Semi Homemade Paleo Apricot Coconut Cake
This Semi Homemade Paleo Apricot Coconut Cake is the perfect festive dessert for springtime and Easter celebrations.
Ingredients
- 1 box of Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- ⅓ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup fine shredded coconut
- ¼ cup apricot preserves
- fancy toasted shredded coconut to garnish
- dried or fresh apricots and edible flowers to garnish
Vanilla Bean Frosting:
- 2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 cup pastured butter or solid coconut oil room room temperature
- 1 cup coconut or palm oil shortening room temperature
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon mineral salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease an 8-inch cake or springform fan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Set butter and coconut or palm oil shortening out on counter to come to room temperature if you haven't already.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, orange juice and zest, coconut oil and extracts. Fold in boxed cake mix and shredded coconut until well combined.
- Transfer batter to prepared cake pan with a spatula, smoothing top. Bake atop a sheet pan for 30-35 minutes, rotating once 180 degrees halfway through cooking, until the cake bounces back when pressed.
- Cool for 10 minutes then loosen cake from sides of pan and invert on a wire cooling rack. Cool cake completely in the refrigerator before halving and icing.
- While cake is baking, make the Vanilla Bean Frosting. In a large bowl, first add the tapioca followed by the softened butter, coconut or palm oil shortening, honey, salt and vanilla. Begin on low and working up to high, beat ingredients until fluffy, 1-2 minutes, careful not to let tapioca fly everywhere. The frosting should be smooth and glossy.
- Chill frosting until cake is completely cooled- you can bring it back to room temperature to warm up for 15-20 minutes if it gets too cold.
- To assemble cake, begin by using a serrated knife to gently cut the cake in equal halves horizontally. On a cake stand, add bottom cake layer. Add a little less than half of the frosting, smoothing evenly. Add apricot preserves spread all across frosting.
- Top with second layer of cake. Add remaining frosting on top, smoothing evenly. Top with fancy toasted shaved coconut, dried apricots and edible flowers. Slice and serve.
- Make sure to store leftovers in the refrigerator overnight as this cake recipes contains no preservatives.