This perfect coconut cake sets the bar for homemade cakes everywhere. It’s supremely moist with a soft fluffy crumb and intense coconut flavor. To ensure success, follow this recipe carefully including using cake flour, egg whites, sour cream, and canned coconut milk.
At the request of many readers, let me introduce you to the best coconut cake I’ve ever had. Homemade with love for coconut lovers everywhere, this cake exceeds my expectations. Complete with silky coconut cream cheese buttercream, she’s absolutely perfect and juxtaposes bold flavor with a light crumb.
I endlessly tested this cake recipe. In fact, I’m pretty sure my head turned into an actual coconut during the process. Is there shredded coconut caked into the crevices of my kitchen floor and backsplash? Yes.
5 Reasons to Love This Coconut Cake Recipe
- Not Dry: This coconut cake is mega moist. There’s no point wasting your time (or calories!) on dry cakes.
- Intensely Flavorful: Using coconut milk, shredded coconut, and coconut extract, you are guaranteed an intensely flavorful coconut cake.
- Soft & Fluffy: By following the recipe carefully, as well as using the power ingredients described below, you are guaranteed a soft-as-silk coconut cake crumb.
- Any Shape: Use this cake batter for coconut Bundt cake, coconut cupcakes, a 2-layer cake, 3-layer cake, or a coconut sheet cake.
- Gets Along With Everyone: Use the frosting recipe below or try strawberry frosting, lemon frosting, brown butter cream cheese frosting, champagne frosting, or chocolate buttercream. Add raspberry cake filling between the layers or drizzle salted caramel on top! With so many ways to customize, this coconut cake is always a crowd-favorite when looking for Easter dessert ideas.
Coconut Cake Video Tutorial
This recipe sets the bar for homemade cakes everywhere. It’s simply exquisite and is sure to be one of your favorite spring dessert recipes and Easter brunch recipes. Talk about a show stopper!
How to Make Coconut Cake
I adapted this recipe from my favorite white cake. Its pristine crumb, fluffy texture, and stick-to-your-fork moisture guarantee cake success. In fact, I have the recipe memorized and even used it as the base of pistachio cake, cookies & cream cake, espresso cake, burnt sugar caramel cake, and strawberry cake. The recipe is cake gold and I knew it would be the perfect starting point for a fluffy and moist coconut cake.
Your coconut cake journey begins with two mixing bowls. Dry ingredients in one and wet ingredients in another (see full recipe instructions below). Combine the two in your mixer, along with coconut milk and sweetened shredded/flaked coconut. That’s it! Your coconut cake batter is ready to bake.
Creamed butter and sugar provide a solid base for this cake recipe. Use room temperature butter, and remember that room temperature is cooler than you think.
Another tip: Use all room temperature ingredients, including the eggs and sour cream. Why? Ingredients bond together very easily when they’re warmer, which creates an evenly textured baked good. Cold ingredients do not emulsify together. Period.
Use These 6 Power Ingredients
Cake is literally nothing without its ingredients and these power players are the difference between dense dry cake and light moist cake.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour produces the softest cake. If you don’t usually buy cake flour, make the exception here. It’s sold in the baking aisle with the other flours. You can use leftovers in any of these cake flour recipes. If you can’t find it, try making this cake flour substitute.
- Egg Whites: Egg yolks are wonderful for moisture, but they’re heavy and weigh down cakes. We use whole eggs in my coconut Easter cake which is much more dense, like a pound cake. To keep this coconut cake light and fluffy, use only egg whites. We’ll add the moisture back in with sour cream.
- Sour Cream: The moist maker! This cake melts in your mouth.
- Coconut Extract: I tested this recipe with and without coconut extract. We loved it both ways, but coconut extract is necessary for best coconut flavor. It’s in the baking aisle near the vanilla extract.
