You know that spring has sprung when coconut cake recipes start appearing!
This easy coconut cake is light, fluffy, and moist with lots of coconut flavor!
It’s the perfect holiday cake for Easter and Mother’s Day, but also an excellent addition to a summer picnic or bbq!
The Best Coconut Cake
- This coconut cake recipe comes out incredibly moist and delicious.
- It’s jam-packed with coconut flavor in both the cake and the frosting.
- It uses simple ingredients that are easy to find and most of which are likely in your cupboard.
- It’s really easy to make and almost as fast as a boxed mix but tastes so much better.
- Decorate this cake with toasted coconut flakes, slivered almonds, shaved chocolate, fresh fruit, or even edible flowers for a beautiful presentation.
Ingredients for Coconut Cake
Batter – Use all purpose flour for this cake. Ensure that the eggs and butter are at room temperature and that you use unsalted butter.
Coconut Milk – The secret to this cake is in the addition of coconut milk! Use unsweetened full fat canned coconut milk (not light) for the best results.
Frosting – This is a simple and delicious coconut frosting. Ensure you purchase coconut cream (not cream of coconut).
How to Make Coconut Cake
- Whisk dry ingredients per the recipe below.
- Cream the butter and sugar and then beat in the eggs. Add flour and coconut milk.
- Pour the batter into round cake pans and bake.
- Cool completely and frost with coconut frosting.
Storing Coconut Cake
- Keep leftover coconut cake covered in the refrigerator for up to two days.
- Use toothpicks to keep plastic wrap off the top of the cake.
- Coconut cake can be frozen with or without frosting. For unfrosted, wrap layers in plastic wrap and then foil for up to 3 months.
- For a fully frosted cake, place it in the freezer for about 2 hours to freeze the frosting and then freeze it as recommended for an unfrosted cake. Thaw layers of the finished cake at room temperature.
Other easy spring-themed cakes that guarantee baking success are coconut pie bars, a carrot cake, and this easy coconut layer cake that’s perfect for a crowd. Try it with cream cheese frosting or vanilla buttercream frosting.
Crazy for Coconut
Coconut Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 can coconut milk 13.7 fl oz. unsweetened
Coconut Frosting
- 1 ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons coconut cream unsweetened more as needed
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 pinch salt or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, shredded coconut, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add in vanilla.
- With the mixer on low, beat in the flour mixture in 2 parts, alternating with coconut milk. Divide batter between prepared pans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into centre of the cakes comes out clean.
- Transfer the cake pans to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on the rack before frosting, about 1 hour.
Coconut Frosting
- With a whisk attachment on a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Gradually add sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt beating until incorporated. Whisk in coconut extract.
- Gradually add coconut cream, beating until light and fluffy. Add salt to taste and beat until combined.
To Assemble
- Place one cake layer on a large plate. Spread with ¾ cup coconut frosting right to the edge. Top with the remaining cake layer. Repeat icing right to the edge. Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Sprinkle top and sides with shaved coconut if desired.
Notes
Keep leftover cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Just as the recipe instructed. No changes. Best cake for density and moistness. Absolutely a must make another.
Can this recipe be made into a sheet cake instead of 2 layers?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Judy. I am sure it would turn out fine, but the cook time will likely be different. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out.
Hi Holly:
I want to make a coconut cake but I have a doubt over the amount of powdered sugar, (6 cups), using in the coconut frosting, I consider that amount of sugar is too much. Could you confirm me that amount, please.
Thanks you.
Hi Fabio, the recipe is correct as written. Enjoy!
I loved this recipe! And I was so pleased with how well the cake and icing kept it’s shape. The cake was moist and delicious, yet firm enough to not leave crumbs throughout the frosting. And the frosting was just the right amount of sweetness. It spread so well onto the cake. It was the prettiest cake I’ve ever made. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe Gwen!
I made this for Easter and it was a hit! I have a milk allergy so I used Miyokos vegan butter for the cake and frosting and followed the instructions as written. The cake was delicious and no one missed the butter. I will be making this again.
I am so happy to hear this cake was a hit at Easter Patricia!
one of the most delicious cakes ever made. We love coconut and this cake recipe is the best. just made it this morning for our Easter weekend dessert. absolutely love it.
Thank you for this delicious recipe. My family loved it and it was so easy to make.
I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe Lisa!
Looked – but I couldn’t find the recipe for coconut sheet cake. Do you have one for the one you mentioned at the bottom of this recipe? It’s not the same – as in your notes it calls for sour cream and I didn’t see one in this recipe. Thanks
Hi Laurie, sorry for the confusion. We recently updated this recipe for improved flavor.
Here is the recipe for the coconut sheet cake:
CAKE
1 Cup Butter
1 Cup Water
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1½ Cups Sweetened Flaked Coconut
2 Eggs
½ Cup Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon Coconut Extract
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
ICING
½ Cup Butter
¼ Cup Milk
4½ Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
1 Teaspoon Coconut Extract
½ Teaspoon Vanilla
1½ Cups Sweetened Flaked Coconut
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees. Spray a 15X10X1 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Bring butter and water to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and mix in flour, sugar, flaked coconut, eggs, sour cream, coconut extract, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Stir until mixture is evenly combined.
Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake 18-22 minutes (until the top is nicely golden and a toothpick comes out clean).
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add milk and ½ cup of butter and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in confectioners sugar, coconut extract, and vanilla until smooth. Pour icing over warm cake then immediately sprinkle with flaked coconut. Cool completely before serving.
Could you please post your white chocolate cream frosty recipe? I’d really like to try it. Thank you
Hi Terry, the frosting used for this cake is a coconut buttercream frosting the ingredients and instructions are in the recipe with the cake. I hope this helps!
I would love to try the sheet cake but I would love make a healthy version can you please give me advice on how to without losing the yummy.
Maggie
I’ve have only made this as written. Let us know how it works out if you try it.
Hi
I am writing to you from the UNITED KINGDOM.
We do all our baking by measuring the ingredients, please tell me how many grams or ounces are in your 2 cups of flour?
1 cup of flour her is about 5 ounces or 140 grams.
Thanks
This was good as I LOVE coconut, but WAY too sweet!!! I will try it again with half the sugar that recipe calls for next time and let you know.
Love all things coconut! I always wanted it as a kid for my birthday cake. Can’t wait to try this one!
Enjoy Debbie!
So glad I popped over here for this recipe, because I also discovered your coconut layer cake. I’m trying both! Thanks!
I hope you enjoy them Jodi! :)
Coconut cake is my favorite. It was even our wedding cake! Sheet cakes are also my favorite because I’m kinda too lazy for layer cakes. I want to try your version!
I love that your wedding cake was coconut!! :) I hope you enjoy this one!
The recipe doesn’t show eggs but it mentions them in the directions after the ingredients. How many eggs?
Thank you Marie, the post has been updated and you will require 2 eggs.