Weekly Recipe #160: Vegan Coconut Bundt Cake

By Cheryl Ainslie-Waldman, Dietetic Intern with the University of Minnesota/The Emily Program Dietetic Internship

I seldom use my Bundt cake pan, and I am always looking for the perfect excuse to make a cake – this recipe is a great solution! In general, I follow vegan recipes at home for ethical and environmental reasons, so I appreciate especially delicious vegan recipes like this one.

This cake is very moist, and the amount of sugar can be reduced or the glaze omitted, if you prefer a less sweet cake.

One reason I like this recipe is because it uses coconut in three different iterations: coconut flakes, coconut milk, and coconut oil. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature because it is a saturated fat. However, it is not the same type of fat that is found in meat or butter. The fat in coconut is primarily medium-chain fatty acids, rather than long-chain fatty acids, which are found in most other foods. There is some evidence that medium-chain fatty acids are metabolized differently in the body, being burned off for energy long before being stored as fat. So replacing some long-chain fatty acid sources, like butter, shortening, or vegetable oils, with coconut may help with weight management in addition to being delicious!

Note: Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it may need to be softened before measuring. I like to place the jar on top of the oven while it is preheating to liquefy it a bit.

Vegan Coconut Bundt Cake

Adapted from LunchBoxBunch.com

(Makes 1 cake with glaze)

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 3 c. white flour (preferably organic)
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. salt
• 1 c. fine coconut flakes, unsweetened
• 1 c. evaporated cane juice (or vegan sugar)
• ¼ c. maple syrup
• 1/3 c. coconut oil, softened
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ c. full-fat coconut milk (sold in cans in the Asian food section of most grocery stores)
• ½ c. water
• 2 T. flax seeds + ½ c. water
• 1 t. apple cider vinegar

For the glaze:

• 1 c. organic powdered sugar
• ½ c. coconut flakes, unsweetened
• A few splashes of remaining coconut milk
• 2-3 T. coconut oil, softened
• 1 T. lemon juice (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• A few drops of vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease Bundt pan with coconut oil.
2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and coconut flakes in a large mixing bowl.
3. Briskly stir the flax seed with the ½ c. water and set aside.
4. Gently beat the sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, coconut milk, and water.
5. Fold the flax mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth.
6. Fold the dry mixture into the wet until smooth. Fold in the apple cider vinegar last.
7. Pour mixture into the Bundt pan.
8. Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until the top is bubbled and brown and a toothpick can be removed cleanly from the center of the cake.
9. Allow to cool 20-30 minutes before removing from Bundt pan. Set aside to cool.
10. Beat together the ingredients for the glaze. It is okay if the glaze is a little watery, as the coconut oil will firm when it cools.
11. Pour glaze over the cake. Chill in the fridge between servings.