- Canned Coconut Milk: Canned coconut milk is a cooking ingredient, not a beverage. It’s creamier and thicker than regular milk and usually found near the Thai food products. Do not use the refrigerated coconut milk beverage that comes in a carton, because the two are very different.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut: I recommend using sweetened shredded coconut, also called sweetened flaked coconut. It’s moister than unsweetened coconut and that makes a big difference in the cake’s texture. I reduced the added sugar in the cake batter to make up for the sweetness. Sweetened coconut is sometimes sold as long skinny shreds, a size some find off-putting in cake. Therefore, I recommend pulsing them in a food processor so they’re smaller.
Coconut Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
What do you love about vanilla buttercream? It’s buttery, sweet, and smooth.
And what about cream cheese frosting? It’s creamy, silky, and tangy.
Let’s combine the two, then add coconut milk and coconut extract. It’s even creamier and silkier than the coconut frosting on these coconut chocolate Easter cupcakes so that glides onto the cake seamlessly. (Which is a happy bonus because decorating a layer cake can be quite the task. See more below.)
If you prefer a non-cream cheese option, use my vanilla buttercream instead—use canned coconut milk instead of milk and add 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract.
How to Frost a Layer Cake
Alright, let’s do this.
- Cool cakes completely. Sounds obvious, but even the tiniest bit of warmth will melt the frosting. As a result, the layer cake will slip, slide, or even cave in!
- If your cakes have a dome on top, level them off with a cake leveler or serrated knife. Flat-topped cakes ensure a straight and sturdy layer cake.
- Choose a serving plate, cake turntable, or cake stand. The exact cake stand I use in these pictures is no longer available, but here is a similar option.
- Place the bottom layer on the cake stand. Using an icing spatula, spread 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting in an even layer on top. Bring the frosting just over the edge of the cake; this will be helpful when it’s time to frost the sides.
- Place the second layer top-side-down on top. Make sure it aligns with the bottom cake layer.
- Spread 1 and 1/2 cups frosting evenly on top, just as you did with the bottom layer.
- Place third layer top-side-up on top. Again, make sure it’s perfectly aligned.
- Divide the remaining frosting in half. (Just eyeball it.) Dollop half of the frosting on top of the cake and use an icing spatula to smooth it to the edges. Apply *some* of the remaining frosting all around the sides of the cake, then use a bench scraper to smooth it in a thin layer. Apply the rest of the frosting on the sides of the cake, then bench scrape to smooth it all out.
- Wipe any excess frosting off of the cake stand.
You can watch me decorate this coconut cake in the video tutorial above or you can use this detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post as your guide. Don’t stress; if you take your time and make sure the cake layers are totally straight, you’re all set.
But I Don’t Want to
Skip the drama and make a coconut sheet cake instead! Sheet cakes are easier to frost because they’re only one layer. See my recipe note about different size coconut cakes.
What About the Buttercream Roses?
Let’s give my assistant, Stephanie, a round of applause. This was her first time making “3D” buttercream roses and look how beautifully they turned out! She made the buttercream roses at my house and I froze them until it was time to decorate the coconut cake. She followed this video tutorial. Keep in mind that the cream cheese buttercream WILL NOT work for the intricate buttercream roses. Instead, use my vanilla buttercream and add 1 extra cup of confectioners’ sugar. You need very stiff buttercream for these roses. You also need small squares of parchment paper and:
Loosely cover the roses, then freeze or refrigerate them until ready to decorate, up to 1 week. No need to thaw prior to decorating the cake. Peel off parchment square and place the buttercream rose on the cake. If you’re traveling with the cake, I recommend securing the roses with a tiny dollop of cream cheese buttercream underneath.
Looking for something easier? Use Wilton 1M piping tip for these easy two-toned frosting buttercream roses.
More Classic Cake Recipes
Flavor is the name, moist is the game. These are some of my favorite classic cake recipes!
