I’m gaining muscle and he swears my face looks slightly thinner but my clothes haven’t been fitting any differently.  However, a couple of days into week 3 and I’ve dropped a pound!
• After about two weeks, a Paleo lifestyle starts to feel fairly “normal.”  In some regards, it’s a lot more satisfying.  I used to eat a Chobani greek yogurt every morning but now I have a piece of frittata or egg whites and bacon.  Warm meals feel so much heartier!

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Who’s says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?!  We may be on a diet but we can still eat cake (best.diet.ever)!  Granted, there are some ingredient modifications but nothing that I couldn’t find in my local grocery store (Wegman’s).  If you’re a skeptic, you may be thinking, “Yeah, but I bet it tastes funny or has a weird consistency.”  I had the same thoughts but trust me, this cake is deeeelicious.  If I had to compare it to a “normal” cake, I would say it’s more dense (similar to a pound cake) and the frosting doesn’t have a super smooth consistency.  But other than that, it’s oh-so-good and filled with “good” fats!

I came across the recipe on Paleo in PDX and pinned it immediately!  I couldn’t wait to try my first Paleo-friendly dessert and I don’t even like coconut!  Luckily the flavor is very faint.  This was my first time working with coconut flour and it smells amazing.  (Look for it in the gluten-free section)

Let’s get baking!

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees (F) and lightly grease two 9″ cake pans (or one 13″ x 9″ cake pan).

We’re actually going to make the frosting before the cake and we’re going to make the frosting in a blender!  I know, I know – I’m really switching things up today but there’s a method to my madness.  We’re making the frosting first because it needs set to firm up in the fridge.

Once you’ve pulled out your blender, add the coconut oil, coconut milk, honey, vanilla extract, coconut flour and lemon juice – aka all frosting ingredients.

Tip:  Alisa mentioned that you should carefully measure your coconut flour because it’s so dense that a little extra can have a big impact.

Tip:  When you first open your coconut milk, the contents will be separated.  Make sure to combine them again before measuring and adding to the blender.

Blend the frosting for 20-30 seconds and pour into a bowl.  Don’t be alarmed if it’s pretty runny – just look at mine:

Set the bowl in your fridge and we’ll come back to it in a little bit.

Okay, now it’s time to make the cake!

In a small bowl, sift your coconut flour, salt and baking soda.

In a large mixing bowl (like your Kitchen Aid bowl), combine your eggs, honey, vanilla, and melted coconut oil.

Tip:  Coconut oil is sold in jars and is a solid at room temperature.  To melt it, I simply placed the jar in a bowl of hot tap water.

Slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture.

Once everything has been combined and the batter is smooth, fold in your shredded coconut flakes.

Tip:  The original recipe calls for one cup but I don’t like coconut that much so I only added 1/2 cup.  I couldn’t really taste it at all.  Next time I will probably omit it all together.

Fill your cake pan(s) with the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes.

I checked mine at 25 and the centers weren’t quite set so I let them bake for another 5 minutes.  Once the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.

Once the cake(s) have cooled, remove them from the pan and set on a serving dish.

Take out your bowl of frosting from the fridge and give it a good stir.  If it’s too thick to spread, microwave it for 10 seconds and stir it again.  Frost away!  Since I did two cake pans, I frosted a layer between the two cakes and then added another layer of frosting on the top.  Yum!

[Paleo] Coconut Cake with Lemon Frosting

Inspired by Paleo in PDX

Serves 10-12

Ingredients (Frosting)

• 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted (place jar in a bowl of hot water)
• 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk, room temperature with layers combined
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

What to Do (Frosting)

1. Add all ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend for 20-30 seconds and pour contents into a bowl.
3. Place bowl in the refrigerator until needed.

Ingredients (Cake)

• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 10 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes

What to Do (Cake)

1. In a small bowl, sift the coconut flour, salt and baking soda together.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, honey, vanilla, and melted coconut oil.
3. Slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
4. Once everything has been combined and the batter is smooth, fold in your shredded coconut flakes.
5. Fill two 9″ cake pan(s) or a 13″ x 9″ cake pan with the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes.
6. Once the cake(s) have cooled, remove them from the pan and set on a serving dish.
7. Take out your bowl of frosting from the fridge and give it a good stir.  If it’s too thick to spread, microwave it for 10 seconds and stir it again.
8. Frost a layer between the two cakes and then another layer on top.

Tags: 2 layer cake, baking, cake, caveman, Challenge, coconut, coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut oil, diet, frosting, gluten free, good fat, healthy, honey, lemon, lemon juice, maple syrup, no sugar added, Paleo, Paleolithic, pound cake, Whole30

• January 17, 2013
• Desserts, Recipes
• 27 Comments