August 5, 2025
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This Southern Coconut Cake is gentle, fluffy, and filled with coconut taste from high to backside. The layers bake up tender each time, and the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting is easy, wealthy, and straightforward to work with. It seems spectacular however comes along with easy components and clear steps.
Ingredient Notes + Variations
This coconut cake is constructed on pantry staples, however just a few key components make it particular. Actual buttermilk, coconut extract, and a combo of butter and oil deliver the flavour and texture. Right here’s what to know:
- All-purpose flour – Provides the cake construction with out making it dense. You should definitely measure it appropriately (see my professional tip in that step).
- Buttermilk – The acidity retains the cake additional tender. Don’t skip it.
- Butter + vegetable oil – Butter provides taste, oil retains it moist.
- Eggs + egg whites – The combo provides richness whereas conserving issues mild.
Methods to Make Coconut Cake
Making a layered cake may be tough, however it actually doesn’t should be. Grease and line your pans nicely, comply with the comparatively easy instructions, cool your truffles fully and also you too could have scrumptious success! For full recipe particulars, together with components wanted and measurements, see the printable recipe card down beneath.
Step 1: Preheat Oven + Prep Pans
preheat oven to 325° F + line two spherical pans with parchment paper + spray with nonstick spray
Step 2: Combine the Dry Components
whisk collectively flour, baking powder, baking soda + salt
Professional Tip: Be sure to are measuring your flour appropriately utilizing the fluff, spoon, and degree technique. Fluff the flour within the bag or container with a spoon to loosen it up. Spoon the flour evenly into your measuring cup—don’t scoop straight from the bag, otherwise you’ll pack it down and find yourself with an excessive amount of. Stage it off with the flat fringe of a knife. Voila! An correct measurement.
Step 3: Mix Buttermilk + Vanilla
add buttermilk to a liquid measuring cup
stir in vanilla extract
Step 4: Cream Butter, Oil + Sugar
mix oil, sugar + butter
beat till mixed
Step 5: Add Eggs
add in eggs + egg whites, separately
combine till mild + fluffy
Step 6: Mix Moist and Dry
Professional Tip: Why alternate dry and moist components on this order? For those who dump all of the liquid in without delay, it could trigger the batter to separate. And in the event you add all of the flour/dry components without delay, it could recover from blended, which might make the cake robust. Alternating lets all the things mix extra evenly and gently. The batter can higher take in flour than liquid, so beginning with flour helps it come collectively easily. Ending with flour helps hold the construction of the batter balanced and steady.
Step 7: Bake
Step 8: Make the Frosting
Step 9: Assemble the Cake
Ideas for Success
After a number of trial and error, listed here are my ideas and methods for making the very best Coconut Cake.
- Use room-temperature butter, cream cheese, and eggs.
- Don’t skip the parchment. It makes eradicating the truffles from the pans means simpler.
- Mild-colored pans bake extra evenly. Darkish pans = darkish edges.
- Let the cake cool fully earlier than frosting, or issues get messy.
- Chill the completed cake for 20–half-hour earlier than slicing for the cleanest reduce.
This Southern Coconut Cake brings the gentle layers and creamy frosting each coconut fan desires about. Make it as soon as and also you’ll be requested to deliver it to each occasion without end.
Southern Coconut Cake
Moist, fluffy, and gentle, this Southern Coconut Cake recipe has the right quantity of sweetness all topped with coconut cream cheese frosting.
ComponentsÂ
ÂFor the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup butter very gentle however not melted (I used salted butter)
- 16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 kilos powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
DirectionsÂ
for the cake
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line two 8-9″ spherical baking pans* with parchment paper and spray nicely with nonstick cooking spray. Put aside.
In a big bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt collectively to mix. Put aside.
In a liquid measuring cup, stir buttermilk and vanilla extract collectively. Put aside.
In a separate giant bowl, utilizing an electrical hand mixer or a stand mixer, combine butter, oil, and sugar collectively till mixed.
Combine in eggs and egg whites, separately, till the combination turns into very mild and fluffy. This course of ought to take a minimum of 3 minutes. Scrape the perimeters of the bowl and blend once more briefly.
Alternate including in flour combination with buttermilk combination, being certain to begin and finish with flour. Scrape the perimeters and blend once more to make sure a easy batter. Fold in coconut by hand.
Divide evenly between baking pans and easy the highest. Bake 30-40 minutes within the decrease two thirds of the oven. The cake can be performed when a toothpick comes out clear or largely clear with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool 15-20 minutes in cake pans earlier than attempting to invert on cooling racks. Cool fully earlier than frosting and adorning.
for the frosting-
In a big mixing bowl, utilizing an electrical hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese along with the paddle attachment till easy. Scrape sides and blend once more.
Add in powdered sugar with vanilla extract and coconut extract and blend very slowly till it begins to return collectively.
As soon as the powdered sugar has labored in, improve the mixer pace and whip till fully easy, about 1 minute.
Scrape the perimeters and backside of the bowl to make sure a very easy frosting. Stir once more if wanted.
assembly-
Utilizing a serrated bread knife, slice every fully cooled cake in half lengthwise to get 4 even layers.
Place one layer down on a cake stand and high with 3/4-1 cup of frosting. Unfold evenly, pushing the frosting out in direction of the perimeters.
Proceed stacking the layers of cake with frosting collectively till all 4 layers are stacked up along with frosting in between.
With remaining frosting, full frosting the cake. I like so as to add giant dollops of frosting to the highest and unfold throughout to cowl after which push extra down the perimeters. It is simpler to drag frosting off with an offset spatula…much less crumbs that means!
As soon as the cake is frosted, utilizing the palms of your fingers, coat the cake totally with coconut, about 2 cups.
Refrigerate till able to slice and serve.
Notes
- 1- 9×13 cake (bake for 30-45 minutes)
- 2- 8 or 9-inch spherical truffles (30-40 minutes)
- 24 cupcakes (bake for 18-20 minutes)
Make-Forward + Storage Instructions
To save lots of you time and from worrying, I’ve outlined how one can make an ideal Coconut Cake forward of time! As soon as your cake has been baked, cooled and reduce into layers, cowl them tightly with plastic wrap and retailer at room temperature in a single day. Put together the frosting then cowl and retailer within the fridge in a single day as nicely. If you find yourself able to assemble and beautify, set the frosting out at room temperature to melt for about quarter-hour. Give it a fast combine to loosen it up in your mixer for a couple of minute, then frost away! To Freeze: If you wish to make this cake even farther forward of time, think about freezing it! Frosted or unfrosted cake layers may be frozen as much as 3 months. To thaw, switch from the freezer to the fridge in a single day after which deliver to room temperature earlier than adorning or serving. ÂVitamin
Energy: 873kcalCarbohydrates: 115gProtein: 7gFats: 44gSaturated Fats: 24gPolyunsaturated Fats: 6gMonounsaturated Fats: 10gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 114mgSodium: 466mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 2gSugar: 95gVitamin A: 1119IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 1mg
Extra Coconut Desserts
For those who make this recipe, I might actually admire it in the event you would give it a star score and go away your evaluation within the feedback! In case you have an image of your completed dish, submit it on Instagram utilizing the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.