So I just thought that I wasn’t a huge coconut cake fan, BUT this recipe changed my mind. So much so that I would consider this coconut cake to be one of my new favourites – it’s that good! This recipe consists of super soft and moist coconut cake layers, topped with an incredibly delicious coconut cream cheese frosting. It’s finished off with shredded coconut added to the outside of the cake which adds amazing texture to the cake – YUM!
What makes this coconut cake recipe so great?
There’s a few different elements which makes this recipe truly stand out.
Firstly, my recipe not only uses coconut flavouring (you can use coconut extract or essence), but also coconut milk. This adds extra coconut flavor to the cake and contributes to the fluffy texture. This is because coconut milk adds moisture to the cake batter and it has a high fat content, which contributes to a super tender crumb.
Secondly, this cake recipe uses the creaming method when it comes to mixing the cake batter. This is when the butter and sugar is mixed together at the beginning for a few minutes. What this does is it creates air pockets in the mixture, which expand during baking, giving your cake a light and fluffy texture.
Lastly, the dry ingredients are slowly incorporated into the batter at the end by hand mixing with a spatula. This is to prevent overmixing of the batter as this can lead to a tough and dense cake.
How to make coconut cake
Begin by preheating your oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (if your oven doesn’t have a fan option, then you will need to increase the baking temperature to 175°C/350°F) and grease two 8 inch cake pans (I use my homemade cake release). You also want to line the bottoms with baking/parchment paper. The coconut cake layers do tend to stick to the bottom of the pan, so you need to line the bottom of the cake tins with baking paper just to make sure they come out in one piece!
In a bowl, sift together your all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine), cream together for 2 minutes until lighter in colour.
Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs). Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Add in your vanilla extract/essence, coconut essence/extract and half a cup of the coconut milk, and mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
Add in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining 3/4 cup of coconut milk, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 6 on recipe card below).
Finish off by adding in the shredded coconut and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
Pour batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once baked, allow the cake layers to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting with the coconut cream cheese frosting recipe below.
How to make coconut cream cheese frosting
Cream your butter for a few minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Either use a hand mixer or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
Add in the icing sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of icing sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
Next add in your cold cream cheese, vanilla and coconut essence/extract. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing.
How to decorate a coconut cake
There are so many great ways to decorate a coconut cake! Here is how I did mine 🙂
Firstly, I like to trim off the caramelized edges of the cake layers, but this is totally optional and not necessary. I purely did this for aesthetic purposes.
Once that’s done place a generous amount of frosting on your first cake layer and spread it out with an offset spatula or knife.
Place your next cake layer on top and spread out a generous amount of frosting on the top and sides. You can use a cake scraper to smooth out the sides (see video demonstration).
Cover the top and sides with the shredded coconut by gently pushing the coconut into the frosting.
And that is it! Your coconut cake is ready to serve 🙂
Commonly Asked Questions
How do you store coconut cake?
This cake can be left out at room temperature for about half a day, but due to the cream cheese, it will need to be refrigerated after that/overnight. Place in an airtight container before putting it in the fridge to prevent the cake from drying out. For more tips on how to safely store a cake in the fridge, check out my blog post on 3 uncommon baking tips.
If you’re not using the cream cheese frosting, then the cake can be left at room temperature for a few days (be sure to wrap it in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container to keep it nice and fresh).
Can I turn this cake into a coconut sheet cake?
Yes, you can use this recipe to make a coconut sheet cake (a 9×13 inch cake pan will work best). You will just need to adjust the cooking time as needed, and will only need half the amount of frosting.
Should I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut for this recipe?
You want to use unsweetened coconut for this recipe. Sweetened coconut may make the cake too sweet!
Can I use desiccated coconut or coconut flakes?
You can use dessicated coconut or coconut flakes instead of shredded coconut, however dessicated coconut is much finer so may not provide the same texture that the latter two would.
How do you press coconut on a cake?
The easiest way I find to do this is just with my hands! Grab a palmful of shredded coconut (or whichever type of coconut you’re using), and place it on the side of the cake by gently pressing your palm into the cake. It’s also best if the frosting is a little soft so the coconut sticks easier.
Moist Coconut Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Coconut Cake
- 2¼ cups (280 g) flour - regular, all purpose
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch - also known as cornflour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temp
- 5 tbsp (66 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil. In the video I say 3 tbsp (40g), but have since tried with 5 tbsp (66g) and recommend it (see note 9 for more info).
- 1⅔ cups (332 g) white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- 1½ tsps vanilla essence/extract
- 1 tsp coconut essence/extract - can substitute with 1/2 tsp almond essence/extract (see note 1)
- 1¼ cups (275 g) canned coconut milk
- 1 cup (80 g) shredded coconut - dried & unsweetened, also called threaded coconut
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 4½ cups (570 g) icing sugar - also called powdered/confectioners sugar
- 1½ cups (335 g) cream cheese - cold, firm type (see note 2)
- 1½ tsps vanilla essence/extract
- 1 tsp coconut essence/extract - can substitute with 1/2 tsp almond essence/extract (see note 1)
- 1½ cups (120 g) shredded coconut - dried & unsweetened, for decorating (recommended for texture - see note 8). Also called threaded coconut
Instructions
Coconut Cake
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 3 if you don't have a fan function) and grease the bottom and sides of two 8 inch cake tins (mine are 3 inches deep), and also line the bottom of the tin with baking/parchment paper (see note 4).
- In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - see note 5), cream together for 2 minutes until lighter in colour.
- Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
- Add in your vanilla, coconut essence/extract and half a cup of the coconut milk, and mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
- Add in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining 3/4 cup of coconut milk, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 6).
