Gluten Free Coconut Cake with Fresh Berries, Ganache, and Whipped Cream
This Coconut Cake with Fresh Berries, Ganache, and Whipped Cream is tender, slightly sweet, and fragrant. Plus, it is a truly decadent gluten free dessert.
Itโs difficult to imagine where Iโd be without momโs table. I grew up at that table amidst plates, casserole dishes, and the Sunday paper. It’s where I took my first bites. Itโs where my brother and I fought for elbow space, where I slurped cereal and read the comics before school. It’s where I ate stuffed crust pizza and giggled about boys with my friends. It’s where I learned to hull strawberries and play a mean game of Rook. It’s where we hashed out curfews and dating relationships, where I agonized over college decisions, and where I cut, pasted, and sealed hundreds of wedding invitations. Itโs where we celebrated birthdays and Thanksgivings, long summer nights and wedding mornings.
Over the years, Momโs table has welcomed friends and family, neighbors and distant guests. Itโs captured stories from the walls of elementary schools to the safaris of Uganda. Itโs seen celebration and grief, fights and forgiveness. Itโs been full of turkey and mashed potatoes and full of junk mail. Laden with candles and china or paper plates and solo cups (or both). Itโs been a desk. A counselorโs office. A crafting nook. A bakery. A card table. A refuge.
Anyone thatโs lucky enough to spend some time around Momโs table has experienced it. Thereโs a sense, a feeling you get, sitting there, that this is the kind of place you want to be. Itโs the kind of place you can let loose a little bit. Be yourself. Laugh until you snort. Itโs the kind of place you want to stay awhile and cozy into. The kind of place that feels like home.
Itโs not the table that draws me back there, time and again, and makes me stay into the wee hours of the morning. Itโs not momโs colorful, vintage decorating style (though it’s so inviting), and itโs not even the smell of her fresh baked goods (though I canโt resist them).
No, the reason this table is so powerful is because of Mom. Itโs her person, her presence,that draws people. Momโs love hits you the moment you sit at her table. It whispers: You are welcome here. You are loved. You are enough. You belong.
I can never thank Mom enough for that simple message. For showing me, through brownie batter and breakups, what it means to be unconditionally loved. What it means to be welcomed, no matter the circumstance. What it means to be generous with my time and my food, and with my own kitchen table. Her love has changed and shaped me, and pointed me to Jesus, time and again. And that’s the greatest gift she could have ever given me.
This week all of our #SundaySupper contributors are honoring our mothers by making special dishes just for them. Our kitchen table has looked a little different since mom found out she has to follow a gluten free diet. Youโd never hear a complaint come out of her mouth, but mom has had to pass over too many desserts since then. I made this cake so she could enjoy a truly decadent gluten free dessert.
The cake is made with coconut flour which is light and nutty and has an absolutely intoxicating scent. Coconut flour soaks up a lot of liquid, so this recipe requires a lot of eggs. But this couldnโt be easier to make. Honestly, itโs easier than any gluten-full cake Iโve ever made. You just throw all the ingredients together in a mixer or food processor and blend until smooth. That’s it. No separating the wet and dry ingredients. No creaming butter and sugar. Just throw it in and blend.
The resulting cake is tender, slightly sweet, and fragrant. It makes a beautiful base for frosting or, in this case, piled high with fresh berries, rich chocolate ganache, and fluffy, orange-scented whipped cream.
I love the understated elegance of this cake. It reminds me of mom. It’s not fancy or glamorous, but has a graceful beauty about it that just begs you to grab a slice.
Gluten Free Coconut Cake with Fresh Berries, Ganache, and Whipped Cream
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
For the ganache:
- 8 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the whipped cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
For the berries:
- 6 oz. blackberries
- 6 oz. raspberries
- 1 quart strawberries, halved
Instructions
For the ganache:
- Place chocolate in a large heat proof bowl. Heat cream on the stove top over medium low heat until bubbles are just beginning to form around the outside surface. Keep an eye on it because it can bubble over fast! Remove from heat and immediately pour over chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for 5 minutes then whisk until smooth.
For the whipped cream:
- Place the heavy whipping cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (this works even better if you've chilled your bowl before hand). Whip the cream, starting on medium speed and increasing to high until soft peaks form. Stir in orange juice, powdered sugar, and orange zest. Continue to whisk until peaks are firm.
To assemble:
- Place one layer of cake on the serving platter. Top with cooled but still pourable ganache, enough to generously cover the top and run down the sides a bit. Place half of the fresh berries on top of the ganache followed by half of the whipped cream.
- Add the second layer of cake over the whipped cream, followed by more ganache, and the rest of the whipped cream. Finally, pile the remaining berries in the center. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Note: Ganache will harden when refrigerated. If you'd like it soft, serve immediately or allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Recipe adapted from Deliciously Organic
Make sure you take a look at my other great shareable recipes by searching for “Mother’s Day” in the search bar at the top of the page!
I loved your writing, and all of the photos! How special for your mom to read this. And that cake is GORGEOUS. Stunning. Amazing!
Seriously, truly, decadent, and amazing cake! Stunning dessert for sure. Don’t tell anyone it’s gluten-free and they would never be the wiser. Wonderful tribute to your mom too. How great to have such love around a family table because of her.
Oh. My. Gosh. Please excuse me for a moment as I drool all over my keyboard. This dessert not only looks gorgeous, but the flavors and textures sound incredible!
That looks positively luscious! Great recipe for #SundaySupper!
Oh my gosh! That cake looks heavenly! I loved the story and all of the pictures in the kitchen and around the table! Your mom sounds like she is a wonderful person to be around!
Courtney, I totally want to come visit your family and spend time around that table. You guys look like you’re having so much fun in every single photo! You look a lot like your mom – you’re both beautiful ladies. This is one of my favourite posts from this week. Your words are like poetry, so melodic and descriptive. And your cake, with all its incredible components and flavours, is a wonderful ode to your mom. I want to reach into my screen and eat the whole thing!
This was so sweet Nancy. Thanks for your kind words. I wish we could enjoy this cake together in that cozy kitchen!
Such a beautiful cake! A beautiful treat for your mom!
Wow, haven’t seen that kitchen for years. That place is full of memories.
Happy Mother’s Day to your mom. ๐ Nice tribute…
What a magnificent cake for your mom! Your description of your mom’s table brought back such memories of mine. Excellent post…and such a wonderful tribute to your dear mother.
Wow! Nicely done!
Great pictures and post and amazing looking cake!!
Thank you Tara!
What a gorgeous cake…I am salivating!!!
That is definitely one super decadent looking gluten free cake, and it sounds like your mom deserves this lovely treat!
She definitely does. ๐
For me thatยดs a glamorous dessert, great looking and rustic! And gf, how awesome. This is a beautifully written post, so heartfelt!
Thanks Paula. It’s somehow fancy without trying. That’s my favorite kind of dessert.
So beautiful!
What an unbelievably decadent dessert – and gluten-free! Beautiful ๐
Ok, first I have to say, oh my gosh your cake looks amazing! Gorgeous photos!! Love your post today and I love your family pictures!
That’s an amazing cake!! Wonderful family pictures and a kitchen that looks so welcoming.
Thank you. It’s the most welcoming place I know.
I can’t believe this is gluten free! I’m pinning it for later because it looks so decadant and delicious I’m going to have to make it soon! YUM!
I know! I was seriously impressed by this cake. It was the easiest cake EVER to make and tasted and smelled so good!