Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (2024)

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It's finally starting to get a little bit warmer, and my gluten free lime and coconut cake is the ultimate spring/summer bake.

Packed with tangy lime and desiccated coconut, with a sweet lime icing, this is a really simple gluten free bake and one which will have you coming back for more!

It's also easily made dairy free as well - so perfect for everyone to enjoy.

A totally tropical gluten free loaf cake which will transport you to warmer climes with a bite.

I absolutely love the flavours of lemon, lime and orange when baking.

Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (1)

Better than a lemon drizzle cake!

Some of my favourite cakes are my gluten free citrus drizzle cake recipe and my gluten free lemon and pistachio cake recipes.

So it seemed like creating a gluten free lime and coconut cake was the perfect next step.

I wanted a similar cake to a lemon drizzle cake, but with a more interesting texture and a sweet icing topping.

And when it comes to flavour combinations, can it get much better than lime and coconut?

The two are like the perfect marriage, and it makes this a great cake for summer.

This is the kind of gluten free cake which is a real crowd-pleaser.

You could serve it up for a tea party or make it as part of an afternoon tea platter or picnic.

Whichever mode of presentation you choose, I don't think it'll last long!

Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (2)

Gluten free lime and coconut cake

There are three parts to this gluten free lime and coconut cake: the baking, the drizzle, and the icing.

The cake itself is baked with lime zest and desiccated coconut, giving it a lovely texture and a subtle flavour.

Once the cake is cooked, you prick it all over and drizzle over the lime syrup.

This helps to keep the cake really moist, and gives it a lovely lime-y punch.

The lime-flavoured icing is the real finisher.

Sprinkle with some extra desiccated coconut and lime zest for a beautiful-looking treat.

Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (3)

A super easy gluten free bake

And the best thing about this cake? It's SO easy to make!

Just chuck everything in to the baking mix, and the icing and syrup are super simple.

Most of the ingredients are simple store cupboard items too.

We always have lemons and limes in our house (I use them a lot for cooking) and gluten free flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs and milk are always well stocked too.

And if you haven't tried xanthan gum, I'd recommend it - it helps to keep a nice texture to your bake.

A little bit goes a long way so one small tub will last you for ages.

Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (4)

What ingredients do I need?

There's a full printable recipe card below, but for the shopping list you'll need the following ingredients for my gluten free lime and coconut cake:

  • 175 g caster sugar (+ 50g for the drizzle)
  • 175 g unsalted butter, (softened)
  • 3 limes
  • 3 large eggs
  • 125 g gluten free self raising flour
  • 75 g desiccated coconut (+ extra to decorate)
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • ¼ tsp xanthan gum
  • 225g icing sugar

If you wanted to make this recipe dairy free, you'd simply need to substitute the butter for something like Stork baking block, and it would work just as well.

And if you don't have any self raising flour you can just use a plain gluten free flour.

If you do this, make sure you add 2 tsp of baking powder stirred in, before adding it to the main cake mixture.

Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (5)

My gluten free lime and coconut cake recipe

Ok, you've waited long enough - here is one of my new favourite gluten free cakes!

I've decided can see myself making this gluten free lime and coconut cake recipea lot.

I just couldn't believe how (dare I say it) moist the cake kept. Even after 3-4 days it tasted freshly baked!

Store this in an airtight container and it'll definitely keep... if you can resist for that long anyway.

I've also got a handy recipe video here to show you just how easy this lime and coconut cake it to make:

If you give it a go, please let me know – on Instagram just tag me@GFBloggeror use#theglutenfreebloggerso I can see your bakes!

Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (6)

Yield: 12 slices

Gluten free lime and coconut cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 10 minutes

A gluten free lime and coconut cake with lime drizzle and a lime icing, topped with lime zest and desiccated coconut.Bakes in a 2lb loaf tin and keeps for 3-5 days.

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 175 g unsalted butter, (softened)
  • Zest of 3 limes
  • 3 large eggs
  • 125 g gluten free self raising flour
  • 75 g desiccated coconut
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • ¼ tsp xanthan gum

For the syrup:

  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 50 g caster sugar

For the icing:

  • 225 g icing sugar
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Lime zest, (to sprinkle on top)
  • Desiccated coconut, (to sprinkle on top)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas Marl 4 and grease and line a 2lb pound loaf tin.Mix the butter, sugar and lime zest in a large mixing bowl using an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and milk and mix again until combined.
  2. Add the flour, desiccated coconut and xantham gum to the mixture and fold in using a wooden spoon or spatula. Once combined, pour the mixture into the baking tin and smooth out.
  3. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place (still in the tin) on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes while you make the syrup.
  4. Mix the caster sugar and lime juice for the syrup in a small saucepan. Heat on a low heat, stirring until the caster sugar has dissolved. While the cake is still warm, prick it with a skewer all over and then use a spoon to cover the cake in the warm syrup. Do this spoon-by-spoon to ensure an even coverage and let it all soak in.
  5. Leave the cake to cool completely. Once cool, make the icing by sifting the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually adding the lime juice until you get the desired consistency (I like mine nice and thick!). Pour over using a spoon (tip: start in the middle of the cake to get a lovely drip effect as it runs out and over the edges). Sprinkle with lime zest and some extra desiccated coconut, leave to set and then serve.

