Coconut Cake Nutrition

Whether you love coconut or loathe it, you may have to admit that coconut cake shouldn't be part of your daily diet. This dessert can be high in fat, calories and sugar. However, a fluffy white cake sprinkled with coconut may be the perfect finishing touch for birthday parties, showers or weddings. A low-fat coconut cake recipe could save the day if you can't resist this exotic treat.

Nutritional Content

One slice of a 9-inch coconut cake cut into 12 portions has 399 calories, 12 g of fat, 1 mg of cholesterol, 5 g of protein, 71 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of fiber and 64 g of sugar, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This slice of cake provides 101 mg of calcium, 78 mg of phosphorous, 0.3 mg of manganese and 12 mcg of selenium along with small amounts of several B-complex vitamins. The calcium in this serving represents 10 percent of the recommended dietary allowance of this essential mineral for adults younger than the the age of 50.

Fat Content

Out of the 12 g of fat in this serving of coconut cake, 4 g consist of saturated fat, a solid or partially solid form of fat that occurs primarily in animal products. Coconut is one of the few plant-based foods that contain saturated fat. Fats are essential for maintaining the structure of your cells, absorbing nutrients and storing energy. However, at nine calories per g, fat could cause weight gain if you don't limit the amount you eat each day, MayoClinic.com notes.

Discretionary Calories

Although eating coconut cake and other high-fat, high calorie desserts on a daily basis could contribute to obesity and other health complications, you don't have to eliminate sweets from your diet to maintain a healthy weight. The USDA advises counting desserts toward your daily allowance of discretionary calories. Discretionary calories may include high-calorie treats, extra servings of foods from the basic food groups, added sweeteners and syrups or foods that consist mostly of sugar or alcohol. Depending on your activity level and the total amount of calories you need to maintain a healthy weight, discretionary calories typically should amount to no more than 100 to 300 calories per day, the USDA notes.

Benefits of Coconut

Coconut adds fiber to your diet and may offer additional health benefits. Although coconut is a source of saturated fat, the essential fatty acids in coconut oil may not raise cholesterol levels and may help prevent some forms of cardiovascular disease, biochemist Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. of the Weston A. Price Foundation states. According to Enig, the nutritional properties of coconut have been misrepresented in scientific literature, and the health benefits of this tropical fruit have not been recognized in the U.S.

Reduced-Fat Coconut Cake

The American Council on Exercise developed a pineapple-coconut cake recipe that reduces the fat and calories in this decadent dessert. This recipe combines whole wheat flour with cake flour for added fiber, blends canola oil with butter for a combination of unsaturated and saturated fats, and removes one egg yolk from the recipe to reduce cholesterol. Additional ingredients include honey, sugar and coconut rum. Pineapple filling, cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut provide the final touches. A serving of this cake has 317 calories, 45 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of protein, according to ACE.