I have to admit that Coconut Cake is my favorite layer cake. This cake is a coconut lover’s dream. Moist and delicious, with a soft, fluffy crumb and amazing coconut flavor, it is by far the best coconut cake you’ll ever make.
In my career as a chef, I’ve made many coconut cakes, and over the years, I’ve learned a lot about baking, which has helped me develop this into the best coconut cake recipe I’ve ever made.
To make this cake even more delicious, I’ve added a coconut cream cheese frosting between the cake layers and around the entire coconut cake. Then for pièce de résistance, I’ve covered the cake in tender shredded coconut. Do I have your attention?
Ingredients to make Coconut Cake
Gather the ingredients needed to make our coconut cake recipe. Culinary professionals call this the Mise en Place, which means “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
If you love coconut cakes, check out my Easter Coconut Cake.
How to Make Coconut Cake
- Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together until well blended. Set aside until needed.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Whip the butter and sugar together at medium to high speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. - Add the egg whites to the butter mixture.
- Whip until well combined.
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
*Butter and egg whites should be at room temperature. Save the egg yolks for another recipe.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract to the mixture.
- Whip the ingredients at medium speed until they are well combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
The mixture may look curdled due to the different ingredients being combined with the butter. - Set the mixer to low speed and slowly add the dry ingredients and coconut milk to the mixture.
- Continue to whip the ingredients on low speed until they are well combined.
- Add the shredded coconut flakes and mix by hand to ensure the batter does not stick to the bottom of the bowl.
The cake batter will be very thick.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease three 9-inch cake pans, place a parchment circle in the bottom of each pan, and then grease the parchment paper.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, evenly distributing it between the pans. *Using a scale is the best way to ensure the amounts are equal.
- Place the cake pans on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Place the cakes (in the pans) on a wire rack to cool.
The layers must be completely cooled before assembling and frosting.
How to make coconut cream cheese frosting
- Add the softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Whip the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until creamy and smooth (about 2 minutes).
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl during the process. - Add the confectioners’ sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt to the mixer while it’s running at a low speed.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl during the process. - Increase the mixer speed to high and continue mixing for about 3 minutes.
If the frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it’s too thick, add coconut milk until it reaches the right consistency.
How to assemble Coconut Cake
Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the layers to create a flat surface.
- Place one cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Cover the top with about 1 ½ cups of frosting. *Use a frosting spatula to create an even layer.
- Place the second layer on top of the frosted first layer. Top the second layer with about 1 ½ cups of frosting, spreading the frosting evenly using a frosting spatula.
- Place the third layer on top of the frosted second layer. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake.
- Add coconut to the sides and top of the cake, covering all the exposed frosting with coconut.
Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour before slicing. This is essential and will help the cake set up. This will make it easier to slice and help the cake hold its shape.
Wouldn’t you love to sit down to a slice of this ah-mazingly delicious coconut cake? I know I’m ready for another slice. This cake is a Southern Classic, and I promise your friends and family will love it!
Recipe FAQ’s
No, it is not. Coconut milk is more like the consistency of cow’s milk. Coconut cream is much thicker and richer. It’s made by using four times the amount of coconut that coconut milk does. Do not substitute one for the other in a recipe.
Cream de coco is a different product entirely. It is a coconut version of sweetened condensed milk and is not interchangeable with coconut milk.
Yes, it does. The frosting contains butter and cream cheese, which will spoil if left at room temperature for too long. Keep the cake covered and refrigerated when not serving. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
When covered and refrigerated, a Coconut Cake will remain fresh for one week. It can also be kept frozen in an airtight container for up to four months.
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Equipment
- 3 9-inch round cake pans
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cake flour added to the cup with a spoon & leveled with a knife
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 oz unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)softened to room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 cup coconut milk (canned) at room temperature
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Coconut Cream Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon coconut extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1-2 tablespoon coconut milk (canned) use one or two tablespoon of coconut milk to get the right consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease three 9-inch cake pan, place a parchment circle in the bottom of the pans, then grease the parchment paper. *The parchment will allow the cakes to come out of the pans easily.
