Perfectly Moist Coconut Cake
This perfectly moist coconut cake is light and melts in your mouth. Paired with a tangy coconut cream cheese frosting, this cake is for the ultimate coconut lover. Use this recipe to make an impressive layer cake or turn it into cupcakes or a sheet cake.
OVERVIEW
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Technique Used: Creaming Method for Cakes
Extra light and moist coconut cake is always a showstopper. The tangy coconut cream cheese frosting provides a welcome balance to the sweetness and flavor.
Coconut cake (and carrot cake) is traditionally made for springtime holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day, but I think it should be enjoyed year-round. My recipe for coconut cake yields a tender and delicious cake that’s delicious no matter when it’s served.
What makes this coconut cake perfectly moist
- Coconut milk lightens the texture of the cake, adds moisture, and gives the coconut cake even more coconut flavor.
- Adding sour cream to cake recipes is a game changer. The tangy flavor balances out the sweetness and provides extra moisture and richness.
- Cakes made with the creaming method are incredibly sturdy, tender, and very moist.
Variation Ideas
Chocolate Coconut Cake (Mounds Bar Cake): Instead of using cream cheese frosting, use chocolate ganache to fill and frost the cake.
Pineapple Coconut Cake: Use pineapple curd as the filling in between the cake layers. Frost the layered cake with coconut cream cheese frosting as instructed.
How to make perfectly moist coconut cake
This layered coconut cake recipe features two components: coconut cake and coconut cream cheese frosting. This recipe for coconut cake is a variation on my classic white cake recipe and the frosting is my basic cream cheese frosting flavored with coconut.
Make the Coconut Cake
This recipe utilizes the creaming method – the butter and sugar are “creamed” together before adding the rest of the ingredients. The purpose of this method is to create an emulsion with the butter and sugar and to slowly work in the rest of the liquid ingredients in a way that will keep the emulsion stable so that the cake will have an even final crumb.
Sift together all of the dry ingredients including the cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and whisk together, set aside.
Separately, mix together the sour cream and canned coconut milk in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Cream together on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through mixing. The mixture should be very pale yellow after mixing.
With the mixer running on medium/low speed add the vanilla extract and coconut extract. Next, slowly add in the egg whites while the mixer continues running. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically as you slowly incorporate the egg whites.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients into the bowl in three additions with the coconut milk/sour cream mixture in two additions, starting and stopping with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed in between each addition until fully incorporated.
Gently fold in the shredded sweetened coconut flakes.
Transfer the batter into cake pans lined with parchment paper and non-stick spray. Bake until the cake is firm but springs back when gently pressed on the center, or when a cake tester comes out clean.
BAKING TIP: How to Prepare Cake Pans for Baking
Transfer the baked cakes to a cooling rack and let the cakes cool completely in the pans before turning out of the pan. While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting.
Make the coconut cream cheese frosting
Place the room temperature cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt to the mixing bowl and start mixing on low until the sugar starts to combine with the cream cheese mixture. Turn the mixing speed up to medium-high and beat for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Assemble the Cake
When the cakes are completely cool, remove them from the cake pans. If necessary, trim the tops off the cooled cake layers using a serrated knife to level them. Stack and fill the cake layers with frosting in between.
Cover the outside of the cake on all sides and top with frosting. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting or use the back of a spoon to create a swirled pattern. Use additional shredded coconut to decorate the top and sides of the cake. As an optional step, toast the coconut flakes for extra depth of flavor.
Baking Tip: How to Assemble Layer Cakes
FAQ
How do you get coconut flakes to stick to the cake?
The frosting in this recipe is a version of American-style buttercream. This type of buttercream tends to crust over after being exposed to air so it’s important to apply the coconut flakes to the frosting pretty quickly. Use your fingers to sprinkle the flakes over the top of the cake. For the sides of the cake, cup your hand holding the flakes and gently press it straight into the frosting.
Make sure to decorate your cake with coconut flakes before refrigerating the cake.
