Low-Sugar Coconut Almond Cake

This Low-Sugar Coconut Almond Cake has no season. As a matter of fact, I love cake recipes that are seasonless. Consequently, you can serve them at any time of the year. Yes to cakes that are not seasonal produce dependent! We all need a few of those dessert ideas in our recipe arsenals. This is a great one and low-sugar to boot.

This Low-Sugar Coconut Almond Cake recipe contains only 3 tablespoons of sugar. However, the one cup of sweetened shredded coconut adds significant sweetness to the recipe. If you want to cut the sugar content even lower, use unsweetened shredded coconut. Alternatively, add a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar to the cream cheese frosting to make it sweet enough for your taste.

Blanched almond sticks in the batter add more crunch and flavor to this cake. The cream cheese frosting laced with bright lemon zest contributes a bit of sweet-sour to the overall taste.

I love how almonds pair with the coconut in this Low-Sugar Coconut Almond Cake. However, use raw walnuts, pistachios, or even sunflower seeds if you are almond-adverse. If you only have almonds with the skins on, here are simple instructions on how to blanch them.

The batter is extremely thick so the bake time is about 1 hour. The result is a dense, moist cake with a thick crunchy crust. Additionally, leave the cake in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing it. Also, let it cool completely before smearing the frosting on top.

You can certainly serve this cake for dessert. However, it also makes a nice table treat for breakfast or brunch. The cake is also a lovely companion to a coffee or tea break.

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Low-Sugar Coconut Almond Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Coconut Almond Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 12 Slices

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 +1/2 teaspoons Baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 +1/3 cup blanched almond sticks

For the frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons blanched almond sticks

Instructions

Make the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 5” x 9” loaf pan.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each is throughly combined before adding the next.
6. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the coconut milk.
7. Mix in the almonds.
8. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. The batter will be dense. Use a rubber spatula to prep it evenly into the pan.
   
9. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes. Removed from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
10. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack.

Make the Frosting:

1. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until combined.
2. Beat in the lemon zest.
3. When the cake has cooled completely, spread the cream cheese frosting over the top.
   
4. Scatter the coconut and chopped almonds over the top. Slice and serve.

Like this Low-Sugar Coconut Almond Cake? Also, check out some of these other delicious recipes:

RHUBARB BANANA SHEET CAKE

COCONUT GINGER LAYER CAKE

Coconut Pomegranate Ice Cream