I officially declare this yuzu coconut cake the best plant-based cake I’ve ever had that wasn’t made by me! I know—bold statement. I’ve got my own go-to cake recipes in my first cookbook, Vegan Comfort Classics, and I make many of them on repeat. But this Yuzu Coconut Cake, created by Chef and Top Chef: All-Stars winner Melissa King, definitely takes the cake!
The cake’s texture is spongy and soft, it bakes to golden brown perfection and it has just the right amount of sweetness. What I love most about it is the added citrusy kick from the yuzu juice. Yuzu is a hybrid citrus fruit often used in East Asian cuisine and its flavour comes through as a mix of mandarin orange, lemon and grapefruit.
This yuzu coconut cake is a simple vegan recipe that doesn’t rely on eggs or butter to achieve its wonderful cakiness, but instead uses olive oil and coconut milk, making it rich and undetectably plant-based.
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ingredients
Strawberry Topping
Cake
Glaze
directions
8-10 servings
Heat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan using extra-virgin olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Combine strawberries, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside to macerate while preparing the cake.
Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, extra-virgin olive oil, yuzu juice and vanilla bean paste in a medium bowl. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just to combine. Add the coconut flakes and pour into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to release the sides of the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and then flip it back over onto the rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, whisk together the icing sugar and yuzu juice until smooth. The texture should be runny; add a splash more yuzu juice or water if needed. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the top. Let cool completely to set. Slice and serve with the strawberries.