Make-Ahead Perfectly Moist Coconut Cake
The components for coconut cake can be prepared in advance and assembled when ready to serve.
Coconut Cake: After baking the cake layers, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Assemble and frost the cake layers while frozen and then thaw in the refrigerator.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream cheese frosting can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Let the frosting sit out at room temperature for about 1 hour and then re-whip before frosting the cake.
Storage
As long as the cake is fully coated in frosting and not cut into, you can store a coconut layer cake uncovered in the refrigerator for up to one week. When ready to serve, remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature to soften for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
Store leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. As soon as the interior of the cake is exposed, it will start to dry out.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious cake recipes!
Perfectly Moist Coconut Cake
This perfectly moist coconut cake is light and melts in your mouth. Paired with a tangy coconut cream cheese frosting, this cake is for the ultimate coconut lover. Use this recipe to make an impressive layer cake or turn it into cupcakes or a sheet cake.
Ingredients
For the coconut cake
- 345 grams (3 cups) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 226 grams (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 400 grams (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 160 grams (about 5 large, ⅔ cup) egg whites
- 180 grams (¾ cup) sour cream
- 170 grams (¾ cup) coconut milk, canned
- 80 grams (1 cup) shredded sweetened coconut
For the coconut cream cheese frosting
- 452 grams (16 ounces) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 840 grams (7 cups) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- additional shredded sweetened coconut, for decorating if desired
Instructions
Prep:
- At least 1 ½ hours before making, take the butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature. I find cream cheese takes a very long time to come to room temperature.
- Separate the eggs. Measure out the rest of the ingredients.
- Position the oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Prepare 2 9-inch (23 cm) or 3 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with non-stick spray and parchment paper.
Make the Cake:
- Sift together the cake flour (345 grams/ 3 cups), baking powder (2 teaspoons), and baking soda (½ teaspoon). Add the salt (½ teaspoon), whisk together, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the butter (226 grams/ 2 sticks) and granulated sugar (400 grams/ 2 cups). Cream together on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through mixing. The mixture should be very pale yellow after mixing.
- With the mixer running on medium/low speed add the vanilla extract (2 teaspoons) and coconut extract (1 teaspoon). Next, slowly add in the egg whites (160 grams) while the mixer continues running. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically as you slowly incorporate the egg whites.
- Mix the sour cream (180 grams/ ¾ cup) and canned coconut milk (170 grams/ ¾ cup). Alternate adding the dry ingredients into the bowl in three additions with the coconut milk/sour cream mixture in two additions, starting and stopping with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed in between each addition until fully incorporated.
- Gently fold in the shredded sweetened coconut (80 grams/ 1 cup).
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 22-26 minutes. Pull out of the oven when the cake is firm but springs back when gently pressed in on the center, or when a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in their pan completely on a cooling rack before turning out of the pan and frosting. While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- Place the room temperature cream cheese (452 grams/ 16 ounces) and butter (113 grams/ 1 stick) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the powdered sugar (840 grams/ 7 cups), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), coconut extract (1 ½ teaspoons), and salt (½ teaspoon) to the mixing bowl and start mixing on low until the sugar starts to combine with the cream cheese mixture. Turn the mixing speed up to medium-high and beat for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Assemble the Cake:
*(view this article for more detailed instruction on assembling layered cakes)
- If needed, trim the tops off the cooled cake layers using a serrated knife to level them.
- Stack and fill the cake layers with frosting in between.
- Cover the outside of the cake on all sides and top with frosting. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting or use the back of a spoon to create a swirled pattern.
- Optional: Sprinkle additional shredded sweetened coconut over the frosting.
Notes
To Make Cupcakes:
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. Transfer the batter into 2 12-cup cupcake tins that are lined with paper liners. Bake on 350°F/175°C for 18-25 minutes. Make the amount of frosting as indicated in the recipe.
To Make a Sheet Cake:
Transfer the batter into a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with parchment paper. Bake on 350°F/175°C for 35-45 minutes. Make half the amount of frosting as indicated in the recipe.
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