My grandma’s favourite coconut cake recipe — a dreamy, moist coconut cake constructed on a doctored-up cake combine and piled excessive with essentially the most ah-mazing coconut buttercream frosting you’ll ever style. I like that this cake is each lovely AND easy. Be nonetheless my coronary heart! 🥥💕

Initially posted in Might 2014.

I assumed it will be so enjoyable to have a good time Mom’s Day by spending the entire week posting the favourite dessert recipes of all of the moms in my life — beginning with my Grandma. I’ve shared a few of her recipes right here earlier than, like her legendary Crimson Velvet Cake and her Monster Cookies. These are two of my absolute favorites, and immediately we’re including this attractive coconut layer cake to the household corridor of fame!

My Grandma is certainly one of my heroes — each within the kitchen and out. She is real and sort and has all the time been such an important help to me. So lots of my reminiscences of time along with her revolve round vacation baking. I cherished sitting at her counter, watching her work, and simply speaking… while consuming Monster Cookies after all 😉. She’s the queen of the layer cake and this one is totally for her!

Grandma says she likes coconut cake greatest, so right here we’re! That is my simple coconut cake recipe — the most effective coconut cake recipe in my private opinion — and it’s good for summer time, Easter, or actually any Tuesday the place you want one thing spectacular. My grandma would make this with no less than six layers. I’m settling for 4, and I’ve zero regrets! 😂

Why This Is the Finest Coconut Cake Recipe

Can we discuss what makes this the most effective coconut cake recipe for a sec? First, we’re utilizing a white cake combine as the bottom — sure, a white cake combine! — however we’re doctoring it up so completely that nobody will ever guess. We swap in cake flour for a decrease protein content material that provides you that impossibly mild crumb and fluffy texture. We add bitter cream for moisture, unsweetened canned coconut milk for a candy coconut taste that goes during, and coconut extract plus vanilla extract to make each single chunk style such as you’re on a tropical trip. The result’s a moist cake with a genuinely tender crumb. I actually can’t even. 🥥

Key Substances for This Straightforward Coconut Cake Recipe

Right here’s the factor — this simple coconut cake recipe makes use of elements yow will discover at principally any grocery retailer, principally within the baking aisle. You’ll want your white cake combine, cake flour (which has that decrease protein content material we love for a lightweight crumb), unsalted butter at room temperature, vegetable oil, bitter cream, unsweetened coconut milk (seize unsweetened canned coconut milk — not the carton sort!), cream of coconut, egg whites, and egg yolks. For the frosting, we want cream cheese, powdered sugar (additionally referred to as confectioner’s sugar), coconut extract, and almond extract for a bit one thing additional. Should you’re a real coconut lover, you will completely adore each single part right here. And when you love coconut as a lot as I do, you’ll additionally need to try my Coconut Cream Pie and these cute Coconut Cream Cupcakes — SO good! 💕

How one can Make the Coconut Cake Layers

Let’s get into it! Preheat your oven and prep your 9-inch cake pans (or 8-inch cake pans work too!) with cooking spray and parchment paper so nothing sticks. Within the bowl of an electrical mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat your room temperature butter on medium-high velocity till fluffy. In a big mixing bowl, whisk collectively your dry elements — the white cake combine, cake flour, and a small quantity of salt. In a separate bowl or medium bowl, whisk collectively your moist elements: vegetable oil, bitter cream, unsweetened coconut milk, cream of coconut, egg yolks, coconut extract, and vanilla extract. Alternate including the flour combination and the moist elements to the big bowl on low velocity, scraping the perimeters of the bowl with a rubber spatula. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold gently into the cake batter. Pour evenly into your ready pans and bake within the preheated oven till golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clear. Cool fully on a wire rack earlier than frosting!

How one can Make Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Okay, the coconut cream cheese frosting is actually what goals are fabricated from. You guys. DREAMS. Within the bowl of a stand mixer (or a big bowl with a hand mixer), beat room temperature cream cheese on medium velocity till easy. Add room temperature unsalted butter and beat on medium-high velocity till creamy and fluffy. Step by step add your powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar!) on low velocity so that you don’t find yourself sporting it — ask me how I do know 😂. Add coconut extract, vanilla extract, and a small quantity of almond extract for that greatest taste combo. Beat on medium velocity till you’ve a brilliant fluffy, creamy frosting with a powerful coconut taste. This frosting works equally fantastically on this cake because it does on my Pina Colada Birthday Cake if you wish to riff on it!

