You don’t have to be on a gluten free diet to appreciate Yotam Ottolenghi’s Flourless Coconut Cake ~ this super moist, super decadent pound cake is completely grain free and a must try.
I know we all have lots of choices for dessert recipes, between cookbooks, blogs, magazines, and Pinterest, I bet you’re swimming in possibilities. But one of my goals I have here at tvfgi is to help you cut to the chase and find those gems you might not otherwise discover.
I found this flourless coconut cake in Yotam Ottolenghi’s newest book, Sweet, which I got for Christmas this year. It’s his first book dedicated to desserts and I wasn’t sure what to expect, I think of him more as a savory kind of guy. But since he’s been a major inspiration for me in the past few years, I was anxious to give his ‘sweet’ side a chance. This simple cake is unique and delicious, I think you’re going to love it.
I’ve always been fascinated by flourless cakes, and I’ve done a few before. ..a classic FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE, and a couple of flourless citrus cakes, GLUTEN FREE TANGERINE and FLOURLESS MEYER LEMON. The minute I read the name of this cake I knew I wanted to try it ~ it rounds out the bunch with an entirely different flavor profile. Just putting the words ‘coconut’ and ‘flourless’ in the same sentence conjures up all sorts of deliciousness.
To be honest, when I pulled this flourless coconut cake out of the oven I wasn’t super impressed. It didn’t look like much, and there were a few ragged chunks stuck in the corners of my loaf pan, which I carefully patched back on. It wasn’t until I sliced off the end piece and took a taste that I realized I had a winner on my hands. It’s sooooo moist and the coconut flavor is fabulous.
Of course, no surprise, the ganache glaze made a good cake a great cake. The two flavors are legendary together.
The almond flour and the shredded coconut give it just enough structure to hold together, but that’s it. As you can see from the photos, it’s not a tall fluffy cake, the texture is almost creamy! It’s a sophisticated little dessert that would go great with an after dinner espresso.
TIP: Don’t skip the parchment lining for this cake, it’s essential to getting it out of the pan so you can slice and serve it.
*recipe slightly adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Sweet.
Yotam Ottlenghi’s Flourless Coconut Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup shredded coconut, the sweetened kind
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, or seeds of one vanilla bean
- 4 large eggs
- 1 2/3 cups almond meal, or almond flour
ganache glaze
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, cut in small pieces
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla or seeds from 1/2 pod
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Butter a standard (9x5") loaf pan and line with parchment paper with overhanging ends.
- Beat the butter and sugar together for several minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the coconut, salt, and vanilla.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the almond flour. Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan, smoothing out the top. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully lift out of the pan and continue to cool on a rack. Frost with the ganache when completely cool.
- To make the ganache ~ put the chocolate in a bowl and set aside. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for a couple of minutes, until the mixture is golden colored. Remove from heat and carefully pour in the water and vanilla. If the mixture seizes, just put it back on the heat and heat until melted. Pour this hot mixture over the chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes. Whisk to combine, then add the butter, a bit at a time, whisking until everything is smooth and glossy.
- Glaze the cake with the ganache.
Make it your own ~
- You can bake this in a round pan with a removable bottom, like a spring form or tart pan, but keep in mind, it will be quite flat.
- You could theoretically do without the chocolate glaze for a plainer cake, the flavor is so nice, but it won’t look as purdy 😉
Don’t forget to pin this wonderful flourless coconut cake for later!
I made this and absolutely positively LOVE it! I posted about it on my blog and would love if you would check it out.
Oh cool, I’m heading over now!
Just made the cake and it is extremely greasy. I’m wondering what I might have done wrong,. I reviewed all the ingredients and I added everything correctly but its almost like the butter just settled in the bottom of the cake. Any ideas. I’m a well seasoned baker and have not had this kind of problem before.
The cake is definitely moist and buttery, Robyn. I had a little melted butter coating the bottom of the pan when I turned the cake out. I even reduced Ottolenghi’s original amount of butter by a bit. But it shouldn’t be settled at the bottom. All I can think of is that maybe your butter and sugar didn’t get creamed together for long enough?
I, too, had a dense cake from the bottom up. I wouldn’t serve it like that, but it tastes good. I only had blanched almond flour, extra fine. I thought maybe that might have caused it. I also creamed the sugar and butter for about 15 minutes. It never became one batter, just lots of small balls. I bake a lot, but not sure about this one.
Substitute butter with Greek yogurt or ricotta: 1/4 butter and 1/2 yogurt. Almond meal absorbs liquid so leave batter for 10 – 15 minutes before baking. Suggestio: you can substitute sugar with honey and add a a dash of baking soda to break acidity. Try this and bon appetite!
Hi Sue — do you know of a replacement for the corn syrup in the ganache? Planning to make this cake this afternoon — a good rainy day thing to do!! Thanks for all the great recipes.
Just leave it out, Gill, it’ll be fine! Have fun 🙂
This is such a dreamy cake and the ganache glaze looks divine!
Hello Sue! Any chance there is a paleo version? Would you recommend any substitutions? Thank you!
I’d say coconut sugar for the refined sugar, Heidi, and maybe solid coconut oil for the oil.
I am not a good baker, but using your recipe, all the cakes turns very well and delicious.
Thank you so much, can’t wait for another flour free cake recipes.
I don’t eat normal sugar either, so I will definitely try the coconut sugar.
Thanks Sylvia, and I bet you’re a better baker than you think 😉
This looks so good! Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t like coconut. I know it’s hard to believe that anyone could marry a guy that doesn’t like coconut, but he has other qualities that make up for it. Did I mention that he grew up in Hawaii! That just makes the “I don’t like coconut” thing just a little bit much. Anyway, next time I want to make a dessert that I can have all to myself, it’s going to be this.
Thank you Sue! I also buy his cookbooks and always save his recipes in the NY Times. But I didn’t buy Sweet because I have to be gluten free and figured that I couldn’t use most of the recipes. So thank you for this. I will be certain to try it.
I bet the texture is out of this world delicious and that ganache looks incredible. I have been curious about this cookbook so thanks for sharing!
Have to get that book too! The cake looks sinfully delicious and inviting with that chocolate glaze!