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
Hello. Thank you for the detailed recipe. It looks delicious! I am thinking of using this to make one of the tiers for my friend’s wedding. (Her future husband loves coconut cake so I’ve been looking for a recipe to try.) Do you think this cake is sturdy enough to have a 6 inch cake staked on top? (I’m thinking of making it the middle tier of a 3-tier wedding cake.)
Hi Myla, we haven’t tested this cake as a bottom or middle tier but it should be fine as long as you properly support each tier (see Simple Homemade Wedding Cake Recipe for how to assemble). Let us know if you give it a try!
This is the perfect coconut cake! I used the vanilla buttercream recipe and the suggested sub for the coconut extract instead of vanilla extract and coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Perfect. I added shredded coconut only on the bottom half of the outside. I made this for New Year’s Day and I will make it a tradition.
Sally I love everything you suggest and I have tried several cake/cookie/soup recipes. I made the coconut cake for Christmas ( even did the sugared cranberries!) I followed the recipe exactly but the cake itself was dry! I did freeze the layers prior to frosting. Any suggestions?
Hi Geri! How did you freeze the cakes? Here’s our guide to freezing cakes that may be helpful. Could the cakes have been over-baked? Even a couple minutes too long can result in a dry cake.
I wanted to love this recipe with all my heart, but sadly I can’t.. I think, Americans love too much sugar, because cream of this cake was diabetes on a spoon.. it was too sweet, I tried to add salt, more cream cheese, even some sour cream, more coconut milk, then it was runny and I gelatinized it, but still too sweet. I couldn’t taste coconut because of so much sweetness.. cake itself was tasty, but frosting..
I’m goin to make this cake for New Year’s Eve. I love your reliable delicious well written recipes. Our family traditionally uses 7 minute frosting and grated fresh coconut for the top sides and between the layers. How do you think this frosting would be with your cake? Should I still add coconut to batter?
Thank you so much. ❤️
Hi Dona, We are sorry we are just gettin to your question. Did you try the cake? If you try it again we would still add the coconut to the cake. Hope you had a happy new year!
Wonderful recipe! Everyone raved about this coconut cake. I did use 3 8 inch pans and the layers were just right. I think they would be too skinny using 9 inch
pans.
This was my second Christmas making this cake. It is delicious and beautiful! Love this recipe!
I made this today for our Christmas celebration tonight. It was amazing and everyone loved it! Thank you for a great recipe!
The cake was delicious and very moist. The only thing I will say is that I HATE most extracts! I made a Swiss Meringue frosting instead of the cream cheese, put in the coconut extract and almost gagged with the chemical taste…. I wound up throwing it all away. Thank God I had desiccated coconut in my pantry. I ground that up in a spice grinder and added it to the new batch of Swiss buttercream and it was delicious! A natural, sweet, coconut flavor. My suggestion is to use coconut powder — I just did have the time to order it.
How long can the cake be refrigerated? I have 3 days before it will be served. Wondering if it should be frozen or will it remain fresh for those 3 days?. I have made this cake a day in advance before and there are never any leftovers to go by. By far the best coconut cake I have ever had.
Hi Roberta, if covered tightly, we find that the cake stays good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The cake batter did not fill 3 9″ pans, my layers were very very thin. Would only make a 2 layer cake with this recipe. Otherwise it was delicious!
Could I use three 8-inch pans instead, or would it be too much batter? Thanks!
Hi Linsey, yes, you can use three 8-inch pans with no changes to the recipe. The bake time will about the same for 8 inch pans, but use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Good morning. I have a birthday coming up and would like to make this marvellous coconut cake formy grandchild, but I need to know the exact recipe and pan size for a 2 or 3 layer cake for 8 servings instead of 12. Could you kindly let me know as the birthday celebration is in a few days. Thank you!
Hi Francesca! We would make the whole cake, you can freeze any leftovers you may have for another special occasion.