Assembling Your Moist Coconut Cake

Meeting is the enjoyable half — I promise! Place the primary of your coconut cake layers in your serving plate. Unfold a beneficiant layer of coconut cream cheese frosting excessive facet. Add the second cake layer and press down gently. Unfold a skinny layer of frosting over the surface of the cake first — that is your crumb coat! Pop it within the fridge for 20 minutes, then go to city with the remaining frosting on the highest of the cake and sides of the cake. Use an offset spatula to easy the perimeters of the cake fantastically. For the second layer and any further layers, simply repeat the identical course of. Now for the most effective half — press toasted coconut and shredded coconut into the surface of the cake. You too can sprinkle coconut flakes on prime of the cake for that attractive, show-stopping end. Grandma would approve. 🙌

Suggestions for the Finest Outcomes

Just a few fast suggestions for greatest outcomes with this moist coconut cake! At all times make certain your butter and eggs are at room temperature — it makes such a distinction within the cake batter coming collectively easily. For the kind of coconut on the surface, I like utilizing toasted coconut for a golden brown, barely nutty crunch — simply unfold shredded coconut or coconut flakes on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, watching fastidiously! You’ll find coconut flakes within the baking aisle of any grocery retailer. If you need an excellent stronger coconut taste, swap vegetable oil for coconut oil within the batter. Additionally, complete egg versus simply egg whites issues right here — we use each for construction and richness. Use a meals processor if you wish to pulse your shredded coconut finer for a extra elegant look on the surface. This cake shops fantastically in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days!

Steadily Requested Questions About Coconut Cake

I get so many questions on this recipe, you guys! Can I take advantage of all-purpose flour as an alternative of cake flour? You should utilize all function flour in a pinch, however cake flour actually does offer you that extra-tender, mild crumb due to its decrease protein content material — so I extremely advocate it for greatest outcomes. Can I take advantage of a special kind of coconut milk? Keep on with unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened canned coconut milk for the batter — the cream of coconut (discovered within the baking aisle!) provides sweetness, so that you don’t need to double up with sweetened coconut milk. Can I make this in a medium bowl as a smaller cake utilizing 8-inch cake pans? Completely, simply cut back baking time barely. And sure, this doubles fantastically as a good way to make use of up that leftover cream of coconut! Try the total recipe card beneath for all the main points. Should you love festive layer truffles, you’ll additionally adore searching our Vacation Cake Recipes We Love for extra attractive inspiration! 🎉

Make This Coconut Cake Your Personal

Considered one of my absolute favourite issues about this recipe is how simple it’s to riff on! Swap the coconut buttercream frosting for a basic coconut cream cheese frosting (each are within the recipe card beneath!) relying in your crowd. Add a layer of toasted coconut between every cake layer for additional texture. Need to go full tropical? That is principally the cousin of my Coconut Cream Easter Eggs — similar dreamy coconut filling vibes! You would even use the identical coconut cream cheese frosting on a carrot cake for a brilliant sudden and scrumptious twist — carrot cake and coconut frosting is really a match made in heaven. 🥕🥥 For a enjoyable shortcut model, lean extra closely on the white cake combine base and cut back the from-scratch additions. Both manner, for coconut lovers, this cake is an absolute must-make. I’ve to make this each single yr and I hope you’ll too! Now go bake one thing lovely — you’ve bought this! 💕

Coconut Cake

My favourite doctored up cake combine mixed with my favourite from-scratch coconut buttercream. I like that this cake is each lovely and easy.

Substances

• 1 field white cake combine
• 3.4 ounces coconut dry pudding combine
• 1 cup bitter cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

For the Buttercream:

• 1 cup butter, room softened
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp. milk
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 2-3 cups further coconut for topping

Directions

• 1 cup butter, room softened
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp. milk
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 2-3 cups further coconut for topping

Notes

For the cake:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 levels F.
   2. Beat collectively all of elements till easy batter types, reserving the coconut.
   3. Combine within the coconut with a rubber spatula.
   4. Pour batter into two 8-9″ lined and greased spherical pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes till golden brown on prime and toothpick inserted comes out clear.
   5. Let cool fully earlier than reducing and frosting.

For the frosting:

1. 1. In a stand mixer, beat the butter till it is easy.
   2. Add the remaining elements by including the powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and the moist elements (first the vanilla, after which the milk 1 tablespoon at a time) alternately, mixing in between additions till easy and desired consistency.
   3. (ie, add 1 cup of powdered sugar, combine, add vanilla, combine, add 1 cup powdered sugar, combine, add 1 tbsp milk, combine, and many others…)
   4. Add the coconut, combine nicely. Add one other tablespoon of milk if wanted, and blend till easy.

Meeting:

1. Cut up every cake into two layers. Unfold a layer of frosting and a layer of coconut on every layer of cake, stacking the cake as you go.