This moist and fluffy coconut sheet cake is packed with just the right amount of coconut flavor. It’s rich, yet light and is topped with a creamy coconut cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of shredded coconut for extra flavor & texture – so so good! The perfect dessert for any occasion, from casual gatherings to festive celebrations.
Why You’ll Love This Coconut Sheet Cake
This coconut sheet cake is adapted from my original coconut layer cake recipe that has over 90 five star reviews! Here is what I love about this recipe:
Moist & fluffy: This coconut sheet cake is SO incredibly fluffy. It uses the creaming method (where air is whipped into the butter) for the cake batter which helps to yield a soft and fluffy crumb. With the addition of oil and coconut milk in the batter, it also makes for a wonderfully moist cake.
Heaps of coconut flavor: This 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. Oh and I forgot to mention the dried shredded coconut in the cake batter too! It adds great additional texture to the cake 🙂
Easy to make: The cake batter for this recipe (as well as the frosting) is simple to make and only requires a hand mixer. On top of that, being a sheet cake, there is no levelling of the cake layers or stacking required. Simply pop on the frosting and top with shredded coconut and you’re good to go!
How to Make Coconut Cake
Coconut Cake
Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional and lightly grease a 9×13 inch cake pan (I use my homemade cake release). Line the bottom long ways with parchment paper as well (this will make it easier to take the cake out when it’s done). If using a convection oven that has a fan function, bake at 160 °C (320°F).
In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer are both fine), cream together for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
Add in vanilla extract/essence, coconut extract/essence and 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 the flour mixture to your wet ingredients, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix (only mix until you can’t see any streaks of unmixed flour and the batter is uniform).
Finish off by adding in the shredded coconut and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
Distribute the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. Level out the top and drop the cake tin lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
Allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for 20 minutes, before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Once cooled, carefully invert onto a serving plate (see video for demonstration if unsure of the best way to do this) and frost with coconut cream cheese frosting (recipe below) and top with more shredded coconut.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
In a medium bowl, cream butter for two minutes until light and fluffy. Either use a hand or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer then please read note 5 before beginning.
Add in the powdered sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
Next add in the cold cream cheese, vanilla and coconut essence/extract. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with shredded coconut. Enjoy!
How to Store Coconut Sheet Cake
This coconut sheet cake can be left at room temperature for the day, however overnight it will need to be refrigerated due to the cream cheese in the frosting. The fat and sugar in the frosting will prevent the cream cheese from going off immediately, which is why you can keep it out at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Moist Coconut Sheet 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 temperature
- 5 tbsp (66 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil. In the video I say 3 tbsp (40g), but have recently tried with 5 tbsp (66g) and recommend it (see note 7 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
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 2¼ cups (285 g) powdered sugar - also called icing/confectioners sugar
- ¾ cup (167 g) cream cheese - cold, firm type (see note 2)
- ¾ tsp vanilla essence/extract
- ½ tsp coconut essence/extract - can substitute with 1/2 tsp almond essence/extract (see note 1)
- 1 cup (80 g) shredded coconut - dried & unsweetened, for decorating. Also called threaded coconut
Instructions
Coconut Cake
- Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional (see note 3 if using a convection oven with a fan) and lightly grease a 9x13 inch cake pan (I use my homemade cake release). Line the bottom long ways with parchment paper as well (this will make it easier to take the cake out when it's done).
- In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - see note 4), cream together for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
- Add in vanilla, coconut essence/extract and 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 your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix (only mix until you can't see any streaks of unmixed flour and the batter is uniform).
- Finish off by adding in the shredded coconut and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. Level out the top and drop the cake tin lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for 20 minutes, before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Once cooled, carefully invert onto a serving plate (see video for demonstration if unsure of the best way to do this) and frost with coconut cream cheese frosting (recipe below) and top with more shredded coconut.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl, cream butter for two minutes until light and fluffy. Either use a hand or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer then please read note 5 before beginning.
- Add in the powdered sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
- Next add in the cold cream cheese, vanilla and coconut essence/extract. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing (see note 6).
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with shredded coconut. Once sliced, place any leftovers in an airtight container to ensure the cake stays moist.
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.
38 Comments
Hi can I make cupcakes from this recipe?
Thanks
I made this cake for a pool party. I easily doubled the recipe using the tool on the site. The cake was huge and delicious. The guests ate it all!
Yay! So glad everyone loved the cake Mark 😀
Could coconut oil be used instead of canola oil?
Hi Melissa! 🙂
I haven’t tried that myself but it may work fine! If you live in a cold climate where coconut oil is solid at room temp it may change the texture of the cake slightly so just keep that in mind. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Yet another fantastic recipe. Perfectly sweet, perfectly light and the perfect level of coconut flavour.
Yay! So glad you loved it 😀
Really appreciate the wonderful feedback 🙂
Yet another OUTSTANDING recipe.
I just made this cake for my father’s birthday and despite not being a coconut fan – I tasted this cake and was amazed at how incredible it was. It is moist, light and perfectly sweet.
Aww yay! This makes me so so happy 😀
So glad you loved the recipe – hope your father had a wonderful birthday! 🙂
This cake was a super hit with my colleagues! They all agreed the cake was the best they ever had and added they were not just being nice about my effort. I hated baking because my creations usually turned up hard and dry but not anymore thanks to your recipe, I got my confidence and pleasure of baking back! As you recommended i used increased amount of oil. 😊
Yay! So so happy to hear your colleagues loved the cake Kayo 😀 sounds like you did an incredible job with it!
I’m so happy you’ve got your baking confidence back Kayo, that puts the biggest smile on my face!! 🙂
2 questions: My family has diabetics so I was wondering if the cake is still good without the frosting and how much can I reduce the sugar in the batter without ruining the texture ?
Hi Afra! 🙂 Yes you can totally skip the frosting if you prefer, and I would reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup (50g) max. Any more than the cake may be a bit dry 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
Lovely recipe! Tasted delicious and will definitely make again. Thank you!
Awesome! So glad you loved the recipe 😀
I accidentally put a whole 400 ml can coconut milk instead of 275 ( I got distracted) I only realised when the cake wasn’t set after 28 minutes. I baked it for about another 15 and it still came out perfect
Im so glad to hear the cake still turned out great Fatemah 😀
The extra coconut milk must have made for an extra moist/creamy texture!!
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback 🙂