Wait, wait! Those are not raisins, I swear. They’re dates. Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about this coconut loaf cake.
This is not your typical coconut loaf cake. No, this version brings limes to the party—a citrusy plot twist. It also incorporates pumpkin for moisture, color, and a little extra flavor. It’s a coconut cake that marches to the beat of its own drum. If you want to really go with the pumpkin theme, you can skip the lime zest, make a lemon glaze, and substitute your favorite pumpkin spice mix.
But if you’re curious what happens when lime, coconut, and just a hint of spice get cozy, stick around. Jump to the recipe or read on for some helpful tips.
Tips for coconut loaf success
- Make sure you use extra-virgin coconut oil, as the recipe specifies. That’s where a lot of the coconut flavor comes from. The extra-virgin coconut oil, coconut flakes, pumpkin, and lime all marry perfectly in the final loaf. If you want more coconut flavor, I recommend adding a bit of coconut extract to the batter. In my experience, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut flakes, and coconut oil all add a pretty similar amount of coconut flavor. So if you want your coconut loaf cake to taste as bold a piña colada, you have to call in the big guns (i.e., extract).
- Use whatever coconut flakes you’d like. While I love the way these big flakes look and taste, the smaller sweetened shreds make this an extra special treat. You can even toast them for a warmer flavor and different look.
- Do not refrigerate this cake. Coconut fat becomes extremely chalky in the refrigerator, so this coconut loaf cake will stale quickly when chilled. However, it keeps really well in the freezer. Toast individual slices—it’s really good slightly warmed.
- If you hate dates, skip them. Again, not raisins! Don’t worry! But if you don’t want dates in your coconut-pumpkin-lime cake, you can skip them.
- Do not over-mix your batter. I say this in almost every single cake recipe post. But it bears repeating. Over-mixing leads to a dry, tough crumb.
- By the way, this cake is not vegan (eggs), but it is dairy free! 100% accidentally, but hey, cool!
Coconut Loaf Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup [230 g] puréed cooked pumpkin*
- ½ cup [105 g] melted extra-virgin coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup [130 g] granulated sugar
- 3 tsp lime zest, plus more for sprinkling
- 1½ cups [195 g] all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ cup [30 g] unsweetened coconut flakes, plus more for sprinkling
- ⅓ cup [45 g] chopped dates
For the icing
- ¾ cup [85 g] confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Butter an 8 by 4 in [20 by 10 cm] loaf pan, line it with a parchment sling (see Note on page 257), and preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C].
- To make the cake: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, coconut oil, eggs, sugar, and 2 tsp of the lime zest until completely incorporated.
- In another medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold together until there are only a couple of remaining dry flour streaks. Add the coconut flakes and chopped dates and gently fold to combine. Do not over-mix.
- Scoop the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before icing.
- To make the icing: While the cake cools, combine the confectioners’ sugar with the lime juice and the remaining 1 tsp of zest and stir together to form an opaque icing.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake and decorate with extra coconut flakes and lime zest.
Notes
* To purée the pumpkin: Cover and microwave pumpkin chunks for about 5 minutes, until completely tender, then mash. Do not boil or you will introduce too much moisture. Do not sauté or roast or they will be too dry.
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