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Chocolate Coconut Crazy 8 Cake

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With no butter, milk, or eggs, this chocolate coconut crazy 8 cake is my variation on the popular one pot style depression cake! You mix and bake all in one pan and the resulting cake is super moist, delicious, and made extra special with a vegan chocolate ganache topping! 

Chocolate Coconut Crazy 8 Cake - A one pan cake with no eggs, milk, or butter. Mix and bake in the same pan! This recipe is extra decadent with a vegan ganache topping. * GoodieGodmother.com

I may (or may not) have mentioned before that I’m part of a recipe club where we get together once a month, cook dishes based on some theme, and then eat them and share the recipes. If I haven’t sorry. If I have, then can I just encourage you to get some friends together and start one? I think the idea hearkens back to the 1950s or so – at least that’s the decade I picture when I think of recipe clubs – and it’s so much fun! We always end up having a wonderful time together and the food is delicious! In fact, this cake is from one of my recipe club meetings.

Chocolate Coconut Crazy 8 Cake - A one pan cake with no eggs, milk, or butter. Mix and bake in the same pan! This recipe is extra decadent with a vegan ganache topping. * GoodieGodmother.com

A friend got the basic recipe from her aunt in San Francisco and opted to make it for our “one pot recipes” themed night. I thought it was fabulous, and I wanted to make it for the blog with one minor modification. The original cake is simply topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, but I thought it would taste amazing with a coconut and chocolate ganache topping. To keep the cake recipe vegan, I made the chocolate ganache using coconut cream and it worked great! I ended up with a silky, rich, vegan chocolate ganache that set up perfectly on my cake resulting in one luscious, easy, chocolate cake.

I even made you a video:

Keep in mind that just because this chocolate coconut crazy 8 cake is vegan, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy! It does include a cup of oil after all and 2 cups of sugar. I suppose you could cut down on the calories by substituting apple sauce for the oil, but I haven’t tested that. If you do, please let me know how it turns out! The recipe also calls for 2 cups of coffee. You won’t taste the coffee in the final product, but you may also use hot water if you don’t have coffee at home.

Chocolate Coconut Crazy 8 Cake - A one pan cake with no eggs, milk, or butter. Mix and bake in the same pan! This recipe is extra decadent with a vegan ganache topping. * GoodieGodmother.com

The important thing to remember when making a one pan cake like this is to thoroughly mix your ingredients and to use a pan large enough. The first time I made it, I tried baking the cake in a 9×11″ pan and it spilled everywhere! I also didn’t have enough room to properly mix the batter and some bites were fine, but a few others were all baking soda and awful. I made the cake again in an 11×13″ pan and it worked out perfectly. Use a batter whisk like this one to really mix together the ingredients well. A wooden spoon also works. 🙂

Chocolate Coconut Crazy 8 Cake - A one pan cake with no eggs, milk, or butter. Mix and bake in the same pan! This recipe is extra decadent with a vegan ganache topping. * GoodieGodmother.com

I hope you enjoy this recipe for chocolate coconut crazy 8 cake! I think it’s wonderful to have a few easy sheet cake recipes around for a crowd, and this one fits the bill! Enjoy darlings!

Chocolate Coconut Crazy 8 Cake - A one pan cake with no eggs, milk, or butter. Mix and bake in the same pan! This recipe is extra decadent with a vegan ganache topping. * GoodieGodmother.com

Chocolate Coconut Crazy 8 Cake

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

A luscious vegan chocolate cake you mix and bake in the same pan!

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 300 g
  • 2 cups granulated sugar, 396 g
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 88 g
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp neutral-flavored oil, 223 g
  • 2 cups hot coffee, 472 mL
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar, 28 mL

Topping

  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, 85 g
  • 8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
  • 6 oz coconut cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F (177 C, mark 4)
  2. Mix together the dry cake ingredients in an 11x13" pan
  3. Add the wet cake ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms
  4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  5. While the cake is baking, you may toast the coconut if desired by placing in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir 5-6 minutes until lightly toasted then immediately move to a plate to cool.
  6. When the cake comes out of the oven, weigh out your ganache ingredients. You may either choose to microwave the cream and chocolate together at 50% power for a minute. Add additional 30 second intervals as needed. Alternatively, you can bring the coconut cream to just a simmer and pour over your chocolate. Stir until smooth. Allow the ganache to set about 15 minutes before pouring over the cake.
  7. Pour the ganache over the cake and spread evenly. Top with the shredded coconut. Allow to cool completely. By the time the cake is cool the ganache will set as well.
  8. Enjoy!

Did this recipe inspire you?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

 

Chocolate Coconut Crazy 8 Cake - A one pan cake with no eggs, milk, or butter. Mix and bake in the same pan! This recipe is extra decadent with a vegan ganache topping. * GoodieGodmother.com

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Jamieanne

Tuesday 9th of August 2016

This looks so delicious! My go-to chocolate cake is always that moist, delicious depression era-style cake (my recipe is slighlty different than yours, though)! I usually always use homemade whipped cream as frosting, or a fudgy chocolate frosting, but I have never thought of topping it with a coconut ganache, yum!

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Saturday 13th of August 2016

I love seeing all the variations on this recipe. It's amazing how resourceful people were, isn't it? Homemade whipped cream or a fudgy chocolate frosting both sound fabulous too. Yum!

Kim

Wednesday 25th of May 2016

Could honey be substituted for sugar?

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Sunday 29th of May 2016

I don't believe so because it would change the ratio of liquid to dry ingredients.

Whitney @WhittyPaleo

Wednesday 27th of April 2016

I wish I had a recipe club, I'm basically the "cook" amongst my friends lol! This cake looks gorgeous though - really anything with coconut + chocolate and I'm sold!

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Friday 6th of May 2016

Me too... this is my first recipe club and it's really fun. You should make one!

Nicole @Little Blog on the Homestead

Friday 22nd of April 2016

I want to join that club!! That sounds absolutely amazing, and I definitely will be trying this cake. Dustin hates coconut, but I'm willing to give it a go for some delicious chocolate-y goodness.

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