This Coconut Cake uses my delicious white cake recipe made from scratch. The cake has a soft, moist crumb and cream cheese coconut frosting on top.
Do you love coconut desserts? You MUST try my samoa truffles. hese truffles pack coconut, caramel, and chocolate flavor, just like the girl scout cookie. Or give my coconut biscotti recipe a try next!
Fluffy Coconut Cake Recipe
I am a huge fan of coconut layer cakes. Tender cake with layers of vanilla frosting and loads of coconut. Does it get any better than that?
My recipe for coconut cake will become your new favorite layer cake no matter the time of year.
- Moist: whether you like that word or not, it describes the perfect texture of a cake!
- Coconut Flavor: we’ve added coconut to the cake and the frosting. Want more? Use cream of coconut in place of the buttermilk!
- Soft Crumb: by using just egg whites, you’re going to love this soft and tender crumb that still holds up to mega piles of frosting!
- Coconut Frosting: using my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe, I’ve added coconut! You can use toasted coconut if you prefer.
Ingredients Needed
- Egg Whites- for today’s white cake you won’t be using the egg yolks. No worries though, save them and make a batch of homemade lemon curd. FYI- my Lemon Coconut Cake recipe is the perfect solution for using that creamy curd.
- Buttermilk- I originally was making this recipe with whole milk, because I never have buttermilk on hand. But now that I can make my own buttermilk substitute, I always use buttermilk in my white cake recipe!
- Want more coconut flavor? Swap out the buttermilk for cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez). This is NOT coconut milk. Coconut milk brands vary in fat content and were not giving consistent results. The Cream of Coconut makes a delicious moist coconut cake.
- Extracts- I use a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract. If you’re able to find coconut extract, use that in place of the almond!
- Cake Flour- don’t even try to use all-purpose flour here. You’ll get an entirely different texture of cake. Use my tips on how to measure flour for best results!
How to Make Coconut Cake
Using my white cake as a guide for today’s recipe, this was the perfect starting point. Be sure to follow directions carefully!
- Wet Ingredients: combine the egg whites with some of the buttermilk in a bowl. In a mixing bowl, with a paddle attachment, beat room temperature butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Dry Ingredients: in a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat in the egg white mixture and finally, beat in the remaining buttermilk. Fold in coconut.
- Bake: I use two 9-inch cake pans for this recipe. Use a generous amount of baking spray (this is the kind with flour in it, made for baking), or use parchment paper. You could also use homemade cake release.
- Assemble: Place one cake layer on a cake stand. Add a large amount of frosting to top and smooth with an offset spatula. Top with second layer of cake. Apply coconut cream cheese frosting to entire cake.
Sprinkle coconut flakes on top and sides of the cake. Place the cake stand on a baking sheet. This will catch any extra coconut.
Fill hand with coconut and press gently into sides of cake. Repeat until desired amount of coconut applied.
How to Store Leftover Coconut Cake
- Store frosted cake in the refrigerator in a cake saver.
- Or freeze leftover cake in airtight container for up to 3 months.
Coconut Sheet Cake
Sometimes you don’t want to make a layer cake, but you also crave homemade coconut cake. In that case, make this easy coconut cake recipe in a 13×9. Same great recipe, just easier!
A few tips:
- Be sure to grease and flour your 13×9 baking dish, or use our homemade cake release.
- Bake for 35-38 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake as it tends to dry the cake out.
- Use cream of coconut (not cocout milk) for more coconut flavor, to replace the buttermilk.
Favorite Cake Recipes
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Coconut Cake Recipe
The most delicious, from scratch, white cake recipe is used to create this perfect Coconut Cake! Soft, moist crumb with a cream cheese coconut frosting!
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 5 egg whites room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
FOR THE FROSTING:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 package cream cheese, softened to room temperature 8 ounce
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE:
- Whisk together the egg whites and 1/4 cup of the buttermilk in a small bowl until slightly combined. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Beat in egg white mixture until fully blended. Add in remaining milk and beat for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fold in coconut.
- Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Pour batter into pans and bake in a 350 degree oven for 26-28 minutes. Remove and cool completely on wire rack.
FOR THE FROSTING:
- Beat butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes using whisk attachment on an electric mixer. Add in powdered sugar and heavy cream. Beat an additional 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- To assemble, place one layer of cake on a cake stand. Add a large amount of frosting to top and smooth with an offset spatula. Top with second layer of cake. Apply frosting to entire cake. To add the coconut to the top and sides of cake, place cake stand on a baking sheet (to help catch excess coconut). Fill hand with coconut and press gently into sides of cake. Repeat until desired amount of coconut applied. ENJOY!
Notes
- Buttermilk- I originally was making this recipe with whole milk, because I never have buttermilk on hand. But now that I can make my own buttermilk substitute, I always use buttermilk in my white cake recipe! Want more coconut flavor? Swap out the buttermilk for cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez). This is NOT coconut milk. Coconut milk brands vary in fat content and were not giving consistent results. The Cream of Coconut works perfect. Worried? Use buttermilk!
- Extracts- I use a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract. If you’re able to find coconut extract, use that in place of the almond!
- Cake Flour- don’t even try to use all-purpose flour here. You’ll get an entirely different texture of cake. Use my tips on how to measure flour for best results!
- Start with room temperature butter and egg whites. The eggs are easier to separate when they are cold, then let your egg whites come to room temperature with the butter.
- Use sweetened shredded coconut for best results! Feel free to toast the coconut for the outside of the cake if you prefer. Sweetened coconut is more moist than unsweetened, which helps today’s cake texture.
- Store frosted cake in the refrigerator in a cake saver. Or freeze leftover cake in airtight container for up to 3 months.
- 13×9- bake cake in greased and floured 13×9 dish for 35-38 minutes. Frost as directed.
- Try my coconut cupcakes for a portable treat!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 527kcal, Carbohydrates: 82g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 231mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 62g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!
I’ve made this cake twice now and it is really nice! It’s fluffy and soft and not overly sweet! I find the texture better when left at room temperature, but I was wondering how many days is it good for if stored at room temp? Your recipes are my favorite in the world and I love to try them out!
I just made this cake it is the best coconut cake I ever made thank you for sharing
my 94 year old Mother said this was the best coconut cake that she ever had. she gets one Every year for her birthday
Made the cake and it failed!! So disappointed! Went Buy recipe exactly! Cake had a sugary crust, failed in the center, not sure what happened , Took a lot longer to cook as well??
I found that the egg whites need to be whipped to stiff peaks and then folded into the rest of the batter. Otherwise you get a sucken dense cake.
Thank you!
This is the best coconut cake recipe. I made this and it was awesome. Sending lots of love from Tanzania, East Africa.
After reading several reviews that said the cake came out dry and others that said it had sunk/fallen and didn’t get done I adjusted some things and it turned out fantastic! A real hit with family and friends. I tested my baking powder to make sure it was still good… too old baking powder can make a cake not hold its rise. I added 1.5-2 tablespoons of sour full of fat sour cream which helps with moisture. I put the coconut that goes inside the cake into my small food processor and chopped it up pretty fine. Not a fan of long pieces of shredded coconut. I did have to bake it an extra few minutes as well. I had frozen some chocolate cream cheese icing I had made several weeks ago and used that in the layers in-between… I love chocolate!. I thought the icing tasted too bland with no flavorings so I added a 1/2 tsp of lemon extract and it kicked that icing flavor way over the top! When I make this again I will only sprinkle a little coconut on the top. I thought the all over treatment was just too much texture….
Excited to make this for Easter…can Thai coconut cream (like used in curry) be used instead of cream of coconut? Coco Lopez contains sugar and thickeners, coconut cream (not milk) does not.
Update: Made cake with Thai coconut cream – fabulous! Cake light and airy, and held up to cream cheese frosting like Aimee mentions. This recipe is a keeper!
Did you substitute the buttermilk for the coconut cream? How did you use it?