- Pound Cake
- Vanilla Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Red Velvet Cake
- Strawberry Cake (made from real strawberries)
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Chocolate Cake
Coconut Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This perfect coconut cake sets the bar for homemade cakes everywhere. It’s supremely moist with a soft fluffy crumb and intense coconut flavor. For success, follow this recipe carefully including using cake flour, egg whites, sour cream, and canned coconut milk.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (285g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 2/3 cups (330g) granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 cup (226g/240ml) unsweetened canned coconut milk, at room temperature*
- 1 cup (80g) sweetened shredded coconut
Coconut Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
- 5 cups (600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) canned coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (160g) sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites until combined, then add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Beat until combined. Mixture will look curdled as a result of the varying textures and solid butter combining. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and coconut milk. Beat on low speed until combined, then add the shredded coconut. Whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no butter lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for 21–24 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool in the pans set on a cooling rack for 1 hour, then remove from the pans and place the cakes directly on the rack to continue cooling. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more coconut milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with 1 heaping cup (about 250–300g) of frosting. Top with second cake layer and evenly cover the top with another heaping cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting and a bench scraper to smooth the sides. Sprinkle coconut on top of the cake and apply it to the sides. This can get a little messy and you can watch me do it in the video tutorial. See blog post above about buttercream rose decoration.
- Refrigerate cake for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting, though it’s still a pretty fluffy cake!
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared, then covered and refrigerated overnight. When ready to decorate, let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for about 15 minutes, then give it one more mix with the mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute before frosting cake. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Cake Pans | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cake Stand or Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storing)
- Cake Flour: For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find cake flour in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. If you can’t find it, try making this cake flour substitute.
- Egg Whites: Egg whites (no yolks) are KEY to the cake’s fluffy texture. For best success, I recommend using fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites. (Using an egg separator is really handy!) Here are all my recipes using leftover egg yolks. Success tip: Eggs separate much easier when they’re cold.
- Canned Coconut Milk: Canned coconut milk is a cooking ingredient, not a beverage. It is usually unsweetened, so make sure you’re using unsweetened. It’s usually found in the grocery store near the Thai food products. Do not use refrigerated carton coconut milk beverage. You need 1 cup for the cake, not the entire can. You use 2 more Tablespoons in the frosting.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut: I recommend using sweetened shredded/flaked coconut. It’s moister than unsweetened coconut and that makes a big difference in the cake’s texture. If desired, pulse the coconut shreds in a food processor to chop them up so they aren’t as long inside and outside of the cake. Chopping the coconut is optional.
- Cream Cheese: Use brick cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. If desired, you can use this vanilla buttercream instead (no cream cheese). Use canned coconut milk instead of milk and add 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract.
- 9×13-Inch Sheet Cake: Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13-inch pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 2-Layer Cake: Prepare two 9-inch cake pans in step 1. Divide batter between pans and bake for 24–26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Bundt Cake: This cake batter will fit into a greased 10-cup or larger Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time (likely around an hour); use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19–21 minutes. Yields about 2–3 dozen. Or try my vanilla cupcakes recipe and substitute canned coconut milk for whole milk, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract for the vanilla bean, and add 3/4 cup (60g) of sweetened shredded coconut.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about the importance of room temperature ingredients.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this for Easter and it was perfect! I lived the coconut flavor, and the cake was soft and moist. The frosting was probably my favorite part. I will definitely make again!
Sally I made this Coconut Cake today for my husband’s birthday and for Easter. I’ve never made a cake from scratch before. It’s so delicious! The frosting with the combination of the cream cheese and butter cream is divine. I chickened out on trying the layer cake and made the sheet cake. Hopefully my confidence will grow!
Thank you
This cake is delicious, but you already knew this! I have been looking for the perfect coconut cake recipe for a long time, now I have it!! However, I was a bit skeptical when my cake layers were not “box cake” high. I am wondering if this is normal or if there is some small thing that I might not have done exactly right? I might add, it did not seem to affect my delicious cake one bit. The fluffy icing with coconut was “spot on”. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi Jean! These are thinner cake layers. How is the texture? If the texture is fluffy and soft then you didn’t do anything wrong! You can see from the photos that much of the cake’s height comes from the layered frosting. Thank you so much for giving this cake a try!
