Vegan Raffaello Cake – Coconut/Raspberry Cake
This vegan Raffaello cake recreates the famous coconut-and-almond bonbon as a three-layer celebration cake. You build a coconut-milk and white chocolate cream, bake soft almond-milk sponge layers, stack them with raspberry jam, then crown each slice with a hand-rolled coconut bonbon hiding a whole almond inside. Delicate, creamy, and unmistakably Raffaello.
Raffaello candies used to be one of my favorite treats before going vegan. Sweet, delicate, with whole almonds and coconut flakes, they were fit for the most pretentious taste. But they were never vegan, filled with a white milk cream that made them incompatible with my dietary choices, and it had been quite some time since I could enjoy one. As I have said many times, going vegan is not a story of giving up on things you really used to enjoy. My goal here was to create a cake that gives you the same sensation, the same base flavors, and the same delicate, select taste and appearance as the candy.
I will not lie, the job was not easy. I had to put quite a lot of thinking, trying, failing, and repeating into getting this cake right. I do not want to sound overly proud of myself, but this one really deserves some recognition. Maybe I sound more enthusiastic than usual, but that is only because it is THAT good. It takes a bit more prepping than a ten-minute dessert, and it is all going to be worth it.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A showstopper cake for a birthday, anniversary, or any celebration where you want something that looks and tastes special.
- A dairy-free dessert for the Raffaello lover in your life who thought the candy was off the table.
- A make-ahead project cake you can split across two days, building the cream the night before.
- A holiday or festive dessert that pairs the coconut-almond flavor with a bright raspberry layer.
- A way to turn a nostalgic candy memory into a full, sliceable cake everyone can share.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like the real candy. The coconut flakes, the whole almond center, and the creamy filling deliver the same delicate, select flavor that made Raffaello famous.
- The sponge stays tender. Almond milk soured with apple cider vinegar plus coconut oil keeps the crumb soft and moist instead of dry, which is the usual trap with egg-free cakes.
- The raspberry layer cuts the richness. Four tablespoons of raspberry jam add a tart contrast that stops the coconut cream from feeling heavy.
- The bonbon topper is the wow moment. Hand-rolled coconut balls with an almond inside turn every slice into a finished, candy-shop-worthy serving.
- It is a true make-ahead. The cream needs to chill for hours anyway, so the work spreads out naturally across your timeline.
Ingredient Notes
Almond milk is the liquid that carries this sponge. Reach for unsweetened plain almond milk so the sugar level stays in your control, and let it sit with the apple cider vinegar for a full 5 to 10 minutes before mixing. That rest is what curdles the milk into a quick buttermilk, and that mild acidity is what reacts with the baking soda to lift the crumb.
Coconut oil appears in both the cake and the bonbons. Use refined coconut oil in the batter if you want a neutral background, or unrefined for a stronger coconut note. Melt it gently and make sure it is liquid but not hot when it goes into the batter, since pouring hot oil into cool milk can seize it into little flecks.
High-fat coconut milk is the body of the cream, so buy a full-fat can rather than the thin carton drink. A good can has a thick, almost solid layer of coconut cream on top, and that is exactly the fat you want for a filling that sets up firm after chilling. Bring it only to a light simmer, never a rolling boil.
White chocolate melts into the warm coconut milk to thicken and sweeten the cream. Grate it first so it dissolves evenly without scorching. Note that standard white chocolate contains milk solids, so choose a dairy-free white chocolate if you want the cake to stay fully vegan.
Coconut flakes and shredded coconut do the heavy lifting on flavor and that signature snowy look. Raw, unsweetened flakes give the best texture for both the bonbons and the topping. Keep some larger flakes aside for sprinkling so the finished cake reads instantly as Raffaello.
Raw almonds, peeled are the hidden heart of each bonbon, just like in the candy. Peeled almonds give a cleaner bite and color; if you only have skin-on almonds, blanch them in hot water for a minute and the skins slip right off.
Raspberry jam is the tart layer between the sponge and cream. A jam with real fruit and not too much added sugar gives the brightest contrast. You only need four tablespoons, so a thin, even smear across each layer is plenty.
Tips
- Chill the cream long enough. The coconut milk and white chocolate mixture needs 2 to 4 hours in the fridge to firm up. If you spread it while it is still loose, it will slide out from between the layers, so wait until it holds a soft peak.
- Let the soured almond milk rest. Give the almond milk and vinegar the full 5 to 10 minutes. You will see it thicken and look slightly curdled, and that is the cue that it is ready to react with the leavening.
