Vanilla Wafer Cake-A Classic Recipe

This classic Vanilla Wafer Cake which uses vanilla wafer crumbs in place of flour has AMAZING flavor from pecans and coconut!

Once you've had a slice, you will understand why this rich, ultra moist classic cake has been a go-to cake recipe for decades. So good!

How to Make a Vanilla Wafer Cake

*You can find the full, printable recipe further down in this post. But here is a quick rundown of our steps!

Surprisingly, if it weren't for the name, you would never know that this cake had Vanilla Wafers in it at all. The cookies are actually finely crushed and used in place of the flour.

Although the crushed Vanilla Wafers surely add an additional layer of flavor, it is the combination of coconut and pecans that stand out the most. If I were blindfolded, I would almost think I was having a slice of carrot cake!

As you can see in the photo above, every slice of this vanilla wafer cake is packed with coconut and pecans, creating a slightly more dense, rich cake and a texture that we just love.

A Basic Rundown of our Steps

• First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease and flour a bundt pan or tube pan. (We used a pan with a 15 cup pan with a 12 cup baking capacity). If your pan is smaller, be careful not to fill the pan more than ¾ full.
• In a medium size bowl, add the chopped pecans and coconut, set aside.
• Crush the vanilla wafers in a plastic bag using a rolling pin or crush fine using a food processor.

• In the bowl of your mixer mix the butter until smooth.
• Gradually add the sugar and mix 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy
• Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow of the yolk has blended in.
• Next, add the crushed vanilla wafers, milk and vanilla and mix well.
• Stir in the coconut and chopped pecans.
• This is a thick cake batter.  Spoon into a prepared bundt pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  At the one hour mark, check using a long skewer or toothpick.  It is done when the toothpick is clean or with just a few crumbs attached

• Cool 10 to 15 minutes then turn out. 

• We topped our bundt cake off with a dusting of powdered sugar (by lightly tapping it through a sifter)

Recipe FAQs

More Bundt Cakes to Try!

We love bundt cakes like today's recipe not only for the delicious flavor, but also because they are easy make and decorating is quick and simple!

Some of our most popular bundt cake recipes are: Strawberry Bundt Cake, Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake, and Italian Cream Bundt Cake!

More Cakes with Coconut

If you love cakes with coconut like we do, don't miss these other favorite cake recipes!

Some of our most popular are Coconut Cream Cake, our moist Coconut Pound Cake, classic Italian Cream Cake and German Chocolate Cake!

Thank you for stopping by! We hope that you enjoy this Vanilla Wafer Cake as much as we have.

If you're interested in more cake recipes or cake decorating tutorials, make sure to check out our Cake Recipes & Cake Decorating Tutorials Section as well! We have so many cakes to share with you.

Vanilla Wafer Cake- A Classic Recipe

BY Melissa and Bebe

This moist, rich Vanilla Wafer Cake doesn't taste like Vanilla Wafers at all! ;0) This vintage cake which uses the crushed cookies instead of flour is bursting with coconut and pecan flavor.

Course: Dessert

Servings: 15

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ cups chopped pecans 150g
• ▢ 8 oz. sweetened coconut — we used Baker's Angel Flake Coconut 150g (3 cups)
• ▢ 11 oz. box of vanilla wafers, crushed (311g)
• ▢ 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (226g)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups sugar (300g)
• ▢ 6 large eggs, room temperature (If in a hurry, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes).
• ▢ ½ cup milk (121g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
• ▢ Optional: A dusting of powdered sugar on top just before serving.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease and flour a bundt pan or tube pan.
• In a medium size bowl, add the chopped pecans and coconut, set aside.
• Crush the vanilla wafers in a plastic bag using a rolling pin or crush fine using a food processor.
• In the bowl of your mixer mix the butter until smooth.
• Gradually add the sugar and mix 3 to 5 minutes or until lightened in color and fluffy
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow of the yolk has blended in.
• Add the crushed vanilla wafers, milk and vanilla and mix well.
• Stir in the coconut and chopped pecans.
• The batter will be thick.  Scoop the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  At 1 hour check using a long skewer or toothpick.  It is done when the toothpick is clean or with just a few crumbs attached
• Cool 10 to 15 minutes then turn out. 
• Optional: Apply a dusting of powdered sugar to the top of the cake by spooning a small amount into a sifter and lightly tapping the side. This should be done soon before serving as the powdered sugar will absorb over time.

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