- Finish off by adding in the shredded coconut and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Once baked, allow the cake layers to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting with the coconut cream cheese frosting recipe below.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream your butter for a few minutes until it's light and fluffy. Either use a hand mixer or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Add in the icing sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of icing sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
- Next add in your cold cream cheese, vanilla and coconut essence/extract. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing (see note 7).
- Frost cooled cake layers with the frosting (assembly instructions below). Once sliced, place any leftovers in an airtight container to ensure the cake stays moist.
Assembly
- Trim off the caramelized edges of the cake layers if you wish (this is optional and not necessary).
- Place a generous amount of frosting on your first cake layer and spread it out with an offset spatula or knife.
- Place your next cake layer on top and spread out a generous amount of frosting on the top and sides. You can use a cake scraper to smooth out the sides (see video demonstration).
- Cover the top and sides with the shredded coconut by gently pushing the coconut into the frosting.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
251 Comments
Absolutely delicious! I don’t usually leave reviews but I made sure to come back to this one because it was 10/10!
Aww yay! So glad you loved the recipe Kaitlyn and really appreciate you coming back to leave a review 😀
Cake was easy to make and tasted delicious
Awesome! So happy you loved the recipe Ladonna 😀
Thank you for the recipe, I made it with a third coconut flour, and cut down the sugar by about half, and added a bit of golden syrup. It turned out delicious and moist, and the crust is lovely too.
Awesome! So so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Jaclyn and that it turned out lovely with those substitutions 😀
Hi what can I use to substitute eggs for 6
Hi Hammy! 🙂 I unfortunately haven’t tried an egg substitute myself so I’m not too sure what would work well sorry! I do have a few eggless recipes that you can check out here 🙂 https://cakesbymk.com/recipe-category/eggless/
Hi there! I tried making the coconut cake and it was a big hit however, I did something wrong…it tasted great but the cake was very dense – total opposite of fluffy. Do you know what I did incorrectly by any chance?
I want to try to make this again! ☺️🥰
Hi Nora! 🙂 So happy to hear you loved the taste of the cake but so sorry to hear it came out quite dense! This is likely due to too much fat or flour in the batter. I would recommend using gram measurements for best results 🙂
It could also be due to overmixing at the end, so only mix until the ingredients are just combined. Lastly, it could be that the butter was a bit too soft during the creaming stage, so was unable to hold the air that was whipped into it. Aim for a room temp butter that is soft when you touch it but still holds its shape 🙂
Hope this helps for next time!
Why can’t I use coconut oil for cake instead of other oils………can I use stevia for sugar
Hi Elva! 🙂 I haven’t tried using coconut oil myself, but you could try it out if you like! It’s just that coconut oil is slightly different compared to an oil that is always liquid (regardless of temperature) so this may alter the texture of the cake. I also haven’t tried stevia myself, but again due to its chemical make up it may affect the final taste and texture of the cake 🙂
Absolutely fluffy and delicious…..just wsnt to know about coconut….can I use fresh and not dry coconut??
Yay! So so happy to hear you loved the recipe Fathima 😀 I haven’t tried using fresh coconut myself so I’m not too sure how it would affect the batter sorry! It may release too much water while baking and this may make the cake a bit dense so might be best to stick to dried coconut 🙂
I have a question about the amount of coconut in the cake. I measured everything with a scale including the coconut and I thought that the 80 grams looked like more than 1 cup but I just went with it. My cake was very dense although the flavor was fantastic. I used dried unsweetened coconut and did not see any of the reviews that had my issue but most people don’t have scales. Is 80 grams the right amount? I will try it again.
Hi Brenda! 🙂 I have just double checked and yes it should be 80g 🙂 perhaps the dried coconut you’re using is slightly different to the type I use in the recipe? If you have a cup measurement, you could use it as a reference and perhaps reduce the coconut slightly if it seems like its too much. In saying that, the dried coconut shouldn’t really make the crumb of the cake dense. I would recommend making sure the butter is at the right temperature during the creaming stage (the butter, sugar and oil should look lighter once whipped for 2 minutes), and also make sure the batter isn’t being overmixed at the end as too much mixing can make for a dense cake. Only mix until the ingredients are just combined. Hope that helps for next time Brenda 🙂
Hi, I made this cake using 7 inch tins, I think I may have over baked being 45 minutes. Have you made it in 7 inch tins. It is a lot deeper so I had to increase time, or should I just raise temperature and less time?
Hi Greg! 🙂 I haven’t tried baking this cake in 7 inch tins myself, but I imagine it would require a bit more cooking time as the cake layers will be thicker. I would keep the temperature the same and just increase the cooking time 🙂
Being a thicker cake layer, you’re more likely to get a firmer edge to the cake, so if you prefer not to have slightly overbaked edges, you could take a little bit of batter out of the cake tins and use it to make a few extra cupcakes on the side 🙂
Hope that helps!
Hi can Inuse sweetened coconut
Hi Traci! 🙂
Technically you can, just keep in mind the cake will be a bit sweeter 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can I make one sheet cake instead of two layers?
Hi Anne! Yes you should be able to make a 9×13 inch sheet cake with this recipe 🙂
Hope you enjoy it!
I am a huge fan of your recipes. Your cakes always turn out super moist and perfectly sweet enough to eat. I am going to try your coconut and pineapple cake recipe for my daughter’s birthday. Could you please guide me on whether the cream cheese frosting will be stable enough to hold some artificial tropical flowers? Or is there any way to make it more stable? Thanks in advance.
So so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes Mehreen 😀
So the cream cheese frosting isn’t as stable as regular buttercream and if making a layer cake thats 3 or more layers I would recommend using the frosting as a filling and a more stable buttercream on the outside 🙂
In saying that, it should be fine to hold some flowers on the top of the cake, but anything on the sides might be a bit too heavy as the frosting is quite soft at room temp 🙂
Hope that helps Mehreen! 🙂