Gluten-Free Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake is just as delicious as its traditional counterpart: think moist and fluffy, coffee-infused sponge, tangy creamy cheese frosting, and crunchy, earthy walnuts.

Coffee and walnut cake has always been one of my favourites, so I got thinking about creating a vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free version that would taste just as delicious as the real thing!

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I used my favourite vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free sponge as a base for this layer cake – I love its taste and texture, and what’s more, it requires just one bowl and uses easily accessible ingredients. The coconut oil gives the sponge a rich, buttery flavour whilst ground almonds add a nutty sweetness and fluffiness.

The recipe is also easily customisable, as you can use any liquid sweetener you like, and substitute the coconut oil with olive or vegetable oil if you wish.

I don’t think it’s super traditional to use cream cheese frosting for a coffee and walnut cake (I think buttercream is more commonly used) but I just can’t get enough of a good cream cheese frosting, so decided to extend my love for it to this coffee cake.

It’s so simple to make vegan cream cheese at home – just mix some coconut cream or coconut yogurt with a little lemon juice, which brings out a tartness perfectly reminiscent of cream cheese.

Obviously you will have to add some coffee flavour to the sponge and the frosting. I try to stay away from coffee, so I actually used chicory powder. Chicory powder is made from ground chicory root and has a bitter, coffee-like flavour, so much so that it used to be known as ‘poor man’s coffee’.

Chicory also boasts lots of health benefits, which include a supposedly reduced risk of diabetes, as well as digestive benefits.

Ever since adding pistachios, mango and coconut to carrot cake, I’ve been all about adding interesting flavours to traditional cakes.

So I decided to add some pomegranate arills to this Gluten-Free Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake. They add a lovely pop of colour as well as a nectar-like sweetness and perfumey aroma that perfectly compliments the butter, earthy tones of the coffee and walnut.

I hope you’ll love this Gluten-Free Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake! For more cakes, check out my:

• Red Velvet Cake
• Chocolate Truffle Cake
• Tropical Carrot Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Cherry Bakewell Cake
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
• Chocolate Sponge Layer Cake
• Black Forest Cake
• Strawberry Sponge Layer Cake

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d love to hear how you get on! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! I’d really love to hear any feedback – thank you!

Helpful tools to make this Gluten-Free Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake:

For the cake:

glass mixing bowl

measuring jug

18 cm / 7 inch sandwich baking tin

baking paper

cooling rack

For the frosting:

electric whisk

palette knife for frosting

5 from 2 votes

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Gluten-Free Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

This Gluten-Free Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake is just as delicious as its traditional counterpart: think moist and fluffy, coffee-infused sponge, tangy creamy cheese frosting, and crunchy, earthy walnuts.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, British

Keyword: gluten-free coffee walnut cake, vegan birthday cake, vegan coffee walnut cake

Servings: 8

Calories: 362 kcal

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 200 ml (4/5 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 4 teaspoons chicory powder (or sub equal amount instant coffee)
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds* (almond meal)
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking power (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

For the frosting:

• 400 g (14oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk**
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons chicory powder (or sub equal amount instant coffee)
• 50 g (1/2 cup) walnuts, roughly chopped

To decprate:

• Walnut halves
• Pomegranate arills

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)

2. Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)

3. Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the vinegar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, coffee and ground almonds
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
5. Divide mixture between two greased baking tins lined with baking paper (I used two 7inch/18cm baking tins)
6. Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen slightly and an inserted skewer comes out clean
7. Once out the oven, transfer cakes from baking tins onto a wired rack to leave them to cool completely before applying the frosting

For the frosting:

1. You’ll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
2. Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
3. Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
4. Add the lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla extract and coffee
5. Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy

To frost and decorate the cake:

1. Place one half of the cake onto a plate or cake stand, and spread just less than half of the frosting onto it
2. Scatter over the chopped walnuts
3. Place the other half of the cake on top of that and use rest of the frosting to spread on top
4. Decorate with walnut halves and pomegranate arills if desired
5. Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Recipe Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour

**You can alternatively use 200g (7oz) coconut yogurt

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 362

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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