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
What a beautiful & lovely tasting cake! It has a very tender crumb & such a nice white color! I used Sally’s coconut cream pie filling with toasted coconut between the layers but did lightly frost the layers & created a dam of frosting before adding the coconut cream pie filling. I used Sally’s Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe exchanging 1 Tsp of Vanilla extract with coconut extract for the frosting. Hubby loves coconut & this is his new favorite dessert! Thank you so much Sally for all your wonderful recipes!
I loved this recipe! I am not a big baker but love coconut cake. My son’s fiancée wants me to make a mini wedding cake for them with the recipe.
one question has anyone tried using egg whites from the carton in this recipe? Did the texture of cake change??
I made this for the first time to take to a a party and I got soooo many rave reviews! I did some small modifications… instead of coconut extract in the frosting, I put shredded coconut in between the layers with sliced strawberries. My husband keeps asking me to make this cake again and again!
Hi Abbie, we’re so glad it’s a hit! You can actually use this coconut cupcakes batter for three 6 inch cake pans. (Skip the caramel filling and chocolate frosting.) Follow the baking instructions for 6 Inch Cakes and you can halve this frosting recipe instead. Happy baking!
Made this cake to celebrate the birthdays of some friends and oh…my…goodness! It was the best cake I’ve ever tasted! One thing I added that put it over the top for me was a layer of chocolate ganache on the bottom layer before adding the frosting between the layers. YUM!!! It’s become the most requested cake in my friend group~ highly recommend!!!
The cake was the best!! It was delicious!! Very moist!!
This cake was a big hit at a recent party! Easy to make too!
This cake is amazing! I only used 250g of icing (confectioners) sugar in the buttercream as that’s more than sweet enough for me and added more salt to balance it out). I also added some cornflour (cornstarch) – about 25-30g to help thicken it due to lack of icing sugar.
Next time (there will be a next time for sure!) I’ll bake the sponges for a bit less. I baked for 21 mins. Will try it at 18-19 mins next time. I also chilled the buttercream after whipping before adding it the cake.
Everyone raved about this cake. A real crowd pleaser!
Hi Sally,
Can I make this in a bundt pan, the extra batter for cupcakes? Love your recipes.
thanks
Bobbie
Yes! See recipe Note about a Bundt cake.
hi sally,
love your recipes and detailed instructions and notes. thank you!
can I make this into a two layer cake using two 8 inch round pans?
Hi Eileen, there is too much batter for only 2, 8-inch rounds, but you can make a third round or use the leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side.
I love your recipes! I’m going to make this as cupcakes substituting with vanilla cupcakes and buttercream frosting. Do I add any vanilla extract or just the recommended amount of coconut extract? Thank you!
Hi Kelley, if making cupcakes and following the directions in the recipe notes, you will still want to add the vanilla extract in the vanilla cupcakes recipe along with the 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract from the notes. Hope this helps!
I love this recipe – gets requested for me to make all the time!! But just saw your lemon buttercream and am thinking of using that between the layers as lemon coconut are 2 of my favs (I’ve made your lemon coconut cake too -which is divine but don’t want to do curd),,wondered if anyone had done it?
Hi Kelly, you can absolutely use lemon buttercream here!
I was going to try the cake with some chopped pecans added to the batter but since this was my first try—-I decided to make the cake as is. It was divine and everyone adored it!!!
Made the cake layers for my grandmother’s 95th birthday party. Made a coconut pastry cream for the filling and used a buttermilk buttercream frosting (not cream cheese because there was going to be a carrot cake with CC frosting too). These layers are so soft and tender. They are thin, but with three and a filing they are just perfect! I would highly recommend these cake layers!
A friend requested a coconut cake which I’ve never made before. I knew Sally would have a killer recipe and wow!! This cake was better than I imagined. Super moist and not overly coconut flavored. I used vanilla buttercream icing but am thinking chocolate might be good too. Can’t wait to make this again!
I see Sally measured the egg whites. How many ounces in the egg whites?
Hi Diane, Egg weights can vary but usually large eggs in the shell are about 57g, and 50g out of the shell. A yolk weighs about 18g and a white 30g.
I am really excited to try this recipe. I have a quick question: would it be weird to add crushed pecans or walnuts to the the batter? I love the crunch in a carrot cake, so was wondering if adding nuts to this recipe would work?
Hi Sari, We haven’t tested it, but don’t see why you couldn’t fold in 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans before baking. Let us know if you give it a try!
Does lite coconut milk work?
Hi Kathy, for best taste and texture, we recommend using full fat canned coconut milk, although lite will work in a pinch.
Absolutely the beat coconut cake EVER! My friend’s husband requests it every year! If you are a coconut lover you will absolutely LOVE IT!
It turned out very perfect!
Do you think I can substitute dairy free ingredients?
Hi Emily, we haven’t tested a dairy-free version of this cake, so we’re unsure of the exact results. Let us know if you do give it a try.
This recipe is so insanely good! Everything about it came out perfect and it was a huge hit! I think it was probably among the top cakes I’ve ever made.
Can i use this this recipe for bars?
Hi Debra, you can bake the batter as a sheet cake to cut into squares, and the best size would be a 9×13-inch pan. See recipe Note.
I made this recipe using two 8″ cake pans instead and it took about 45 min in the oven. I also used gluten free 1:1 flour and it worked great. I reduced the powdered sugar in the frosting to 350g and it was plenty sweet for us. Overall, the cake was moist and had a good crumb, but it wasn’t a wow flavor/strong enough coconut for us; it’s kind of just a good sweet-tasting cake.
Hi!
I want to try and do this recipe for my daughter’s 2nd birthday party. Do you think I can add oven dafe sprinkles to the mixture to give it a funfetti look? Thanks!
Hi Leanne, You sure can!
Do you just stir the 2 cups of coconut into the frosting at the end? I don’t see any instruction for when to add it.
Hi Janice, you’ll add the coconut after you assemble and decorate in step 6. Sprinkle coconut on top of the cake and apply it to the sides.
I’m making this cake right now. In fact, it’s in the oven as we speak. I loved reading this recipe and couldn’t wait to make it. I’ll update later.
Update: This cake is amazing! It turned out so moist, fluffy and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe. My family will all taste it later and I know they’ll love it.
Followed the recipe exactly and unfortunately the toothpick method doesn’t work with this cake – it can come out clean but still be soggy inside once taken out of the pan. And yes – have 2 gauges to show the temp of my oven. Waste of my ingredients and time ugh.
HI Deb, If the toothpick method isn’t working for you, you can use an instant read thermometer to test the inside of your cakes. A fully baked cake will usually be between 200°F to 210°F (93°C to 99°C) in the center.
I made this cake for my mother-in-law’s birthday at her request for a coconut cake. It was FABULOUS. Perfect recipe. And beautiful too. Wish I could post photos here! It was my first attempt at a layered cake. Thrilled with how it came out, and birthday girl was happy 🙂
Any tips on high altitude? I’m a coconut lover who lives in Denver. Would I change anything with this recipe?
Hi Sheila, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html