This coconut lime cake is soft and fluffy. It only needs 4 ingredients and doesn’t contain any eggs, dairy, butter or oil. It is an easy one-bowl recipe and you don’t even need a mixer to make it. This cake is perfect for any occasion.
This coconut lime cake is bright, tropical and great for summer. Even though it is made without eggs, dairy, butter or oil, the cake is still very moist, soft and fluffy.
Ingredients
- Coconut milk
- Lime zest
- Sugar
- Self-rising flour
Coconut milk: Make sure to use canned coconut milk that is usually meant for cooking and baking. The drinking kind of coconut milk doesn’t contain enough fat.
Lime zest: Fresh lime zest gives this cake a bright lime flavor.
Sugar: This cake is sweetened with regular granulated white sugar.
Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already contains a leavening agent and salt. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can also make a homemade version.
How to Make Coconut Lime Cake
- Part of the coconut milk and sugar are whisked together. The flour is then mixed in until you have a smooth batter.
- Add in the remaining coconut milk and mix until evenly incorporated. Stir in the lime zest.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. Bake the cake until golden and done.
Cake Texture
The cake has a soft and moist crumb. It has a creamy coconut and bright lime flavor to it. The cake is sweet but not super sweet.
Expert Tips
- Whisk the contents inside the can of coconut milk before using. The cream usually separates from the rest of the liquid so you’ll want to mix it back in.
- You can make a homemade version of self-rising flour by combining all purpose flour, salt and baking powder.
- I don’t recommend adding lime juice to the cake because it affects the cake texture.
More Lime Recipes
4 Ingredient Coconut Lime Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (13.6 fl oz/403 ml) can full-fat coconut milk whisk contents inside can until smooth and uniform before using
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 cups (270 g) self-rising flour see note before starting
- 1 packed tbsp (6 g) lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 8-inch springform round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom with a parchment paper round.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of coconut milk (saving the rest for later) and sugar until evenly combined.
- Add the flour. Use a spatula to fold it in until evenly combined and no visible pockets of flour remain. The batter will be thick. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and whisk until batter is uniform. Add in the lime zest and stir a few times until it is evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth it evenly across.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes or until the cake is done. A toothpick should come out clean. The center of the cake may be a little sunken in, this is normal. You can level the cake after it has cooled. Let the cake cool in the pan before releasing it from the pan.
- Once cooled, level the cake if needed. If desired, you can frost the cake before serving. Cut the cake with a large sharp knife.
- Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container for 1 day at room temperature and longer in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Canned coconut milk note: Make sure to use full fat canned coconut milk and whisk the contents in the can before using because the cream often separates from the rest of the liquid. It needs to be full fat, otherwise your cake will not have enough fat, which will affect the texture. It also needs to be canned coconut milk, the type used for cooking and baking and not the type designed for drinking. I used Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk.*
- Self-rising flour note: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below. I used Gold Medal self-rising flour.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill, which will not work well for this recipe.
- Optional Coconut Cream Frosting:
- This will only make enough frosting to frost the surface of the cake. If you prefer to frost the entire cake or add piping, you should double the frosting recipe.
- 1 (13.66 fl oz) can coconut cream, chilled in fridge for a few hours or overnight (I used Whole Foods Coconut Cream)
- 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- Lime zest
- To make the frosting, open the can of chilled coconut cream and scoop out only the solid white part. Add the coconut cream and sugar to a stand mixer and beat at highest speed until you have a thick whipped cream consistency. If your cream is a little grainy, you may need to add a small amount of the liquid from the can until you have a light and fluffy frosting. Frost the top of the cake with frosting. If desired, sprinkle some additional lime zest on top.
- Estimated nutrition does not include optional frosting.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
What other kind of pan(s)?
You can use a regular 8 inch round pan or an 8 inch square pan. You can also use a 9 inch pan but your cake will turn out thinner