What a great recipe! I made this for my mother-in-law who mentioned that her mother made her coconut cakes for her birthday growing up. I made a 9×13 and followed your directions for that pan size. I followed the recipe completely. I spooned a leveled the flour and made sure anything was room temp and incorporated. The cake is so moist and fluffy. It taste incredible and held its shape incredibly well. I did cut the more cooked parts off around the corners of the pan. I made the frosting and thinned it out a bit with an additional 4tbsp of coconut milk. I also added an additional 1/4tsp of coconut extract. It’s still thick and smooth, but has a bit more of a coconut flavor. I cannot wait to surprise her tomorrow for her birthday. I highly recommend this recipe. Will be making this for holidays too. Thank you!
Have you ever made this in a half sheet pan? Hoping to make this for my Dad’s 90th birthday and I need a big cake!
Hi Nancy, This batter fits nicely into a 9×13 inch pan (see recipe notes for details). We haven’t tested it in a larger size.
Thank you for sharing that absolute G.O.A.T. of a recipe!! Made it for Thanksgiving and it was a hit!
I made this cake for Thanksgiving this year. It is so delicious. Everyone loved it. Definitely will be making it again soon…like today…two days after thanksgiving. I didn’t have cake flour so I used her recipe for homemade cake flour and it worked perfectly.
The detailed instructions and very descriptive tips were great. However the actual batter was not enough to properly fill three nine inch cake pans. So the cake size was much smaller than I expected. But more importantly, I was very disappointed with the end result because this cake was missing the moisture that was expected and highly touted in your praise filled commentary. Also, I could not taste the distinctive coconut flavor as expected!
I made this exactly as written for Thanksgiving and baked it in a light 9×13 metal pan for 38 minutes and it was so dry. I’m crushed. The frosting is delicious.
Do you have the recipe available in weight measurements?
I was very disappointed in the size of the cake! There was not enough batter to properly fill three 9” cake pans. However I followed the instructions and used all three pans, hoping I was wrong. Alas, my reservations were correct.
My layer turned out 3/4 inch high. I used heavy cream as sub for coconut milk otherwise followed recipe exactly. Should the layers be this thin?
Hi Sue! These are definitely thinner layers (as you can see in the photos above). How is the texture? If it is dense, we recommend you make sure your baking powder and soda are fresh. We find they lose strength after just 3-4 months. Here’s a helpful post about preventing dense cake as well.
Hello…..I would like to make a smaller coconut cake for Christmas. For 8 servings. The cake shown on your page seems much bigger. Could you kindly send me the recipe for a smaller cake? Thank you.
If you have 6 inch cake pans, 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!
This is my all time favorite! But how can I make cupcakes (cook time/temp)?
Hi Kathy, see recipe notes for detailed cupcake instructions. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19–21 minutes.
Hi! I want to use your chocolate cake recipe with the coconut buttercream bc my BF loves chocolate and coconut. Do you think that could work? He also loves the combo of chocolate and fruit (mango, pineapple, orange), but would a chocolate cake w fruit curd and then coconut frosting be doing too much?
Hi Kelly! Chocolate and coconut is a lovely flavor combination. We combine those flavors in these cupcakes. We also love chocolate and raspberry together – this chocolate raspberry cake is a favorite!
How do you store it?
Hi Carolyn. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. See recipe Notes for make-ahead instructions.
Hello! If I do the 9×13 option would you recommend halving the frosting recipe?
Hi Sam, you can cut the frosting in half for a 9×13 inch cake, or make the full recipe for a thicker layer of frosting. Enjoy!
My niece and I used this coconut cake recipe, followed it to the last print. The cake was so deliciously beautiful we enjoyed every crumb.
My husband is wanting a coconut cake with mango for his birthday. I was thinking of using this recipe and maybe a mango curd? What do you think? Also, not sure what type of frosting would go well with those flavors.
Hi Taylor, a mango curd between the layers would be delicious. We’d still recommend this Coconut Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting. Enjoy!
Great recipe! Can I substitute white sugar with coconut sugar?
Hi Natasha! We haven’t tested that swap so can’t speak to the results.