Vegan Pound Cake Recipe

With coconut Glaze

Prep: 45 mins

Cook: 60 mins

Total: 105 mins

Servings: 16

Yield: 2 loaves

Pound Cakes are a total American household staple that is, much like the name states, comprised of a pound of each ingredient. Butter, sugar, flour, and eggs are generally household items, so this cake makes for an easy slapped-together favorite to bring to a potluck, fourth of July, housewarming party, or anything in between. Its usual plain flavor is great for strawberry shortcakes or any type of jam toppings.

This recipe is formatted to lean into the delicious but maybe over-used-in-vegan-recipes flavor of coconut. But I assure you the texture is out of this world compared to other vegan recipes all thanks to apple cider vinegar and banana. Apple cider vinegar is needed to activate the baking powder. Though typically baking powder has some acid added into it, the apple cider vinegar turbo charges the rise on this cake, making it possible to have a beautiful crumb without the acidic chemical flavor that an excess of baking soda can add. The banana works double duty as an egg replacer and adds a level of moisture that can only be achieved with super ripe bananas!

A true crowd-pleaser, this pound cake will turn anyone into a vegan cake believer.

“This recipe was so easy to follow! I didn’t use an electric mixer but it was not difficult at all to hand mix the batter. The sweet scent of coconut warmed up my whole house while baking and the taste did not disappoint. Vegan or not, all your friends will love this dessert.” —Jessica Shuran Yu

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Vegan Pound Cake

• Cooking spray

• 1 cup (225 g) coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup (110 g) coconut oil

• 1/2 cup (100 g) lightly packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup (85 g) coconut sugar

• 1 medium (120 g) very ripe banana, mashed

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

• 3 teaspoons (15 g) baking powder

• 2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla paste or extract

• 1/2 cup (70 g) coconut flakes, unsweetened

Vegan Glaze

• 2 1/3 cups (300 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted

• 3/4 cup (70 grams) coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

• Toasted coconut flake, for garnish, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Cake

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Spray 2 standard size loaf pans with cooking spray.

   

3. Stir together the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside.

   

4. Combine the coconut oil, the brown and coconut sugars, and banana in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined and aerated, about 2 minutes.

   

5. Sift together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.

   

6. Add the flour-baking powder mixture and the coconut milk-vinegar mixture alternately in 3 additions to the stand mixer, beating on medium-low speed until well combined. Scrape the bowl after each addition.

   

7. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the vanilla and coconut.

   

8. Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 prepared loaf pans, spreading the batter into an even layer.

   

9. Bake until the cakes are firm, bounces back when tapped on top, and a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

   

10. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold while still warm. Set aside while you prepare the glaze.

    

Make the Glaze & Garnish

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Gradually add about 2/3 of the coconut milk to the sugar while whisking. Continue to add the remaining coconut milk 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth, thick, shiny glaze. This may take less milk than the recipe says, so add the milk slowly whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

   

3. Pour the glaze over the cakes, then sprinkle a generous amount of toasted coconut over top, if desired. Slice and serve.

   

Tips

• Creaming the coconut oil and sugar for two minutes to aerate is necessary to help build structure to the cake 
• The cake is a dense batter, so make sure it is fully baked before pulling it out of the oven. It really needs the 45 minutes at least of bake time.
• Keep the glaze a little thick, add the coconut milk slowly, adding it too fast you might lose control of the consistency. 
• Thoroughly grease the pan and coat in desiccated coconut, to add an extra layer of flavor and texture. Let the cake cool slightly to unmold. 

Variations

• If you want to swap the fats, vegan butter works well, but oil might not be as great a substitution. Any fat that is in solid form at room temperature works well.
• Add vegan chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup) or any other add-ins, like vegan toffee pieces, or fresh fruit for a delicious flavor.
• If you don’t love coconut, add-ins can help mellow the flavor, but don’t top with toasted coconut.
• Top with vegan chocolate flakes instead

Storage

• Store loosely wrapped in plastic on the kitchen counter at room temperature for up to 4 days. 
• You can store the cake in the freezer tightly wrapped, but do so without the glaze. When you are ready to eat, take the cake out of the freezer and let thaw to room temperature before glazing. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	302
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g	16%
Saturated Fat 10g	52%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 117mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 47g	17%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 32g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 1mg	4%
Calcium 67mg	5%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 110mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.