I was meant to be racing (sailing) on the weekend, but unfortunately I had to cancel late and wasn’t able to make it. Thanks to our non-dairy-eating crew member, I had already been thinking well ahead of time about what sweet treat I could bring that would fit the dairy-free criteria and that I hadn’t tried before.
Rum is a well-enjoyed beverage amongst our crew, and I adore a good rum cake, but much of its deliciousness comes not just from the rum, but from loads of butter. That, of course, wasn’t going to work when the aim was dairy free. A coconut cake laced with rum, however, certainly would.
While I couldn’t make the race, they had plenty of this Dairy-Free Rum & Coconut Cake to lift their spirits when the wind dropped out, leaving them to float their way to the finish.
Rest assured, you don’t need to be a sailor — or one stuck floating at the end of a race — to enjoy this cake. Nor do you need to be avoiding dairy. It really isn’t missed here.
I will admit, though, the frosting for this one tried my patience a little. I initially attempted a dairy-free version of my favourite Swiss meringue buttercream. And, ever one not to admit defeat, I tried to rescue it when it failed. I added, whipped, chilled and generally refused to give up on it for far longer than was sensible, only to conclude that sometimes you really do need the butter.
That version, unsurprisingly, didn’t make it into the final recipe. Instead, I went with a much simpler dairy-free coconut buttercream that does exactly what it needs to do. The cake is also equally good without frosting if you want to save yourself the effort altogether.
If you are looking for more dairy free baking inspiration, try my other dairy free recipes here.
Worth Making?
- Yes – if you need a cake you can make ahead. The dark rum syrup settles into the crumb overnight and arguably makes this one better the next day.
- Yes – if you want something indulgent without piling on the frosting. The less-sweet coconut buttercream gives it enough richness without overwhelming the rum-soaked cake. It’s also good without the frosting.
- Yes – if your cake needs to travel. The simple filled-and-stacked finish is considerably less precious than a fully frosted layer cake.
- Skip it – if coconut isn’t your thing. There’s no hiding it here.
- Skip it – if you don’t need dairy-free. The coconut buttercream does its job well, but if dairy is on the table, there are richer, silkier frostings I’d choose instead.
Dairy Free Rum and Coconut Cake
Ingredients
Coconut Rum Cake
- 280 grams plain flour
- 20 grams coconut flour80g
- 80 grams desiccated coconut
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 220 grams caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 160 ml full fat coconut milk
- 60 ml coconut cream
- 60 ml dark rum
- 100 ml vegetable or neutral oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract, optional
Dark Rum Syrup
- 40 grams caster sugar
- 40 ml water
- 50 ml dark rum
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Dairy Free Coconut Frosting
- 180 grams Nuttelex, softened but not warm
- 70 grams neutral vegetable shortening, softened
- 250 grams icing sugar, sifted
- 60 grams thick coconut cream
- 30 grams desiccated coconut, lightly toasted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Instructions
Coconut Rum Cake
- Heat the oven to 170°C fan / 190°C conventional. Grease and line the bases of two 20cm cake tins (can use one tin and cut in half after baking if don’t have two tins).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the plain flour, coconut flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs for 1–2 minutes until well combined and slightly aerated.
- Whisk in the coconut milk, coconut cream, rum, oil, vanilla and coconut extract, if using.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Divide evenly between the prepared tins and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 28–34 minutes, or until the cakes spring back lightly and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.Leave in the tins for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack
Dark Rum Syrup
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Cook just until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum and salt.
- While the cakes are still slightly warm, brush the syrup gradually over the tops of both layers.
- Give it time to absorb rather than pouring it on. Cool completely before filling.
Dairy Free Coconut Frosting
- Beat the Nuttelex and shortening together for 3–4 minutes until very pale, smooth and aerated.
- Add the icing sugar in three additions, beating on low initially and then medium-high until thoroughly incorporated
- Add the vanilla and salt. Add coconut cream, a tablespoon at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Check the consistency before adding more, depending on your shortening, you may not need the full 60 grams, add 5 grams at a time and check the consistency.
- If it’s a little soft, refrigerate for 15–20 minutes before filling the cake.
- Fill and frost cake and top with toasted coconut.
Make it your own way
Make it boozier: Add 1 tablespoon of dark rum to the coconut buttercream. Keep the coconut cream at the lower end so the frosting stays firm.
Keep it alcohol-free: Leave the rum out of the cake and replace it with additional coconut milk. Swap the rum in the syrup for water with a little vanilla.
Turn up the coconut: Add ¼ teaspoon coconut extract to the buttercream if you want an even stronger coconut flavour.
Skip the layers: Bake it in a single deeper tin and serve with the coconut buttercream on top instead. Adjust the baking time accordingly.
Add some crunch: Scatter toasted coconut flakes over the filling before adding the second cake layer, or pile them over the top before serving.
