Coconut Cake

An old-fashioned coconut cake recipe, made with soft, fluffy cake layers, iced with an old-fashioned frosting, and covered in sweet shredded coconut. My recipe includes plenty of tips and tricks for flawless results and includes a how-to video tutorial.

Soft, Fluffy 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, but her coconut cake with its unique, silky-smooth frosting was always one of my favorites. However, her cake layers always came from a box!

We don’t do box-mixes here, 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 today’s coconut cake.

It’s a stunning, but also simple cake, with tender, soft, fluffy layers and an old-fashioned frosting.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Incredible texture. If you’ve ever struggled in the past with dense, dry, cornbread-esque cakes, you’re in for a pleasant surprise with this one. Not only is it carefully designed to be soft, tender, and so moist, I also include notes in the recipe and video to help prevent some classic mistakes bakers run into when making cakes from scratch.
• The BEST flavor. It’s tricky to balance the flavors of coconut cake when coconut has such a distinct flavor that can quickly become overwhelming. We lightly flavor the cake layers with a bit of coconut extract, then use coconut milk in the frosting and cover everything in shredded, sweetened coconut. The perfect balance.
• A proven recipe. I first shared this recipe in 2016 and it’s since not only been a favorite with my family but has received dozens of five star reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
• It’s just cute! It looks like a giant, fluffy snowball and tastes like heaven. It’s a beautiful dessert to grace your Easter (or any holiday) dessert table.

While this cake is great any time of the year, something about it just feels like springtime to me. Maybe it’s the fresh coconut flavor, maybe my grandmother made it around Easter every year, but to me it belongs in the ranks of other spring recipes like my hummingbird cake, carrot cake, and carrot cupcakes (all great springtime dessert options!).

What You Need

For the Cake Layers

This is a moist fluffy cake comprised of two thick layers. I adapted it from my gender reveal cupcakes because I loved the fluffy crumb and taste of those. Here’s an overview of what goes into the cake layers.

• Butter and oil. I took a page from my vanilla cake and chocolate cake and used a blend of butter and oil for best flavor and texture (the oil really helps keep the cake moist since it ideally is refrigerated).
• Flavor. Vanilla extract is essential for flavor. While my grandmother never used coconut extract in her cake, I like the lovely tropical flavor a splash of it adds to my coconut cake and recommend using it.
• Sour cream. Full-fat sour cream (or a plain, full-fat Greek yogurt) works best here. Sour cream adds a lovely depth of flavor in addition to moisture (and that’s why it’s such a key ingredient in my yellow cake, too!).
• Egg whites. You’ll need just the whites for this recipe, discard the yolks or save them to make creme brulee or chocolate pie. While this cake isn’t a white cake in color, it’s similar to that one in that it get much of its fluffy structure from whipped egg whites.

For the Frosting

The frosting that I use (and my grandmother used) for coconut cake is a bit unique so I thought it deserved its own section. It uses flour and is quite similar to my ermine frosting in taste and texture, only there’s no need to make a roux!

• Butter. When I first shared this recipe I used a mix of butter and shortening (I think my grandmother only used Crisco). I don’t prefer to use this in my baking anymore so switched everything over to butter and have been very happy with the results. I use salted butter, but if you only have unsalted just add ¼ teaspoon of salt into the frosting.
• Sugar. We’re using granulated sugar, not powdered sugar. Because of this, the frosting needs to be beaten for an extended amount of time (over 10 minutes!) so that the sugar can fully dissolve.
• Flour. Since raw flour was in the news a few years ago for being contaminated, I now recommend heat-treating any flour that isn’t baked into your baked good (like edible cookie dough). This can quickly be done in the microwave in under a minute and I explain how to in the recipe card.
• Coconut milk. You can substitute whole milk instead, but I prefer to stay in coconut-theme since this is a coconut cake, after all, and opt for coconut milk. Shake the can very well before opening!
• Extract. I use just vanilla extract and skip the coconut extract here. You could certainly add a small amount if you wanted, but I felt it overpowered the cake and made things too coconut-y
• Coconut. My grandmother always used frozen shredded coconut, but I can’t ever find that in my grocery store. I use sweetened shredded coconut. Since that can be a bit stringy, I’ll often pulse it in my food processor for several seconds before using it on my cake.

SAM’S TIP: If you have a stand mixer, use it to make the frosting! This recipe requires a minimum of 12 minutes of stirring to properly dissolve the sugar. It’s great to have a machine do the heavy lifting!