Use one or the other. Not both
Hello Lisa, did you beat the egg white till stiff peak ? Many said they ended with a dense and sunken cake. Could you share how you got the soft and airy cake. Thanks in advance !
I made this cake and it was incredible!!! It was so good, I’m going to use this as a base for vanilla cupcakes (minus the coconut) and lemon cupcakes!! Thanks for sharing!
Followed instructions exactly, cake was very dry but the frosting was delicious..
I wonder why? I’m curious about this cake because my dearest friend absolutely loves white cake..but not coconut!. I’ve made a couple of so called “moist” white cakes and I have the same result..,dry.
Anyway, I saw this recipe, again..it says moist!..and I thought I’d give it a try..sans coconut! Let me ask you this: did you use cake flour?, and did you measure accurately?
These are the only two things that come to mind.i
If I left out the shredded coconut in the cake batter, could I use this as a base for a regular white almond cake?
Absolutely!
I want to do the same; would the elimination of the coconut cause the cake to be dry?
What does cause dry cake!?; I only have the dry cake problem with white cake! Hoping you can help me here!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Very moist and flavorful
I followed this recipe to a T and my cake totally failed it’s sunk it took way more than 26 minutes to cook very disappointed
I also thought I followed the recipe, and my cake sunk too. Aimee, could you give us a reason this cake would fall? What are we doing wrong? Should there have been adjustments for high altitude, none were given in the recipe. The pictures looked sooo yummy, I also was very disappointed and want to know why it would do this.
When baking, there should always be adjustments for high altitude. Unfortunately I have no way to test for that, as I live at sea level. Most people who live at high altitude will usually google adjustments.
Any books how to alter recipes if wanted?
I really enjoyed this. Used half & half with the lemon juice to make extra rich buttermilk. I have never used sweetened coconut before but I must admit is was better. Don’t know why I never used cake flour before but that is a game changer as well.
For the folks whose cake was too dry…recommend they get an accurate thermometer to check their oven temp.
Cake turned out amazing Cake flour a game changer Ckusevti commissary cake in Memphis.?
Tasted like commissary cake
it says the frosted cake can be stored at room temperature. Is this correct? No refrigeration necessary?
I had been craving a coconut cake for several months and this cake did not disappoint. Clear, easy to follow instructions, straightforward ingredients all added up to a sumptuous dessert enjoyed by a crowd of 4 year olds to 76. Would definitely make this again. Thank you.
The cake was dry and I am not sure why. I am used to a very moist and dense coconut cake. I have a few questions before I try again. Do you cream the butter and sugar together before adding the vanilla and almond flavoring? The recipe indicated I add them all together and it made it tough to get the butter and sugar light and fluffy. Also, is the 1 Tablespoon of baking powder the correct measurement? Also, how can the cake not be refrigerated with cream cheese in the frosting? DId you sift the cake flour? I did like the flavor of the cake and the icing. but would like a more moist cake.
I was disappointed with this cake. It was very dry. I used cream of coconut in place of the buttermilk.
Not sure I will make it again.
Me too, my cake was much drier than I expected. I followed this recipe to a tee so I’m baffled as to why.
The frosting turned out beautifully and my family was raving about it. I wish we could figure out why the cakes are turning out so dry because other than that, the cake turned out beautifully and the taste was spot-on!
I’m making this now and am concerned because the batter is too dry. I substituted coconut cream and am wondering if this is the reason. There wasn’t enough liquid in the can of coconut cream so I used the thick content. I think it has affected the consistency of the batter. Anyone have experience with this?
I made your perfect chocolate cake last night and it was a big hit with my family and myself! It totally satisfied my sweet tooth and chocolate craving. I recently discovered your website and have made several of your recipes, desserts and entrees. We have enjoyed them so much. Thank you for sharing your culinary skills and scrumptious recipes!
I’m so happy to hear this, thank you for popping back over to let me know! Happy baking!
I want to make a 6 inch cake. How much baking time would you recommend? And the same temp?