Can I use regular sweetened coconut instead of frozen coconut?

Yes, you can substitute 1½ to 2 cups of sweetened flaked coconut for the frozen coconut. However, understand that this will make your cake sweeter and change its texture somewhat. The frozen coconut provides moisture and a fresher taste that's hard to replicate with the dried variety.

My cake seems dry. What went wrong?

The most common cause of a dry cake is overbaking. Remember that the cake continues to cook slightly as it cools in the hot pan. Also, make sure your butter was properly softened and that you measured the milk accurately. Even slight undermeasuring of liquid ingredients can affect moisture.

Can I make this cake without nuts for someone with allergies?

Absolutely! You can simply omit the pecans without making any other changes to the recipe. If you'd like to maintain that textural element, consider adding an equal amount of white chocolate chips or even toffee bits instead.

How fine should I crush the vanilla wafers?

Aim for the consistency of coarse sand or breadcrumbs. You want them fine enough to absorb moisture and act as flour, but not so fine that they become powdery. A few slightly larger pieces are fine and add interesting texture to the finished cake.

Vanilla Wafer Cake Recipe

Description

A delicious and moist Vanilla Wafer Cake made with crushed vanilla wafers, coconut, and pecans, baked to perfection in a Bundt pan. Perfect for any occasion!

Ingredients

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Main Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 (11-ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (6-ounce packages) frozen coconut, thawed
2 cups chopped pecans

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Instructions

Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Prepare a 10 to 12 cup Bundt pan by greasing and flouring it thoroughly to ensure the cake doesn’t stick.
Create the batter: In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the room-temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition to incorporate fully.
Mix in dry ingredients: Add the crushed vanilla wafers and milk to the bowl, and mix well to form a smooth batter. Stir in the vanilla extract, thawed coconut, and chopped pecans until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Transfer to the Bundt pan: Spread the prepared batter evenly into the previously greased and floured Bundt pan. Smooth out the surface for even baking.
Bake: Place the Bundt pan into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.

Notes

This recipe specifically calls for using frozen shredded coconut, which can usually be found in the freezer section near the frozen fruit. It is less sweet than the shelf-stable sweetened coconut flakes and has a unique texture.
If you can’t find frozen shredded coconut, you can substitute with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sweetened coconut flakes. However, this will result in a sweeter cake with a different texture.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 450
Sugar: 30g
Sodium: 200mg
Fat: 26g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Unsaturated Fat: 10g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 50g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 6g
Cholesterol: 80mg