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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Cake / Coconut Cake

    Coconut Cake

    November 18, 2019 Updated February 20, 2020 BySam 106 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Coconut cake slice on white plate

    An old-fashioned coconut cake recipe, made with a soft, 2-layer vanilla cake and iced with an old-fashioned frosting straight from my grandmother’s cookbook, and covered in sweet coconut shavings.

    A classic, staple cake recipe, file this one away with other favorites like my tried & true Pound Cake, Tres Leches Cake, and German Chocolate Cake!

    Slice of layered coconut cake on white plate on pink backdrop

    The Softest Coconut Cake

    Those of you who follow the blog regularly are familiar with a lot of my grandmother’s recipes. Maybe you’ve tried her hot milk cake, potato candy, or apple dumplings (to name just a few!). She also makes a killer Coconut Cake with a unique, silky white frosting. While she was just as happy to share that recipe with me as all of the others, I was a little surprised to learn that she actually doesn’t make her coconut cake from scratch.

    What! I had to double-check with her, but nope, my grandmother’s beloved, amazing coconut cake recipe actually starts with a box of yellow cake mix. The icing is from-scratch, yes, but not the base.

    While I still look forward to that cake when she has dinner, you know I couldn’t start a recipe with cake mix and feel good about myself. So, after years of testing cake recipes, I finally developed a super soft, super moist, sturdy and stable cake with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that works as the perfect base for this coconut cake recipe.

    (If it seems familiar to you, it’s because it first debuted as my gender reveal cupcakes.)

    "Ingredients

    How to assemble coconut cake: covering layers with frosting and shredded coconut

    Frosting

    So, the coconut cake portion might be my invention, but the crowning glory is still my grandmother’s frosting.

    This frosting is quite different from your standard buttercream or (my personal favorite) cream cheese frosting. It’s not the same as ermine frosting, though it is similar. This coconut cake frosting is made with shortening in addition to butter (which gives it that beautiful, stark white color), flour (I recommend heat treating your flour to be safe), and granulated sugar.  It requires being beaten for at least twelve minutes to ensure that all of the grittiness from the sugar has been dissolved.  It’s a light and delicate frosting with a very smooth texture that pairs perfectly with the coarse outside coating of shredded coconut.

    Quite simply, it is absolutely delicious.

    For those of you not completely convinced, I did include some other frosting options at the bottom of the recipe card below!

    Frosted and coconut-covered coconut cake on crystal platter

    How Do You Cover a Cake with Coconut?

    See my photo above or my video in the recipe below for a visual! Sprinkle your cake with coconut shreds first, and then take a large handful of shredded coconut in your hands. Press this coconut gently but firmly up the sides of your cake to press it into your frosting. Repeat until the cake is completely covered in shredded coconut.

    How Long is Coconut Cake Good For?

    This recipe will keep for several days in an airtight container at room temperature or up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Do store in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out!

    Can You Freeze Coconut Cake?

    Absolutely! Be sure to cover completely and securely and your cake will keep in the freezer for several months.

    Slice of frosted coconut cake on a white plate with a forkful out of it to show soft interior

    Enjoy!

    More Classic Cakes You Might Like:

    • Hummingbird Cake
    • Angel Food Cake
    • Marble Cake
    • Pound Cake

    Let’s bake together! Follow me on my YouTube channel to be the first to see when I share new videos! I’ve already uploaded over 200 recipe videos that you can watch for free!

    Slice of coconut cake on white plate with bite taken

    Coconut Cake Recipe

    You'll LOVE this super soft and moist coconut cake! Made with a simple vanilla cake and covered in an old-fashioned frosting recipe handed down from my grandmother!
    Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO below the recipe!
    4.8 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 12 slices
    Calories: 889kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
    • ⅔ cup canola oil or vegetable oil (160ml)
    • 2 cup granulated sugar (400g)
    • 1 cup sour cream (240g)
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ½ tsp coconut extract optional, if not using then use 1 Tbsp vanilla
    • 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (344g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 6 large egg whites room temperature (½ cup or 122g), make sure there is not so much as a teeny tiny bit of yolk in with the egg whites or they will not whip properly.

