Coconut Cake Recipe

I dare say this might be the best coconut cake recipe ever. Made with cake flour, butter and oil it is perfectly moist with a tender crumb. And it’s packed with triple the coconut flavor- coconut milk, coconut extract, and shredded coconut. So if you are a coconut fan like me, then you are going to adore this light and fluffy cake as much as I did. Once cooled, I frost this in coconut buttercream frosting for coconut in every bite.

 

Oh this cake. This beautiful big old cake. Let me tell you how much I love this coconut cake. This coconut cake recipe I decided to share with you as Easter is upcoming, but when I made this cake to take gorgeous photos of it I had NO smell or taste. 

Thanks Covid. Yes I was struck down by the virus awhile back and sure enough about 7 days into it I woke up to zero taste and zero smell. It’s the most bizarre thing ever. I tried everything to see if I could smell something.

I made monkey bread to see if cinnamon would trigger it. Sadly not a thing. I put hot sauce and mustard on everything. I sniffed essential oils. Painted my nails. Nada.  Nothing. Zilch. And yes one of the things I tortured myself with during this time was to remake this coconut cake for you. 

Yes remake. I knew how delicious it was because I actually tested it a year ago for my cookbook and am just sharing it with you now. And yes my tastebuds remember the deliciousness well. 

So I made this cake for you. But I froze some of the cake so that when my taste and smell returned the first thing I could do is unwrap a slice of this cake and DIG IN. Raptor style. No forks needed. So yea this cake is that gooooooood. Ok, so assuming you have tastebuds that work let’s talk cake.

See Also:

• If you’re looking for a showstopping cake, this Milk Bar cake is the perfect dessert to make for a birthday!
• Calling all peanut butter lovers with this super easy peanut butter cream cheese frosting to use on all your favorite cake recipes!
• This easy vanilla cupcake recipe uses melted butter so it comes together in minutes and no mixer is needed!
• When it’s summertime then you have to make these S’mores cupcakes with toasted meringue frosting and graham cracker bottom!
• Get a mixing bowl and make the easiest cake ever! This Tornado cake recipe (aka do nothing cake) made with crushed pineapple, coconut, and pecans!

Why You Will Love This Coconut Cake

• Coconut 3 Ways! – I put all the coconut in this cake and then some. The cake is made with coconut extract, coconut milk, and shredded coconut. And there’s more coconut extract in the coconut frosting. And after frosting, I decorated with more coconut!
• Great Make Ahead Dessert – The best part about cakes is that you can make them 1-2 days ahead of time and no one will be the wiser. 
• Moist And Fluffy – The texture of this cake is just perfect! I used butter for flavor and oil to keep it moist. 

Ingredients Needed

• Cake Flour – Cake flour has a lower protein content than regular all purpose flour, so you end up with a lighter, fluffier cake in the end. Lower protein = less gluten formed. And gluten is the protein that gives a cake structure. So less structure means a fluffy cake for you! If you don’t have cake flour on hand, you can make a DIY cake flour version. It won’t be exactly the same but will do in a pinch! You can use AP flour instead but it won’t have quite the same light, fluffy texture. For more recipes that use cake flour, check out my 41 cake flour recipes.
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs – Use room temperature eggs. Here is my quick tutorial on how to bring eggs to room temperature fast.
• Oil – Use a neutral-tasting oil such as canola oil or vegetable oil.
• Coconut Extract – This gives a really concentrated coconut flavor without adding extra liquid.
• Canned Coconut Milk – Why use milk when you can use coconut milk?! Make sure to use canned coconut milk not the beverage kind. 
• Sweetened Shredded Coconut – I stirred in sweetened coconut to give it more coconut flavor. and also great texture! You can also use unsweetened coconut flakes.
• Confectioners sugar – You need confectioners sugar (or powdered sugar) for the buttercream frosting. 
• Unsalted butter – You will need to cream softened butter for the frosting as well. And you will use melted butter for the cake batter.
• Heavy cream (or milk) – This is needed to achieve the creamy smooth consistency of the buttercream frosting. 

How To Make This Coconut Cake

Preheat and prepare pan. Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Grease and flour two 8” or 9” cake pans. Set aside. 

Combine wet ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, mix together coconut milk, vegetable oil and butter. Set aside. 

Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder,  and salt. Set aside.  

Mix eggs and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer with whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and coconut extract, until thickened and light gold in color, about 2 minutes at medium-high speed. If your stand mixer doesn’t have a whisk attachment, beat for 5 minutes using the paddle attachment. The batter should fall in thick ribbons from the beaters.

Alternate dry ingredients with coconut milk mixture. Add dry ingredients alternately with coconut milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix once the last of the dry ingredients mixture has been added.

Stir in shredded coconut.

Bake. Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top feels set, 26 to 30 minutes for two 9” pans, or 38 to 42 minutes for two 8” pans.  Remove the cakes from the oven, carefully loosen the edges, and allow them to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Then turn coconut cake layers to a wire rack rack, right-side up, to cool to room temperature.

Making the coconut buttercream frosting

Combine the butter and confectioners sugar. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine the butter and confectioners sugar. Mix on low speed at first, then increase the speed until combined.