Notes

  • This makes quite a thick icing - for a thinner icing you can add a little water (1 tsp at a time) or less icing sugar, depending on what consistency you're going for.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 387Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 207mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 2gSugar: 45gProtein: 3g

Need some more baking inspiration?

Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog? Why not give some of these a try? There are plenty to choose from!

  • Gluten free raspberry and white chocolate muffins
  • Gluten free citrus drizzle cake
  • Gluten free lemon and elderflower cake

If you do make this recipe please let me know!

I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger,share them inmy Facebook groupor tag me onInstagram.And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!

Oh – anddon’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletterwhere you’ll know about all my latest posts and competitions first!

Like this gluten free lime and coconut cake recipe?

Make sure youpin this recipe card below for later!

Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (7)
Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (8)
Gluten Free Lime and Coconut Cake Recipe - Easy Dairy Free Option (2024)

FAQs

Can I substitute coconut milk for milk in a cake recipe? ›

To bake with coconut milk, replace it 1:1 for milk in the recipe. If you need a non-dairy alternative to milk for baking, then you can substitute coconut for milk in your recipes as long as the coconut flavor won't interfere. The key is to pay attention to the type of milk or cream the original recipe calls for.

Does gluten free flour take longer to bake? ›

Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer.

What helps gluten-free cakes rise? ›

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

Can you over mix gluten free cake batter? ›

While conventional wisdom has taught us not to overmix our batters, we've found most gluten-free batters simply need to be stirred for longer.

What is the best non dairy substitute for milk in baking? ›

Among other milk alternatives like almond milk, soy milk and oat milk, soy milk is by far the best for baking. I learned this over the course of several years and many cookies, cakes, muffins and pies. Moreover, some people will tell you that you must swap full-fat coconut milk in for heavy cream or half-and-half.

What can I substitute for milk in a cake? ›

There are plenty of dairy-free milk alternatives you can try in your baking recipes.
  1. Soy milk. Replacement ratio: Replace 250ml of cow's milk with 250ml of soy milk. ...
  2. Oat milk. Replacement ratio: Replace 250ml of cow's milk with 250ml of oat milk. ...
  3. Coconut milk. ...
  4. Almond milk. ...
  5. Cream. ...
  6. Powdered or evaporated milk. ...
  7. Sour cream. ...
  8. Yoghurt.

What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

How do you keep gluten-free cakes moist? ›

Tips for best results
  1. Add some almond flour: Using a small amount of almond flour in your baking can enhance the taste and texture dramatically. ...
  2. Add more fat or liquid: It might just be that you need a bit more moisture in your recipe, especially if you're converting a regular “gluten-ful” recipe to gluten-free.
Jan 8, 2022

Can I just replace flour with gluten-free flour? ›

If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend. Beat the batter more. Because gluten-free flours provide less structure than all-purpose, the batter or dough you make with them may require more beating than that which you are accustomed.

Which flour is best for gluten-free cakes? ›

What's the best gluten-free flour for baking? Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix is my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for baking. It has a mild texture and plenty of "stick" thanks to a blend of sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, and sorghum flour, plus some starches and xanthan gum.

Do gluten-free cakes need more liquid? ›

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

What does baking soda do in gluten-free baking? ›

Texture and Rise: Gluten-free baking often requires a bit of finesse to achieve the desired rise and texture. Baking soda's reaction with an acid can help achieve that necessary lift, while baking powder provides an extra boost when the batter or dough is exposed to heat.

Why did my gluten free cake turn out gummy? ›

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture.

Why do gluten-free cakes not rise? ›

Gluten-free flour blends don't have the same elasticity as flour containing gluten so often the cakes don't rise as much or will sink after rising. To combat the flat cake problem, I add ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda to the recipe even when using a self-raising gluten-free flour blend.

Why does my gluten free cake fall? ›

YOUR CAKE IS SINKING IN THE MIDDLE OR NOT RISING

You may not have used enough raising agents. I do recommend experimenting with double action baking powders. Otherwise try using 25 percent more chemical raising agents (baking soda or baking powder) if you're converting a recipe to gluten free.

Is coconut milk good for baking cakes? ›

Coconut milk is a rich plant-based milk that makes a great substitute for dairy milk and is also loaded with added benefits. It has the right kind of fats and very little sugar. This makes it the perfect replacement for milk in baking and cooking. It can be used in a 1:1 ratio for replacing milk.

Can you use coconut milk in recipes instead of milk? ›

Coconut milk is naturally dairy-free, making it an excellent substitute for regular milk in multiple recipes. It only has a mild coconut flavor, so even if you don't like coconut, you might still find you can use coconut milk in recipes without being bothered by the taste.

Can I use coconut milk to replace milk? ›

Coconut milk is a popular substitute for dairy, offering a plant-based, lactose and milk protein-free alternative. It's also a quintessential ingredient for beverages, baked goods, desserts and more.

Is coconut milk a good replacement for milk? ›

Coconut milk has a variety of uses and can easily be substituted for regular dairy milk when desired. Some ways coconut milk can be incorporated into your diet include: Smoothies: Coconut milk can add creaminess and some heartiness to fruit and/or vegetable-based smoothies.

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