Moist Coconut Sheet Cake
Print Pin VideoThis 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 treat for any occasion, from casual gatherings to festive celebrations.
IMPORTANT: 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
Note 1. Coconut essence or extract can be difficult to find in some places. If you can't access it, then using 1/2 tsp of almond extract/essence as a substitute for 1 tsp of coconut essence/extract works well. You will have slightly less of a coconut flavour but the difference isn't drastic :)
Note 2. To ensure that your frosting isn't too soft, you want to use a firm cream cheese, not the spreadable type. You also want to use cold cream cheese as this will help your frosting stay firmer for longer, particularly if you want to use it for piping. If you stay in a hot climate and your frosting is softening up after some time, simply place it into the fridge for 30 minutes and then rewhip it. This will bring it back to a pipeable consistency.
Note 3. If using a convection oven that has a fan function, bake at 160 °C (320°F) as the fan function bakes food faster.
Note 4. If using a stand mixer, then use the paddle attachment for the initial mixing, but continue to do the last step by hand as stated in the recipe.
Note 5. If using a stand mixer for the frosting, use the whisk attachment. I would also recommend whipping the cold cream cheese beforehand if using a stand mixer to ensure it is smooth and then setting it aside to use later on in the recipe. This will prevent you from having a lumpy frosting.
Note 6. Only mix the frosting until it's smooth. Once it's smooth stop mixing as over-mixing can result in a less stable frosting. This is because of the liquid in the cream cheese breaking down the powdered sugar.
Note 7. I recently tried the recipe with a little more canola oil and found that this kept the cake moister for longer and also made it slightly less crumbly. I would recommend using the extra oil :)
Nutrition
Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 345IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg
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.
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