This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

Helpful Tips When Making Coconut Cake

Coconut cake comes together pretty quickly and easily, but there are a few things that I wanted to cover in more detail before we begin:

• Tips for the egg whites: This recipe calls for egg whites that need to be whipped to stiff peaks. Set yourself up for success and use a stainless steel or glass bowl (avoid plastic or silicone) and make sure it is completely clean, dry, and grease free. Make sure not even a tiny drop of egg yolk gets in with the whites or they won’t reach stiff peaks. (these are tips I’ve also shared when whipping egg whites for macarons and meringues). I demonstrate how I do this in the video in the recipe card, if that is helpful.
• Shred the coconut (again). Sweetened shredded coconut can sometimes be a bit stringy, lending itself to a texture that many people just don’t love. To help with this, I sometimes like to chop the coconut even finer; a few blitzes in the food processor usually does the trick!
• Bring in the machines (for the frosting). As I mentioned above, the coconut cake frosting is made with granulated sugar, which must be dissolved for the frosting to have its signature, smooth consistency. This has never taken me less than 12 minutes. Save yourself a major arm workout and use your stand mixer if you have one. If you don’t have a stand mixer or an electric mixer, you may want to opt for one of my other frosting recipes (I give a few options below!).
• The frosting WILL become smooth. Just keep mixing and be patient! It takes time but will ultimately be silky smooth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enjoy!

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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!

4.89 from 35 votes

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Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 889kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• ▢ ⅔ cup (157 ml) avocado, vegetable, or canola oil
• ▢ 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup (240 g) sour cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coconut extract
• ▢ 2 ¾ cup (344 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon table salt
• ▢ 6 (190 g) large egg whites room temperature

FROSTING

• ▢ 4 Tablespoons (31 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup (282 g) salted butter softened (this is typically 2 ½ sticks of butter)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar (300g)
• ▢ 1 cup (236 ml) coconut milk (235ml)
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 cups (300 g) sweetened shredded coconut, divided

Recommended Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer
• ▢
  Mixing bowls
• ▢
  2 8" round cake pans

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 rounds of parchment paper.
• Combine butter, oil, and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in a large bowl and use an electric mixer) and beat until ingredients are creamy and well-combined.
  6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (157 ml) avocado, vegetable, or canola oil, 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract.
  1 cup (240 g) sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon coconut extract
• In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  2 ¾ cup (344 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon table salt
• Using a spatula and stirring by hand, gradually, gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet (butter/sugar mixture) until completely combined. I'll usually add the dry ingredients in 3-4 parts.
• Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all of your ingredients are well-combined. Set aside.
• Pour egg whites into a medium-large sized glass or stainless steel bowl that is completely clean, dry, and grease-free. Using an electric mixer, beat on high-speed until stiff peaks form (meaning that if you remove the beater from the mixture, the peak that forms holds its shape and does not fold over or dissolve back in on itself).
  6 (190 g) large egg whites
• Add the whipped egg whites to the batter and use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the 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 35-37 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 in pans for 10-15 minutes before running a knife around the edge to loosen the cakes and carefully inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

• Heat treat the flour: Place flour in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 30 seconds. Stir, then use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature (must exceed 160F (71C)). If not warm enough, continue to heat in 10-second intervals until temperature is reached. Allow flour to cool completely before using (if it is lumpy, run it through a sifter before using). This "heat-treats" the flour in case it was contaminated. Set aside.
  4 Tablespoons (31 g) all-purpose flour
• Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-speed until creamy and well-combined.
  1 ¼ cup (282 g) salted butter, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 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
  1 cup (236 ml) coconut milk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 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, until frosting is smooth.
• 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 some of the shredded coconut.
  3 cups (300 g) sweetened shredded coconut, divided
• 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 remaining coconut over the top of the cake, and then use your hands to press coconut all around the sides.

Notes

Frosting: Butter vs Shortening

In the original version of this recipe (and the one I recorded in the video) I originally used ¾ cup of butter and 9 Tablespoons of vegetable shortening (Crisco). I don’t prefer to use shortening in my baking any longer so have tested and updated the recipe to use all butter. Feel free to use whichever you prefer. 

Frosting – Stand Mixer Note

If you have a stand mixer, definitely use it for this recipe as the frosting requires a long period of mixing. It *can* be done with an electric hand mixer, but may take longer than indicated and will be an arm workout!

Frosting alternatives

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 (a splash of coconut extract would be a good addition for coconut flavor)
• 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!).

Coconut

The shreds of coconut are often a bit too long for my liking so I’ll typically pulse them in my food processor for a few seconds to make the shreds finer. 

My grandmother always used 18 oz of frozen shredded coconut for the outside of the cake, but that’s not easily accessible near me any longer. Just thaw it first before using. 

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

Storing

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This cake may also be tightly wrapped and frozen for several months. 

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

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

I originally published this recipe in April of 2016. In 2019 I made some improvements to the cake recipe and in 2024 updated the post to be more helpful.

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