    FROSTING

    • ¾ cup salted butter softened (170g)
    • 9 Tablespoons shortening I use Crisco
    • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
    • 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour because of recent risk of flour contamination, I recommend heat-treating your flour before using (make sure to let it cool completely before using
    • 1 cup coconut milk or you can use regular whole milk which is what my grandmother uses (235ml)
    • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 18 oz frozen fresh shredded coconut thawed I’ve not had a lot of luck finding frozen coconut recently. You can substitute dried sweetened coconut, found in the baking section, instead. I usually only need about 3-4 cups and sometimes I will briefly pulse the shreds in the food processor to make them a little less stringy, though this is not required.

    Recommended Equipment

    • Stand Mixer
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease and flour the sides of two 8” cake pans (or spray with baking spray) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl (or in stand mixer), use an electric mixer to beat together butter, oil, and sugar. Beat until ingredients are creamy and well-combined.
    • Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
    • Using a spatula and stirring by hand (I don’t recommend using an electric mixer here as you can accidentally over-mix your ingredients, resulting in a dense, dry cake), stir the dry ingredients into the wet (butter/sugar mixture) until completely combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all of your ingredients are well-combined. Set aside.
    • In a separate clean, dry, and completely grease-free bowl, place your egg whites in a completely clean, dry, and grease-free bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on high-speed until stiff peaks form.
    • Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites into your batter. While you do not want to over-mix this batter, it is important that the egg whites are completely combined. Use a gentle hand and stir until you can’t see any streaks of egg whites in the batter.
    • Divide batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
    • Bake on 350F (175C) for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
    • Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

    Frosting

    • Combine butter, shortening, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-speed until creamy and well-combined.
    • Add flour, one Tablespoon at a time, beating on medium speed for 15 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again for 20 seconds.
    • Add coconut milk and vanilla extract and stir to combine
    • Turn mixer speed up to medium-high and beat for 6 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again at least another 6 minutes.
    • Test the frosting by tasting or rubbing between your fingers, it should not be gritty or grainy at all. If it still is, carefully scrape the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl again and stir again on high speed until no longer grainy.
    • Once your cakes are cool, ice them by placing one layer on your serving dish and applying an even layer of frosting to the top. Sprinkle liberally with shredded coconut.
    • Place your second layer on top of the first and apply an even layer of frosting around the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle coconut over the top of the cake, and then use your hands to press coconut all around the sides.

    Notes

    A Note on the Frosting:

    For me, coconut cake just wouldn't be coconut cake without this old-fashioned frosting. However, I know it's not for everyone. This cake could also be covered with any of these frostings below, just make sure to cover with coconut shavings!
    • Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Vanilla Frosting
    • Swiss Meringue Buttercream
    • Chocolate Frosting (of course the cake won't have that pristine white appearance outside, but I love the chocolate/coconut pairing!).

    What To Do With Those Leftover Egg Yolks?

    Here are some great recipes that use a lot of egg yolks!
    • Pound Cake
    • Creme Brulee
    • Cream Puffs (with Pastry Cream)
    • Chocolate Pie

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 889kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 431mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 6mg
    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!
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    Frosted coconut cake on crystal cake stand

    I originally published this recipe 04/25/2019. I have updated the cake portion of the recipe and photos and added a video 10/18/2019. One of the original photos can be seen above (on my great great great grandmother’s crystal cake stand).

     

    Previous Post: « Ten Top Pie Recipes
    Next Post: Gingersnap Cookies (Crisp, Snappy Cookies!) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lynne

      March 24, 2021 at 9:02 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! This coconut cake is so good. I love the icing as well. I used the egg yolks to make a custard filling. I mixed some of your icing and the custard. Definitely making this cake again!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 24, 2021 at 10:01 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lynne! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Andres

      March 12, 2021 at 11:50 pm

      How many cups of cake batter does this make?

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 15, 2021 at 9:04 am

        About 8 cups of batter. 🙂

        Reply
        • CRISTINA CARDENAS

          April 04, 2021 at 1:29 am

          Hello thank you for this recipe. If I put the cake in the refrigerator over night will the cake be dense? I’m scared to leave it out with the frosting because the frosting contains milk. Please help.

        • Sam

          April 05, 2021 at 9:27 am

          Hi Cristina! If you want to refrigerate it I would just make sure it is covered so it won’t dry out. The refrigerator won’t make the cake dense.

    3. Blimey

      February 27, 2021 at 11:55 pm

      Has anyone tried this cake with Buttermilk instead of yogurt or Sour Cream? Does the Buttermilk work in this recipe?

      Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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