An old school coconut cake recipe, made with smooth, fluffy cake layers, iced with an old school frosting, and lined in candy shredded coconut. My recipe contains loads of suggestions and methods for flawless outcomes and features a how-to video tutorial.
Mushy, Fluffy Coconut Cake
These of you who comply with the weblog commonly (💗) are acquainted with a number of my grandmother’s recipes. Possibly you’ve tried her scorching milk cake, potato sweet, or apple dumplings, however her coconut cake with its distinctive, silky-smooth frosting was at all times one in all my favorites. Nonetheless, her cake layers at all times got here from a field!
We don’t do box-mixes right here, so, after years of testing cake recipes, I lastly developed an excellent smooth, tremendous moist, sturdy and steady cake with a young, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that works as the right base for right now’s coconut cake.
It’s a shocking, but additionally easy cake, with tender, smooth, fluffy layers and an old school frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unbelievable texture. When you’ve ever struggled previously with dense, dry, cornbread-esque desserts, you’re in for a nice shock with this one. Not solely is it rigorously designed to be smooth, tender, and so moist, I additionally embody notes within the recipe and video to assist forestall some basic errors bakers run into when making desserts from scratch.
- The BEST taste. It’s difficult to stability the flavors of coconut cake when coconut has such a definite taste that may rapidly change into overwhelming. We flippantly taste the cake layers with a little bit of coconut extract, then use coconut milk within the frosting and canopy all the pieces in shredded, sweetened coconut. The proper stability.
- A confirmed recipe. I first shared this recipe in 2016 and it’s since not solely been a favourite with my household however has obtained dozens of 5 star opinions ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
- It’s simply cute! It seems like an enormous, fluffy snowball and tastes like heaven. It’s a wonderful dessert to grace your Easter (or any vacation) dessert desk.
Whereas this cake is nice any time of the 12 months, one thing about it simply appears like springtime to me. Possibly it’s the contemporary coconut taste, perhaps my grandmother made it round Easter yearly, however to me it belongs within the ranks of different spring recipes like my hummingbird cake, carrot cake, and carrot cupcakes (all nice springtime dessert choices!).
What You Want
For the Cake Layers
It is a moist fluffy cake comprised of two thick layers. I tailored it from my gender reveal cupcakes as a result of I cherished the fluffy crumb and style of these. Right here’s an summary of what goes into the cake layers.
- Butter and oil. I took a web page from my vanilla cake and chocolate cake and used a mix of butter and oil for finest taste and texture (the oil actually helps hold the cake moist because it ideally is refrigerated).
- Taste. Vanilla extract is crucial for taste. Whereas my grandmother by no means used coconut extract in her cake, I like the stunning tropical taste a splash of it provides to my coconut cake and advocate utilizing it.
- Bitter cream. Full-fat bitter cream (or a plain, full-fat Greek yogurt) works finest right here. Bitter cream provides a stunning depth of taste along with moisture (and that’s why it’s such a key ingredient in my yellow cake, too!).
- Egg whites. You’ll want simply the whites for this recipe, discard the yolks or save them to make creme brulee or chocolate pie. Whereas this cake isn’t a white cake in colour, it’s just like that one in that it get a lot of its fluffy construction from whipped egg whites.
For the Frosting
The frosting that I take advantage of (and my grandmother used) for coconut cake is a bit distinctive so I believed it deserved its personal part. It makes use of flour and is sort of just like my ermine frosting in style and texture, solely there’s no must make a roux!
- Butter. After I first shared this recipe I used a mixture of butter and shortening (I believe my grandmother solely used Crisco). I don’t favor to make use of this in my baking anymore so switched all the pieces over to butter and have been very pleased with the outcomes. I take advantage of salted butter, however if you happen to solely have unsalted simply add ¼ teaspoon of salt into the frosting.
- Sugar. We’re utilizing granulated sugar, not powdered sugar. Due to this, the frosting must be crushed for an prolonged period of time (over 10 minutes!) in order that the sugar can absolutely dissolve.
- Flour. Since uncooked flour was within the information just a few years in the past for being contaminated, I now advocate heat-treating any flour that isn’t baked into your baked good (like edible cookie dough). This will rapidly be accomplished within the microwave in beneath a minute and I clarify how one can within the recipe card.
