This is the best coconut cake recipe. The coconut cake is light, tender, and has amazing coconut flavor from coconut extract and coconut milk. The cake is frosted with smooth and creamy coconut buttercream frosting and coated with shredded coconut. If you love coconut desserts, you must try this easy coconut cake recipe.
Ingredients for Coconut Cake
Coconut Cake
- Cake flour – Cake flour creates a light, fluffy texture. I don’t recommend using all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Baking powder – Leavening agent to help the cake layers rise.
- Salt – Enhances the flavors in the coconut cake.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg whites – Large egg whites, room temperature.
- Sour cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract enhances the coconut flavor.
- Coconut extract – Coconut extract adds great coconut flavor to the cake.
- Coconut milk – Full fat canned coconut milk.
Coconut Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract + coconut extract – This combination creates the perfect coconut flavor.
- Salt – Balances out the sweetness of the frosting.
- Heavy cream – Makes the buttercream smooth and creamy.
Additional Ingredients
- Coconut – Shredded, sweetened coconut flakes.
How to Make the Components of the Coconut Cake
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 7-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper circles.
- Make the cake batter: Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream the granulated sugar, butter, and vegetable oil until light and fluffy. Add in the egg whites, sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract and mix until well combined. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the coconut milk to the butter mixture, mixing until combined and smooth.
- Bake the cake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans. Bake the cake layers for 26-30 minutes until the tops of the cakes bounce back when gently touched or a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and cool the cake layers in the pans for 15 minutes. Transfer the cake layers to a wire rack to cool.
- Make the coconut buttercream frosting: Whip the unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add in the vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt and mix to combine. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the frosting for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
How to Assemble the Coconut Cake
- Level the cooled cake layers with a serrated knife.
- Place one cake layer on a round cake board. Add desired amount of coconut buttercream to the top of the layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Add the second cake layer, more buttercream, and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Add the final cake layer to the top of the cake. Be sure the bottom of the cake layer is facing up.
- With an offset spatula, add a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting, to the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting to smooth the sides. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to firm the frosting.
- Add a generous layer of the buttercream to the chilled cake with an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting and smooth the sides of the cake. Gently press the shredded coconut on the sides and top of the cake.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips blog posts on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the most out of this coconut cake recipe.
- Do not substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour in this recipe. The cake flour helps create a light, fluffy, and tender crumb.
- If preferred, you can toast the shredded coconut before pressing it onto the cake.
- Substitute cream cheese frosting or coconut cream cheese frosting for the coconut buttercream.
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover any exposed cake in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Other Coconut Recipes You Will Love
- Coconut cupcakes
- Coconut cream pie dessert cups
- Coconut buttercream frosting
- Chocolate coconut crunch cookies
Coconut Cake
Equipment
- 3 7-inch round cake pans
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Coconut Cake
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp coconut extract
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk room temperature
Coconut Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp coconut extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions
Coconut Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (176℃). Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment circles.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil until it is light, pale, and creamy. Add in the egg whites, sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract, and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the coconut milk to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed in between each addition (⅓ dry ingredients, ½ coconut milk, ⅓ dry ingredients, ½ coconut milk, ⅓ dry ingredients). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Mix until the batter is combined and smooth but do not over mix the batter.
- Divide the cake batter between the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 26 to 30 minutes until the cake layers bounce back when gently touched or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and cool the cake in the pans for 15 minutes. Remove the cake layers from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Coconut Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the butter is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt and mix on low until combined. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until is it smooth and creamy.
Assembling the Coconut Cake
- Level the cooled coconut cake layers with a serrated knife.
- Place one cake layer on a round cake board. Add desired amount of coconut buttercream to the top of the layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add the second cake layer, more frosting, and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add the final cake layer to the top of the cake. Be sure the bottom of the cake layer is facing up.
- With an offset spatula, add a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting, to the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting to smooth the sides. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to firm the buttercream.
- Add a generous layer of the coconut buttercream to the chilled cake with an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to remove the excess buttercream and smooth the sides of the cake. Gently press the shredded sweetened coconut into the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
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