Chocolate coconut cake recipe using desiccated coconut. This delicious, light and moist cake is butter free and is a easy recipe that even beginners can try. Any bakes that require less plain flour are always my first choice.

The cake I made today is without butter and without refined sugar. There are no specific reasons for making this butter free and refined sugar free. I rather had these in my pantry so I chose these. However the recipe will work well with butter and white sugar too as in the original recipe.
I sprinkled choco sprinkles and powdered coconut sugar.
How to make chocolate coconut cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C for 15 mins.
2. Mix cocoa, desiccated coconut, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda well. Or you can process it for 2 mins.

3. Lightly beat eggs and add vanilla.
4. Add sugar, oil and egg mixture in milk. Add lemon juice and mix well to melt any lumps in the sugar.

5. Add flour little by little, ensure there are no lumps.
6. Transfer this to a greased pan and bake for 30 to 40 mins. Skewer inserted must come out clean. Check after 30 mins.

7. After 5 to 10 mins, transfer to a wire rack and cool it completely.

Refrigerate till the next day.

Chocolate coconut cake

chocolate coconut cake recipe using desiccated coconut (butter free)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup oil minus 1 tbsp (I used canola)( can use equal amount of butter)
- 1 ¼ cup sugar (I used 1 cup tightly packed raw brown sugar weighing 275 grams)
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 ½ cups plain flour
- 5 tbsps Cocoa powder
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ cups milk (360 ml)
- 1 ¼ tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsps Vanilla
Instructions
- Grease a pan .Preheat the oven for atleast 15 mins at 180 C
- Process (in food processor) or Mix flour, desiccated coconut, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- In a small bowl add eggs and vanilla. Lightly beat.
- Add sugar, oil, beaten egg and milk to a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and stir well to melt lumps in the sugar.
- Add flour little by little, make sure it is lump free. Mix up everything well
- Pour this to the pan, bake for 30 to 40 mins. Skewer inserted comes out clean. Check after 30 mins
- After 5 to 10 mins, invert the cake to a wire rack and cool it completely
Notes
This cake tastes best the next day. The day it was baked it tasted slightly bitter, just like most cocoa cakes made with milk . But that vanished the next morning.
My raw sugar was slightly lumpy, without noticing that I just added to the milk. So it took some time for it to melt and blend well with the milk. It also left some brown wholes at the bottom of the cake. So make sure your sugar is lump free.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes

Hajni says
Looks like a great recepie , could I ask if you used natural or Dutch processed cocopoweder, please ?
Zara says
Hey! Thanks a lot for the recipe. I don’t have a food processor; can I blend the mixture instead?
swasthi says
Hi Zara,
Yes you can. You can also simply mix all of them and use. If the desiccated is too coarse then it may not turn out good. So I processed it. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Shaista Naaz says
Hi can I use fresh coconut instead of dessicated one ?
swasthi says
Hi Shaista
I haven’t tried with fresh coconut. But It should work.
Celebes says
Bookmarked! looks so yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome and thanks
Renni says
Hi there!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made this cake for a friend’s birthday and it turned out so delicate, moist and of course very very tasty; although I might want to reduce the milk a little the next time. Thanks once again and yes, I’ll try out all your recipes!
swasthi says
Welcome Renni,
Iam glad the cake turned out good. Thanks for the feed back
Josie says
Hi looks super. How large should the cake tin be 20cm? 26cm?
This makes a difference to cooking time so would be useful to know please.
Thanks.
swasthi says
Hi Josie,
I used a 6 inch pan
Josie says
Thanks for the info. will definitely try this.
swasthi says
Welcome Josie
Rahul says
Nice recipe of chocolate cake. Get more collection of cakes at monginis.net with best price. They also provide online delivery of cakes, chocolates etc.
priya says
Hey liked ur receipe bt u didnt mentioned the measurement of baking powder and baking soda?? Plz share tht
swasthi says
Hi Priya, I updated. thanks for the mention
Rafeeda AR says
the cake looks so perfect… the combination of chocolate and coconut must be too good…
Saranya Balaji says
your clicks make me droll swathi..looks so yumm..
Ramya Venkat says
Yummy ccake and love to grab a piece sis
Sapana Behl says
Cake looks so perfect , bookmarked !
Suja Manoj says
Moist elegant cake,love it
Manjula Bharath says
wow thats a fabulous cake swasthi 🙂 looks super moist and so addictive 🙂
Sanoli Ghosh says
Amazing cake Swasthi, can guess its taste too. Will tryout soon and let you know.
Priya R says
Looks so beautiful Swasthi 🙂 reminds me of bounty chocolate 🙂 totally a killer post
Veena Theagarajan says
looks yum! So soft and moist cake
kumars kitchen says
a beautiful cake….so rich with coconut and cocoa but healthy as well…great post 🙂
Nisa Homey says
Swasthi, thank you so much for the kind mention…..love the way you have adapted the cake and made it so healthy and the texture looks so perfect!! I never thought of making it into a chocolate cake…chocolate and coconut are one irresistible combination…..pinning and sharing!!