- Coconut milk. You’ll be able to substitute complete milk as an alternative, however I favor to remain in coconut-theme since this can be a coconut cake, in spite of everything, and go for coconut milk. Shake the can very effectively earlier than opening!
- Extract. I take advantage of simply vanilla extract and skip the coconut extract right here. You might actually add a small quantity if you happen to needed, however I felt it overpowered the cake and made issues too coconut-y
- Coconut. My grandmother at all times used frozen shredded coconut, however I can’t ever discover that in my grocery retailer. I take advantage of sweetened shredded coconut. Since that may be a bit stringy, I’ll usually pulse it in my meals processor for a number of seconds earlier than utilizing it on my cake.
SAM’S TIP: You probably have a stand mixer, use it to make the frosting! This recipe requires a minimal of 12 minutes of stirring to correctly dissolve the sugar. It’s nice to have a machine do the heavy lifting!
That is simply an summary of the substances I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the submit!
Useful Ideas When Making Coconut Cake
Coconut cake comes collectively fairly rapidly and simply, however there are some things that I needed to cowl in additional element earlier than we start:
- Ideas for the egg whites: This recipe requires egg whites that must be whipped to stiff peaks. Set your self up for fulfillment and use a chrome steel or glass bowl (keep away from plastic or silicone) and ensure it’s fully clear, dry, and grease free. Be certain not even a tiny drop of egg yolk will get in with the whites or they received’t attain stiff peaks. (these are suggestions I’ve additionally shared when whipping egg whites for macarons and meringues). I show how I do that within the video within the recipe card, if that’s useful.
- Shred the coconut (once more). Sweetened shredded coconut can typically be a bit stringy, lending itself to a texture that many individuals simply don’t love. To assist with this, I typically like to cut the coconut even finer; just a few blitzes within the meals processor often does the trick!
- Carry within the machines (for the frosting). As I discussed above, the coconut cake frosting is made with granulated sugar, which should be dissolved for the frosting to have its signature, {smooth} consistency. This has by no means taken me lower than 12 minutes. Save your self a significant arm exercise and use your stand mixer you probably have one. When you don’t have a stand mixer or an electrical mixer, chances are you’ll need to go for one in all my different frosting recipes (I give just a few choices under!).
- The frosting WILL change into {smooth}. Simply hold mixing and be affected person! It takes time however will in the end be silky {smooth}.
Regularly Requested Questions
Use your arms and don’t be afraid of a multitude. I scoop the coconut up the edges of the cake with my arms and gently press it into the frosting (ensure you apply the coconut instantly after making use of the frosting so it sticks). Since coconut can typically be fairly stringy, I discover it useful to chop it finer with a meals processor earlier than making use of, which helps give an excellent protection, too.
When you comply with the directions as written you shouldn’t run into any points, however there are 2 primary causes home made desserts (of any selection) typically prove dry:
1) Over-measuring the flour. By no means scoop your flour, which might pack it into the measuring cup! As a substitute, use a kitchen scale or stir the flour then spoon it into measuring cup and degree off the surplus flour.
2) Over-baking the cake. Bake each cake layers on the identical time within the middle rack and ensure our oven isn’t operating scorching (many ovens do! An oven thermometer is your finest good friend). Even 1 or 2 minutes too lengthy within the oven could make the cake dry out.
Keep away from these two basic pitfalls and also you shouldn’t have any drawback!
Take pleasure in!
Let’s bake collectively! Subscribe to my publication to be notified of all the latest recipes, and discover my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Coconut Cake Recipe
Servings: 12 slices
Energy: 889kcal
Stop your display from going darkish
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease and flour the edges of two 8” cake pans (or spray with baking spray) and line the underside with rounds of parchment paper.
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Mix butter, oil, and sugar within the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in a big bowl and use an electrical mixer) and beat till substances 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
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Scrape down the edges and backside of the bowl after which stir in bitter cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract.
1 cup (240 g) bitter cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon coconut extract
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In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk collectively 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 desk salt
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Utilizing a spatula and stirring by hand, step by step, gently stir the dry substances into the moist (butter/sugar combination) till fully mixed. I am going to often add the dry substances in 3-4 components.
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Scrape the edges and backside of the bowl to make sure that your entire substances are well-combined. Put aside.