I made this for Easter this year and whoa, it was a total hit. Btw— I have made several of your recipes (also your amazing oatmeal blueberry muffins) and switched out the flour for a high starch gluten free flour like Better Batter or the Gluten Free on A Shoestring high quality AP flour. They all work perfectly and everyone was astonished that the cake was gluten free. They wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t said anything. This recipe is phenomenal.
Honestly one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. Followed the directions but used a tad less coconut extract, and I only had two 9 inch pans so it was two layers. Baked them about 24 minutes and they came out perfect. Perfect flavor, super moist, and the cream cheese buttercream frosting is perfect. Will be making this again.
Honestly this cake is amazing I loved it. But in my opinion 600 grams of sugar in butter cream… A bit too much i even put 500 g and it was still sweet… So i think 400g would be ideal. Otherwise loved it
Nice moist crumb, delicious flavour in the cake and icing. I’ll be making this again! Thanks for the cake flour tip – I do think it made a difference.
This cake recipe is great! Moist and soft! I am making the cake again this Easter. Can I substitute coconut milk “lite” for the coconut milk in this recipe. I didn’t realize until I got home that the coconut milk I bought was “lite”. Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi, just made the cake for Easter. It is amazing! How should I store it until then. I know buttercream is better stored tightly on counter, but with creamcheese?
Hi Lindsey, After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, we would definitely refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with- we’ve never had any problems leaving frosted desserts at room temperature for a day
I haven’t baked this recipe yet, but I just wanted to say that this is my go-to blog for baking like yes many sites use the blogstyle explain the mechanics of the recipe format this site alwaysssssss explains it best in my opinion. I’ve been using the favorite white cake recipe for like a year now and use it as a base for literally every cake so so so good!
Could you make these into cupcakes? Just wondering thank you!
Hi Jessica, Absolutely- see the recipe note for making cupcakes. Happy baking!
Had this for my birthday!! Absolutely delicious!
Thanks for your quick response! One more question please. Im making 1 – 8″ cake so I should probably only use 1/3 of the ingredients? Thank you!!!
Hi Karen! Yes, you could make one third of the batter for a single cake, though we haven’t tested it that way. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Sally,
For the coconut milk in the CAKE portion of this recipe, can I substitute coconut cream for a more intense flavor? Thank you for all you do!
Hi Karen! Coconut cream is too thick for this cake batter. We recommend the canned coconut milk, which is part coconut cream.
My daughter requested a coconut cake for her birthday and i loved all the coconut elements in your version. The only issue was not providing the batter grams for each 9” pan. After weighing all the batter and dividing by 3 (for 9” pans) it seemed to be not enough to bake a substantial layer. Better for three 8” pans but i opted to bake a two layer 9” resulting in perfect layers.
I am excited to try this recipe but I don’t have a mixer. Will I be able to hand mix this recipe and still get the same results ?
Hi Dea, you can hand mix this recipe, it will just take a bit of arm muscle (especially when creaming the butter and sugar!). As best you can, try to avoid overmixing so that your cake doesn’t come out too dense. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Sally!
I was wondering if I could substitute the buttercream frosting for whipped cream frosting. More specifically, the whipped frosting from your Fresh Berry Cream Cake recipe. The people I am making it for prefer a lighter frosting, and do not want a super thick frosting.
Hi Ayesha, we can’t see why not. The coconut may not stick to the edges as securely as with traditional buttercream, but perhaps you could add some between the layers instead. Our Swiss Meringue Buttercream would also be a lighter option. Hope it’s a hit!
Overall, we thought this was great. The cake texture was sensational – light, fluffy. Also overall was pretty easy. And was delicious – there are few things better than a good coconut cake in my opinion.
Minus one point because we felt the coconut extract left it with a slightly artificial flavor – a little bit like sunscreen. I think next time I make it (and there will definitely be a next time) I will reduce the amount of coconut extract in the cake and frosting by 1/2 and substitute with vanilla. Additionally may experiment with lemon curd between the layers.