- Do not overmix the batter. Whisk just until smooth. Once the dry and wet are combined and you see no flour streaks, stop, because overmixing develops gluten and gives you a tougher, denser sponge.
- Roll the bonbons cold. Chill the coconut mixture for at least 30 minutes before shaping. Cold, firm coconut rolls into neat balls; warm mixture sticks to your hands and falls apart.
- Cool the layers completely before assembly. Warm sponge will melt the coconut cream on contact. Be patient and let each layer come to room temperature first.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the jam. Raspberry is the classic pairing, but a strawberry or cherry jam works the same way and keeps that tart-against-creamy balance.
- Make it the candy instead. The bonbon mixture is essentially the Raffaello candy on its own, so you can skip the sponge and roll the whole batch into coconut balls if you want the candy form rather than the cake.
- Change the milk. If you do not have almond milk, any neutral plant milk such as soy or oat will sour with the vinegar and bake up the same way.
- Sweeten the bonbons differently. The recipe uses agave syrup for the coconut balls, but maple syrup works as a one-to-one swap if that is what you keep on hand.
Storage and Make Ahead
This is a fridge cake. The coconut cream and white chocolate filling needs to stay cold, so keep the assembled cake covered in the refrigerator and serve it chilled. It holds well for 3 to 4 days, though the bonbon toppers are at their best in the first day or two while the coconut coating is still crisp.
This cake is built for making ahead. Prepare the cream a day in advance since it has to chill for hours regardless, and you can bake the sponge layers the day before as well, wrapping them once cool. Roll the bonbons ahead too and store them in the fridge, then do the final stacking, jam, and decorating on serving day. You can store the finished cake in the fridge, of course, but I strongly feel that certain foods and sweets are too good to be eaten alone, so share a slice.
If you love this, you might also try my raw vegan Raffaello coconut bonbons for the candy version, my raw vegan chocolate and raspberry birthday cake for another celebration dessert, or my raw almond chocolate truffles if you want more of that almond-and-coconut treat.
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Vegan Raffaello Cake – Coconut/Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 230 ml almond milk
- 200 g sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 150 ml coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
For the cream:
- 400 g high-fat coconut milk 1 can
- 100 g white chocolate grated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 Tbsp raspberry jam
- 100 g shredded coconut
For the balls:
- 5 Tbsp coconut oil raw, melted
- 100 g coconut flakes raw
- 15 almonds raw, peeled
- 3 Tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the cream first:
- In a pot, bring the coconut milk to a light simmer.
- Add the white chocolate and vanilla extract.
- Mix until the chocolate melts, then refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
- For the cake:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond milk and vinegar and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the coconut oil and vanilla extract to the milk and mix to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter into 3 equal parts.
- Transfer to greased and lined pans.
- Bake at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes.
- Let the layers cool completely.
- For the balls:
- Mix the coconut oil with the coconut flakes, agave syrup, and vanilla.
- Let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Put the raw coconut flakes for coating in a small dish.
- Make the bonbons, using 1 tsp of the mixture per coconut ball.
- Press one almond into the center of each ball and coat them in raw coconut flakes.
- To assemble, alternate 1 cake layer with the cream and raspberry jam, then repeat.
- Sprinkle coconut flakes on top.
- Top each piece with a Raffaello ball.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
The cake base, raspberry layer, and coconut bonbons are vegan, but the cream uses white chocolate, which usually contains milk solids. To keep the whole cake fully vegan, use a dairy-free white chocolate. Otherwise, the standard version is vegetarian rather than strictly vegan.
The apple cider vinegar sours the almond milk into a quick plant-based buttermilk. That mild acidity reacts with the baking soda to give the egg-free sponge its lift, and it also tenderizes the crumb so the cake bakes up soft instead of dense. Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before mixing.
Refrigerate the coconut milk and white chocolate cream for 2 to 4 hours. It needs that time to firm up enough to hold its shape between the cake layers. If you spread it while still loose, it will slide out, so wait until it is thick and holds a soft peak.
Yes, it is ideal for making ahead. Prepare the cream a day in advance since it has to chill for hours anyway, and bake the sponge layers the day before too. Roll the bonbons ahead and refrigerate them, then do the final stacking and decorating on serving day.
Each bonbon hides a single whole peeled almond at its center, just like the original Raffaello candy. The coconut mixture is shaped around the almond using about one teaspoon per ball, then rolled in raw coconut flakes for that snowy coating.
Keep it covered in the refrigerator and serve it chilled, since the coconut cream filling must stay cold. It holds well for 3 to 4 days, though the bonbon toppers are crispest in the first day or two before the coconut coating softens.
WOW, this recipe is simply incredible! love love love it!