Coconut Milk Snack Cake is ideal for after-school snack, coffee breaks, and late night study sessions. Lightly sweet, with a soft, tender texture, this cake is back-to-school fuel!
I didn’t plan on a series of four recipes using coconut milk. The Thai recipe for Coconut Milk Cookies fell into my lap because I am forever intrigued by cookbooks with international cookie recipes. Every culture has baked goods developed to stay fresh as long as possible, and I’m hunting for them all! For those searching the internet for coconut milk recipes, the Coconut Milk Cookies have been very popular. So to meet the demand, I continue to find ways to use this delicious ingredient. The cookies were followed by Coconut Milk Chocolate Chip Pound Cake and Coconut Milk Toffee Blondies. This recipe for Coconut Milk Snack Cake was a lucky fail turned into a win.
As I was working on the recipe for coconut milk blondies, one version looked like a fail when I took it out of the oven. Though beautifully golden with a heavenly smell, the supposed-to-be blondies had risen while baking. The texture was sure to be un-blondie like. I was disappointed, until I tasted this creation. Definitely not blondies, the cake is simultaneously sturdy enough for shipping yet soft and tender, with such a lovely vanilla-coconut flavor, that adding frosting would be a crime.
To mail Coconut Milk Snack Cake in a care package, I recommend baking in a disposable foil pan and wrapping the cake in the pan, uncut. The foil pan provides protection. Leaving the cake uncut, keeps the cake from drying out while shipping.
Coconut Milk Snack Cake was never destined to be a blondie. It’s a delicious, easy to make (no mixer needed), snack cake that compliments a glass of milk or a mug of coffee or tea. With a shelf-life of about 7 days, Coconut Milk Snack Cake can be enjoyed all week as an after-school snack, or shipped to your favorite college student for a sweet start to the semester!
MORE COCONUT MILK RECIPES
Coconut Milk Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
Coconut Milk Snack Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned coconut milk full fat not low fat
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut shredded
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease an 8×8 baking pan (If shipping, use a disposable foil pan.)
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the coconut milk, coconut oil, eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, shredded coconut, and baking powder, then add to the liquid mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting or storing. If shipping, leave the cake in the disposable pan and ship uncut.
- When cooled, the cake can be sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar (optional).
- Wrapped well or stored in an airtight container at room temperature, Coconut Milk Snack Cake remains fresh for up to 1 week.
Notes
Nutrition
Kimberly says
Hello Wendy 🙂 I made this last night and only cooked for 30 minutes. The bottom was moist and dense. Don’t get me wrong it was still delicious but maybe underdone (?) even though my toothpick came out clean. I also used a glass 8×8 pan and wondering if that contributed to the issue? I’m going to give it another try and cook for another 10 minutes. Hoping it bakes all the way through and rises better! ??
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Kimberly! I have had several people, like you, tell me lately that their snack cake was moist and dense. I will certainly try to help trouble shoot, because I know this recipe works. Many people get light , fluffy results. So mystifying! First let talk about the pan. I used a metal pan. Is it possible for you to try that? Glass takes longer to heat and then retains heat longer. The batter will take longer to cook and may not cook evenly, with the edges getting a bit over cooked before the center is done. Be sure you are using canned only, full fat only coconut milk, melted coconut oil, and flour measures by spooning into the measuring cup. My guess is the pan is the issue. I hope this helps and will be crossing my fingers for your next coconut snack cake to be perfect!
Irene says
Would you happen to have the nutritional information?
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Irene. I have slowly been going through my recipes and updating with additional information, including nutritional information on the recipe cards. I updated this recipe card for you, just now. 🙂
Brenda says
Made this many times, including today. It turned out great as usual.
billi hilton says
Failed, NOT inflated at all, dense and no taste.
I like to know what caused the failure.
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Billi. Obviously, I can’t know what happened to your cake, but try to help troubleshoot, because I know this recipe works, having made it as written many times. Assuming you used the 8″ x 8″ square pan, lets talk about ingredients. You say your cake was dense and not fluffy. The two ingredients that contribute to the rise in this cake are the eggs (2 Large) and the baking powder. Is your baking powder active? If it is old it may not be. Your cake also had no taste. This is not a strong flavored cake. It should have a light vanilla-like coconut flavor. I am wondering about the coconut milk that you used. It MUST be canned and full fat. Do you measure your flour by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and then leveling off? If you scoop flour, you will compact the flour in the measuring cup and end up with too much. One final thought is to use an oven thermometer to be sure your oven is calibrated. I hope at least one of these ideas helps solve the mystery of your failed coconut cake!
Carol lai says
Hi I made this but it is very densed!! I will beat the egg and sugar first next time ?
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Carol. I have no idea why your cake would be dense or require beating the egg and sugar. Just mixing in a bowl should result in a very light and fluffy snack cake. I am wondering if you used something heavier than canned coconut milk? Or maybe you scooped your flour (resulting in too much flour in recipe)? Be sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cups and then level off the top for a more accurate measure. Good luck!
Karen Konczyk says
Getting ready to make this now.
When I mix the wet with the dry, I don’t need a mixer, correct?
Thank you!
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Karen. I’m sorry that I didn’t see your question until now. I hope your snack cake was delicious! You are correct that this cake doesn’t use a mixer. Just a gentle mix by hand. 🙂