Hi Sally,
I want to make this for Easter but have two questions :
1. I would like to try using duck eggs, and they are usually larger, should I use 4?
2. Regarding the coconut milk – some recipes call for “cream of coconut” like you would find in the mixed drink section. What are your thoughts on the difference?
Thank you!
Hi Theresa, We have never tested our cakes with duck eggs so I’m honestly unsure of the results or the conversion of how many to use. Let us know if you try it.
For this cake we are using canned coconut milk which is a cooking ingredient, not a beverage. It’s creamier and thicker than regular milk. See the above section of the post on “power ingredients” for details. Happy baking!
I want to make this into 2 6inch pans instead of 3 9 inch pans? Do you know how to convert this accurately?
Hi Allie, you can use our handy Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions guide to help scale this recipe down, or you can use our vanilla cupcakes recipe and substitute canned coconut milk for whole milk, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract for the vanilla bean, and add 3/4 cup (60g) of sweetened shredded coconut. It’s the perfect amount for 3, 6 inch rounds, so you can make two layers and a few cupcakes with the leftover batter. Hope this helps!
Could I add blueberries and pineapple to the cake batter or would adding them change the texture?
Hi Allie! I’m sure you could add both in addition to the coconut. I would slightly reduce the coconut, then add 3/4 cup each blueberries and pineapple. The bake time may need to be extended. You could also try our pineapple coconut cake and add blueberries to that as well.
Hi Sally, can this recipe work for three 6”x3” cake pans? Aiming a higher cake for a change. Thanks in advance!
Hi Laetetia, This recipe as written is too much batter for 3, 6 inch layers. You can use our handy Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions guide to scale this recipe down, or try our vanilla cupcakes recipe and substitute canned coconut milk for whole milk, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract for the vanilla bean, and add 3/4 cup (60g) of sweetened shredded coconut. That cupcake recipe will yield the perfect amount for 3, 6 inch cake layers. Enjoy!
I made this coconut cake substituting the cake flour with unbleached flour & cornstarch. I’m a baker but this was the best cake I have ever made! Absolutely delicious!!
Thank you for this recipe! Would you recommend reducing the amount of frosting for a 2 layer cake vs a 3 layer cake?
Hi Chrissie, it really depends on how much frosting you plan to use. We’d recommend making it as-is just to ensure you have enough, as halving the recipe likely wouldn’t be enough. Let us know what you try!
This is the best cake I have ever made and it is requested for all occasions at my house. Follow instructions exactly and it turns out perfect every time!
Hi Sally, can I use plain yogurt instead of sour cream in the cake? I wanted to make this tomorrow however I would like to ask unless I cannot substitute.
Thank you!
Hi Faadilah, Plain yogurt works in place of sour cream.
Thank you so much Trina.
Have a great day!
Hello! Hoping to make this cake this weekend. Do you think that instead of vanilla extract in the cake, I could use almond extract? Don’t want to screw up the recipe – so wondering if others have tried it themselves. Thank you!
Hi Monica! We don’t recommend replacing all the vanilla extract. Do you plan on using coconut extract? If not, you could almond extract instead of coconut extract (1 tsp). Or if you do plan to use coconut extract, you could substitute half the vanilla extract (1 tsp of each). Let us know if you give it a try!
This is not a cake for the faint of heart. It’s straightforward enough to make, but all the butter-fat, cream cheese, coconut, and sugar is going to stress the coronary arteries of anyone whose cholesterol is above 50.
I have to add that it’s a great recipe and well worth the bump-up in statin dose, though!
Absolutely delicious cake as always with your recipes! I love coconut and this was an amazing flavor and it was the fluffiest, most moist cake I have ever made. It is also the perfect sweetness level. Thank you so much!
Omg, this cake is amazing. It’s so moist and flavorful. One of the best cakes I’ve ever made. Thanks for another winner, Sally!! Whenever I want to bake something I always check to see if you have a recipe for it first 🙂