Cake
- Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together until well blended. Set aside until needed.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Whip the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). *Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add the egg whites to the butter mixture and whip until well combined.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract to the mixture and. whip until well combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as neededThe mixture will look curdled do the different ingredients being combined with the butter.
- Set the mixer to low speed, and slowly add the dry ingredients and coconut milk to the mixture. Continue to whip the ingredients on low speed until they are well combined.
- Add the shredded coconut and mix by hand to make sure there's no butter stuck to the bottom of the bowl.This is a thick batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, evenly distributing the batter between the pans.*Using a scale is the easiest way to make sure the amounts are equal.
- Place the layers on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Place the cakes (in the pans) on a wire rack to cool.*The layers must be completely cooled before assembling and frosting.
Frosting
- Add the softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Whip the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until creamy and smooth (about 2 minutes).*Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl during the process.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt to the mixer while it's running on a low speed.*Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl during the process
- Increase the mixer speed to high and continue mixing for about 3 minutes. *f the frosting is too thin add additional confectioners sugar ¼ cup at a time, until the right consistency has been achieved. If the frosting is too thick, add coconut milk until its at the right consistency.
Assembly
- Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface.
- Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate
- Cover the top of the layer with about 1 ½ cups of frosting. Use a frosting spatula to create an even layer.
- Place the second layer on top of the frosted first layer and top the second layer with about 1 ½ cups of frosting spreading the frosting evenly using a frosting spatula.
- Place the third layer on top of the frosted second layer. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake.
- Add coconut to the sides and top of the cake, covering all the exposed frosting with coconut.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour before slicing.This helps the cake set up, making it easier to slice and allows the cake to hold its shape.
Notes
Cream de coco is another product entirely and is a coconut version of sweetened condensed milk and is not interchangeable with coconut milk.
Kat says
Are the cake and frosting very sweet or more on the mellow side?
Chef Dennis Littley says
The cake is not overally sweet and the frosting is a little on the sweet side, since its a buttercream
Nicki Anderson says
Should one whisk the egg whites before adding them to the mixture?
Chef Dennis Littley says
No, it isn’t neccesary,
Sherry swartz says
Could you use 2 10 inch pans instead of 3 9 inch for this receipt and have enough batter for that. I don’t have 9 inch pans?
Chef Dennis Littley says
You can use 10 inch pans, but you’re going to have 2-3 cups of batter left over. But you can always make cupcakes out of it.
Michela says
I am so excited to make this for Easter! If I only have three 8 inch cake pans (I know there will be some leftover batter) how high should I fill the pans to not risk having too much batter and not baking properly?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Fill them about 2/3 of the way full. Use the extra batter for cupcakes.
Michela says
Thank you! Wow, I served this for Easter and it was absolutely fantastic. The cake was so moist and tender, the perfect amount of sweetness, everybody loved it and the whole cake was devoured! I will certainly be making this again and again, wonderful recipe!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thats what I like to hear! I made one for Easter and it was a big hit at our house too.
Lori Mellons says
Hi Chef Dennis,
i was wondering if this recipe can be made into a 3 layer 8 inch cake, and I’m still confused with the coconut milk. I’ve seen it in the international aisle but not baking please clarify i know it’s not the cream de Coco.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You would need to reduce the ingredients by 25% to use 8-inch pans, or just use the extra batter to make cupcakes. Coconut milk can be found in the international section, Goya makes one and some Thai products should be available. It’s not creme de coco, or coconut cream.
Hailey says
can I use regular flour for this recipe?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes, you can, but the cake won’t be as light and fluffy. The texture will be denser.
Coeli says
Former Mountie- I was sent this recipe from my mom and later I recognized your name. The cake was a hit and easy to follow. After telling my family who you are we found out my brother has also been using your tiramisu recipe for our Christmas dinners for several years(also a crowd pleaser). So thank you and all your work!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You are very welcome and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my coconut cake and that your brother has been using my tiramisu recipe! I loved my time at the Mount, it was the best job I ever had.