Vanilla Wafer Cake

Tender and moist each morsel of this Vanilla Wafer Cake recipe with coconut and pecans is so delicious! Made in a bundt or tube pan this easy cake makes a beautiful presentation for your holiday meal or nice family gathering.

If you like this recipe you may also enjoy our Rum Glazed Bundt Cake, Sherry Wine Cake, or Blackberry Bundt Cake.

Recipe for Vanilla Wafer Cake

The prominent flavor in this cake is vanilla wafers. Pecans and coconut add such a nice accent to every bite. A combination of flavors that you know and enjoy make this cake special!

This made from scratch vanilla wafer cake recipe is unique because it uses ground up vanilla wafer cookies in place of flour. While it’s an old fashioned recipe, the taste is timeless.

Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors from our Homemade Ice Cream to our Spiked Root Beer Float. Using a box of vanilla wafers and adding some real vanilla creates a brighter flavor than a traditional vanilla cake.

We find that his recipe for Vanilla Wafer Cake has the most appeal to the most people. You can always serve with whipped cream, maraschino cherries, caramel sauce, or a fruity syrup to enhance the flavor even more.

I love how pretty a simple cake like this looks in a bundt pan. From our Black Forest Cherry Bundt Cake to our Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake there are so many fun and distinct options to try.

Ingredients Needed:

• Box of Nilla wafers or store brand vanilla wafers
• Granulated sugar
• Butter
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Milk
• Unsweetened coconut
• Pecans

How to Make A Vanilla Wafer Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Soften butter, but don’t fully melt.

Use a food processor to crush vanilla wafers.

Ensure there are no large pieces remaining.

Using an electric mixer and a large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar together.

Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix again.

Then add milk and mix well.

Once these ingredients are mixed into a liquid batter add fine crumbs of Nilla wafers.

Pour finely chopped pecans and coconut into the batter and fold in by hand.

Grease a bundt pan well just before you’re ready to pour in the batter. Be sure to get the center and sides of the pan very well.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees f for 60 – 70 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If there’s not very much on the cake it is almost done.

Let cake rest for 10 – 15 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the cake around the edges and then flip onto a serving dish or wire cooling rack to continue cooling.

Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Ensure that vanilla wafer cookies are all finely and uniformly ground – while I typically crush crackers in a bag with a rolling pin, I always use a food processor for this recipe.
• Anywhere from 5 to 7 ounces of coconut works well in this recipe depending on how much you like coconut.
• Wait to grease bundt cake pan until right before pouring batter in so that the spray doesn’t all run to the bottom. I have not found a benefit to flouring the pan, but if you have a system that works keep stick with it!
• Finely chopped pecans blend in to the batter and create a more even flavor.

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Cake stays fresh longest when stored in an air tight container. This vanilla wafer cake recipe freezes well in a freezer bag. Defrost for 24 hours in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

This cake is always a hit with crowds!

More Easy Cake Recipes:

Best Chocolate Cake from A Box – this one is a classic and almost always on birthdays!

Cream Puff Cake is so much easier to make than a regular cream puff and is super delicious!

Simple Sour Cream Coconut Cake is rich with coconut flavor and perfect to make ahead of time.

We also found this Pineapple Vanilla Wafer Dessert that looks perfect for summer.

Printable Vanilla Wafer Cake Recipe