Coconut Cake Recipes

The most delicious, from scratch, white cake recipe is used to create this perfect Coconut Cake! Soft, moist crumb with a cream cheese coconut frosting!

Love coconut desserts? You MUST try our samoa truffles. Similar to the girl scout cookie, these truffles are packed with coconut, caramel, and chocolate flavor! Or give our coconut biscotti recipe a try!

No matter the time of year, this easy coconut cake recipe is bound to be your new favorite layer cake.

Using my white cake as a guide for today’s recipe, this was the perfect starting point. Be sure to follow directions carefully!

To add the coconut flakes or shredded coconut to the top and sides of cake, place cake stand on a baking sheet (to help catch excess coconut). Fill hand with coconut and press gently into sides of cake. Repeat until desired amount of coconut applied. ENJOY!

Sometimes you don’t want to make a layer cake, but you also crave homemade coconut cake. In that case, make it in a 13×9. Same great recipe, just easier!

The most delicious, from scratch, white cake recipe is used to create this perfect Coconut Cake! Soft, moist crumb with a cream cheese coconut frosting!

Coconut Cake

This perfect coconut cake sets the bar for homemade cakes everywhere. It’s supremely moist with a soft fluffy crumb and intense coconut flavor. For success, follow this recipe carefully including using cake flour, egg whites, sour cream, and canned coconut milk.

Prep: 35min

Total: 4h

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/2 cups (285g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 2/3 cups (330g) granulated sugar
• 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 cup (240ml) canned coconut milk, at room temperature*
• 1 cup (80g) sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 8 ounces (224g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
• 5 cups (600g) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) canned coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (160g) sweetened shredded coconut

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
2. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat 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. Beat in the egg whites until combined, then add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Beat until combined. Mixture will look curdled as a result of the varying textures and solid butter combining. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and coconut milk. Beat on low speed until combined, then add the shredded coconut. Whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no butter lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
4. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for 21–23 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
5. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more coconut milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
6. Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with second cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting and a bench scraper to smooth the sides. Sprinkle coconut on top of the cake and apply it to the sides. This can get a little messy and you can watch me do it in the video tutorial. See blog post above about buttercream rose decoration.
7. Refrigerate cake for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting, though it’s still a pretty fluffy cake!
8. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Coconut Cake

Celebrate with Ina Garten’s snow-white Coconut Cake recipe from Barefoot Contessa on Food Network. The cream cheese frosting is sprinkled with shredded coconut.

Prep: 0 35min0

Total: 0 1h55min0

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 12 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 12 servings, calories 1026, Fat 63g, Saturated Fat 40g, Carbohydrate 109g, Fiber 2g, Sugar 83g, Protein 10g, Cholesterol 232mg, Sodium 410mg

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don’t be concerned.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.
4. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.
5. For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until just smooth (don’t whip!).
6. To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Coconut Cake Recipe

The most delicious, from scratch, white cake recipe is used to create this perfect Coconut Cake! Soft, moist crumb with a cream cheese coconut frosting!

Prep: 20min

Total: 1h16min

Serving Size: 1

Nutrition Facts: calories 527 calories, Carbohydrate 82 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 45 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 21 grams fat, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 4 grams protein, Saturated Fat 14 grams saturated fat, servingSize 1, Sodium 231 milligrams sodium, Sugar 62 grams sugar, Trans Fat 0 grams trans fat, unSaturated Fat 6 grams unsaturated fat

Ingredients:

• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 packages (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut

Instruction:

1. Whisk together the egg whites and 1/4 cup of the buttermilk in a small bowl until slightly combined. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Beat in egg white mixture until fully blended. Add in remaining milk and beat for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fold in coconut.
3. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Pour batter into pans and bake in a 350 degree oven for 26-28 minutes. Remove and cool completely on wire rack.
4. Beat butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes using whisk attachment on an electric mixer. Add in powdered sugar and heavy cream. Beat an additional 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. To assemble, place one layer of cake on a cake stand. Add a large amount of frosting to top and smooth with an offset spatula. Top with second layer of cake. Apply frosting to entire cake. To add the coconut to the top and sides of cake, place cake stand on a baking sheet (to help catch excess coconut). Fill hand with coconut and press gently into sides of cake. Repeat until desired amount of coconut applied. ENJOY!

Easy Coconut Cake

Easy Coconut Cake – a moist and flavorful coconut cake topped with a sweet and creamy coconut buttercream frosting. This easy to make cake is perfect for spring and summer, or any time you need a coconut fix!

Prep: 15min

Total: 45min

Yield: 12

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 532 kcal, Carbohydrate 71 g, Protein 4 g, Fat 27 g, Saturated Fat 17 g, Cholesterol 62 mg, Sodium 341 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 57 g, Trans Fat 1 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 (15.9 oz) box of white cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cups water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 cup cream of coconut
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons coconut extract
• 1/3 cup cream of coconut

Instruction:

1. After cake is completely cool, top with coconut buttercream frosting and sprinkle with coconut (toasted or not). Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
2. Once butter and sugar have come together, gradually beat in the remaining cream of coconut (about 1/3 cup). Add the coconut extract 1 teaspoon at a time and taste in between for desired flavor. 1 teaspoon is plenty for me.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread coconut flakes in a single layer on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring once or twice while cooking. Toast until lightly browned all over, then remove from the oven.

Easy Coconut Cake Recipe

FAQ

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