Overhead close up image of the corner of the Samoa Sheet Cake. Several pieces have been cut into squares and are missing. One square is pulled away.

This sheet cake has all the flavors of the beloved Girl Scout cookie in cake form! It has a moist and rich gluten-free chocolate cake base with a layer of sweet toasted coconut flakes and drizzled with warm melted dark chocolate. Made gluten-free, paleo-friendly, and dairy free!

Overhead image of the completed Samoa Sheet Cake in a baking sheet on a white marble slab. A gray linen cloth and a small bowl of melted chocolate and spoon are laying nearby.

Close up image of several squares of the Samoa Sheet Cake laying on a white marble slab.

I feel like as a kid, Samoa's get a bad rep. The coconut flavor is probably the primary culprit. However, as an adult I've grown to love coconut! Samoa's are now one of my favorite types of Girl Scout cookie! As such, I felt it was only appropriate to close out Girl Scout Cookie Week with a deliciously chocolaty and coconut-y Samoa Sheet Cake!

ps: ICYMI...Girl Scout Cookie Week has been a major hit over here with these Extra 'Thin' Thin Mints and Healthy Tagalong Bars!

Side view close up image of several squares of the Samoa Sheet Cake to reveal the delicious inside.

Overhead photo of the process of making this recipe. A large clear bowl has several ingredients being mixed with a white spatula.

The Three Components to this Samoa Sheet Cake

The chocolate cake base

This cake begins with a rich and decadent chocolate sheet cake. We use a combination of cacao powder, coconut flour, and tapioca flour to get the texture and density just right.

The layer of toasted coconut.

This is my personal favorite part. For the coconut layer, we toast a few cups of shredded coconut until deliciously golden brown. THEN we coat the shredded coconut in a dairy free caramel sauce and spread over the top of the cake.

The dark chocolate drizzle

To put the finishing touches on this Samoa sheet cake, we drizzle warm melted dark chocolate over top of the shredded coconut layer. You can get creative here with your drizzle or just go wild with it (kinda like I did here).

Tips for Making this Samoa Sheet Cake

This cake can get a little messy. The best cakes are right?! I like to line the baking pan with parchment paper before baking the chocolate cake layer. This makes it easy to remove and store later.
The key to the toasted coconut layer lies within the caramel sauce. The caramel allows the coconut to stick to the cake almost like icing. If you're having trouble spreading the coconut layer, try adding a tad more caramel or a touch of maple syrup if needed.
When cutting the cake, I highly recommend using a plastic or non-metal knife to cut into slices. Like I said above, things can get a little messy. The coconut and caramel may want to latch onto a metal utensil.
To store this cake, simply cover the baking pan tightly with saran wrap or place pre-cut slices in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to a week!

Samoa Sheet Cake

Author: Ansley Beutler
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 1 Sheet Cake 1x
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cake

½ cup cacao powder
⅓ cup coconut flour
⅓ cup tapioca flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp espresso powder (or ground coffee)
¼ tsp sea salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup coconut sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

For the Coconut Layer

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled
⅔ cup caramel sauce

For the Chocolate Drizzle

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

For the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, mix the cacao powder, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt; set aside

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar; add in the coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Slowly fold in the flour mixture into the bowl with the almond milk

3. Pour cake batter into a 9 x 13 sheet pan lined with parchment paper; bake for 22 - 28 minutes until a tooth pick can be inserted in the middle and come out clean

For the Coconut Layer

1. Increase oven temperature to 400 F. In a bowl, mix together the shredded coconut and coconut oil and spread evenly into a baking sheet; bake for 12 - 15 minutes until golden

2. Transfer the toasted coconut into a bowl and mix with the caramel sauce until fully coated

3. Spread the toasted coconut evenly over top of the cooled chocolate cake

For the Chocolate Drizzle

1. Melt the dark chocolate chips in a skillet over low heat* until fully melted

2. Drizzle the chocolate over top of the coconut layer

Notes

*Note : My go-to process to easily melt chocolate is with a make-shift double boiler. Simply fill a small pot about ¼ of the way full with water and heat over medium low heat. Place the chocolate in a skillet and position on top of the pot. As the water beneath begins to simmer, the indirect heat will melt the chocolate perfectly with limited risk of burning. If you need to thin out the chocolate, add a little coconut oil 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 45
Category: Cakes
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 Slice
Calories: 169
Fat: 8
Carbohydrates: 22
Protein: 2

Keywords: Samoa Cake, Sheet Cake, Healthy Cake, Gluten-free, Paleo