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Pour egg whites right into a medium-large sized glass or stainless-steel bowl that’s fully clear, dry, and grease-free. Utilizing an electrical mixer, beat on high-speed till stiff peaks kind (that means that if you happen to take away the beater from the combination, the height that types holds its form and doesn’t fold over or dissolve again in on itself).
6 (190 g) giant egg whites
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Add the whipped egg whites to the batter and use a spatula to softly fold the egg whites into the batter. Whereas you do not need to over-mix this batter, it’s important that the egg whites are fully mixed. Use a delicate hand and stir till you may’t see any streaks of egg whites within the batter.
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Divide batter evenly into ready cake pans.
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Bake on 350F (175C) for 35-37 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out largely clear or with just a few moist crumbs (no moist batter).
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Enable desserts to chill in pans for 10-Quarter-hour earlier than operating a knife across the edge to loosen the desserts and thoroughly inverting onto a cooling rack to chill fully earlier than frosting.
Frosting
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Warmth deal with the flour: Place flour in a microwave-safe dish and warmth for 30 seconds. Stir, then use an instant-read thermometer to verify the temperature (should exceed 160F (71C)). If not heat sufficient, proceed to warmth in 10-second intervals till temperature is reached. Enable flour to chill fully earlier than utilizing (whether it is lumpy, run it by a sifter earlier than utilizing). This “heat-treats” the flour in case it was contaminated. Put aside.
4 Tablespoons (31 g) all-purpose flour
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Mix butter and sugar within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-speed till creamy and well-combined.
1 ¼ cup (282 g) salted butter, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
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Add flour, one tablespoon at a time, beating on medium pace for 15 seconds after every addition. Scrape down sides and backside of bowl and beat once more for 20 seconds.
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Add coconut milk and vanilla extract and stir to mix
1 cup (236 ml) coconut milk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
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Flip mixer pace as much as medium-high and beat for six minutes. Scrape down the edges and backside of the bowl and beat once more at the very least one other 6 minutes, till frosting is {smooth}.
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Take a look at the frosting by tasting or rubbing between your fingers, it shouldn’t be gritty or grainy in any respect. If it nonetheless is, rigorously scrape the edges and backside of your mixing bowl once more and stir once more on excessive pace till not grainy.
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As soon as your desserts are cool, ice them by inserting one layer in your serving dish and making use of an excellent layer of frosting to the highest. Sprinkle liberally with a few of the shredded coconut.
3 cups (300 g) sweetened shredded coconut, divided
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Place your second layer on high of the primary and apply an excellent layer of frosting across the high and sides of the cake. Sprinkle remaining coconut excessive of the cake, after which use your arms to press coconut throughout the edges.
Notes
Frosting: Butter vs Shortening
Within the unique model of this recipe (and the one I recorded within the video) I initially used ¾ cup of butter and 9 Tablespoons of vegetable shortening (Crisco). I don’t favor to make use of shortening in my baking any longer so have examined and up to date the recipe to make use of all butter. Be at liberty to make use of whichever you like.
Frosting – Stand Mixer Be aware
You probably have a stand mixer, undoubtedly use it for this recipe because the frosting requires a protracted interval of blending. It *can* be accomplished with an electrical hand mixer, however could take longer than indicated and will likely be an arm exercise!
Frosting options
For me, coconut cake simply wouldn’t be coconut cake with out this old school frosting. Nonetheless, I do know it’s not for everybody. This cake is also lined with any of those frostings under, simply ensure that to cowl with coconut shavings!
Coconut
The shreds of coconut are sometimes a bit too lengthy for my liking so I’ll sometimes pulse them in my meals processor for just a few seconds to make the shreds finer.
My grandmother at all times used 18 oz of frozen shredded coconut for the skin of the cake, however that’s not simply accessible close to me any longer. Simply thaw it first earlier than utilizing.
What To Do With These Leftover Egg Yolks?
Listed below are some nice recipes that use a number of egg yolks!
Storing
Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. This cake may additionally be tightly wrapped and frozen for a number of months.
Vitamin
Serving: 1slice | Energy: 889kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 7g | Fats: 58g | Saturated Fats: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 9g | Monounsaturated Fats: 14g | Ldl cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 431mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 6mg
Dietary info relies on third-party calculations and must be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will differ based mostly upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.
I initially printed this recipe in April of 2016. In 2019 I made some enhancements to the cake recipe and in 2024 up to date the submit to be extra useful.
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