Add heavy cream, extracts, and salt. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract,coconut extract, and salt. Mix on medium to high speed for 8 minutes until light and creamy.

Stir in shredded coconut. Stir in shredded coconut with a rubber spatula.   If not using immediately, store in a container in the refrigerator until ready to use for about 7 days. When ready to use, mix again until light and fluffy.

Assembling The Cake

Place first cake layer onto a flat surface, cake round or a platter you will be serving the cake on. I like to put a dollop of frosting on the bottom of the cake to hold it in place. 

Frost the cake layer with coconut icing. I like to use a large offset spatula. 

Place second cake layer on top. 

Frost second cake layer with more frosting into an even layer 

Place final cake layer on top. You can crumb coat the entire cake or simply frost with remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. 

Press shredded coconut onto the sides of the cake with your hands, and sprinkle all over the top of the cake. 

Recipes Tips

• Prep Your Pans The Right Way. I recommend greasing your cake pans and lining the bottoms with parchment paper. I love using Baker’s Joy spray that has flour in it for the best release. I like to spray the pans, then line the bottom with parchment paper, then give it another spray. Here is a tutorial on How To Prepare Cake Pans (in 4 easy steps!)
• Measure Your Flour Accurately. I do recommend using a digital kitchen scale for best accuracy. But if you don’t own one yet, then fluff up your flour first. Spoon it into your cup and the level it off. Don’t pack it down! Here is a tutorial onw How To Measure Flour.
• Bring your eggs to room temperature.  You don’t want cold eggs being added to your creamed butter mixture. It will seize up the butter. So place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them. 
• Do not overmix your batter. Once the dry ingredients are added to the wet, stir just until the flour is mixed in. Overmixed batter will result in a tough-textured cake.
• Test The Cake To See If It’s Done. You can test with a toothpick, or touch the top of the cake. It should bounce back and not stay sunken in.

Coconut Cake Frosting Tips

• Use Room Temperature Butter. Cold butter won’t mix together well and you will end up with a lumpy frosting. I bring my butter out at least 30 minutes before I start. You can also cube up the butter so it softens faster.
• Chill The Frosting. If your frosting is too soft, try chilling it before frosting your cake so it firms up a bit and it’s easier to frost the cake.

Storing This Cake

When it comes to cakes I highly recommend making them ahead of time. There’s a lot of work that goes into them so it’s great to make them ahead! You can store the cake layers, unfrosted and then frost them later.  You can also store the cake layers, or the whole cake at room temperature. 

You can also freeze the cake layers too if you need to!

Cake Layers only: 

• At room temperature: You can make the cake layers 2-3 days ahead of time. Leave them unfrosted, and wrap in plastic wrap or tin-foil. Just make sure they are completely cool before doing so. 
• Freezing: You can also wrap the cooled cake layers and freeze for up to 3 months if you don’t plan to use the layers in a few days. I let them thaw at room temperature before icing them.

Frosted Cake: 

• Fridge: If you have frosted the cake, I like to store the cake in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge. I keep it 1-2 days ahead of time.
• Freezing: I would freeze the cake unfrosted. Once the layers are cooled then wrap carefully in plastic wrap (a few layers) and a final layer of aluminum foil. When ready to enjoy, just thaw at room temperature and frost.

Coconut Cake Frosting:

• Fridge: You can make the frosting ahead of time as well. Store the frosting in a container for up to 7 days. I like to throw it my mixer again and re-whip so it’s smooth and fluffy again before I frost the cake. 
• Freeze: You can freeze the frosting too 2 months ahead of time. I thaw it overnight in the fridge and then rewhip again before I use it. 

Recipe Variations:

• ​Toasted coconut: You can toast the coconut to decorate the outside of the cake instead. Spread 2-3 cups of shredded coconut into a single layer on a sheet pan and toast in a 350F for 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool then decorate the cake!
• Use all purpose flour – If you don’t have any cake flour, you can use regular all-purpose flour instead. Your cake might not be as fluffy but will still come out amazing.
• Add almond extract – Coconut and almond go well together! Substitute 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the batter. 
• Use coconut flakes – You can use large coconut flakes to decorate the outside of the cake instead of shredded coconut.
• Make a coconut cream cheese frosting – Make my cream cheese buttercream instead and add 3 teaspoons coconut extract to the frosting.
• Make a swiss meringue buttercream – For a less sweet frosting, try my swiss meringue buttercream frosting instead. You can always add coconut extract to the frosting.
• Make in 9-inch cake pans – You can also bake in three 9-inch cake pans, but layers will not be as thick.
• Make into a sheet cake – You can pour this batter into a 9×13 sheet pan that is lightly greased and bake for about 40 minutes.

Recipe FAQ’s

More Cake Recipes

• Homemade White Cake
• Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Hummingbird Cake
• Carrot Layer Cake
• Homemade Funfetti Cake

More Recipes To Try

If you love coconut as much as I do then be sure to try my coconut macaroons recipe. These gluten free cookies are foolproof and are dipped in chocolate for a special treat.

And if it’s cake you’re craving, then try my sock it to me cake. It’s an easy bundt made with pecans and drizzled in icing.