Coconut Cake Recipe

Creamy, light, and beautiful, this Coconut Cake Recipe is one you’ve got to try. The vanilla white cake is lightly covered in a whipped buttercream frosting and coated with sweetened coconut. Make this cake as a layered round cake or a 9×13 sheet cake for your next spring or summer celebration!

Coconut Cake Recipe

It’s not too sweet, a little indulgent, and has the perfect coconut flavor making this cake a huge hit! The cake layers are tender and tasty, but firm enough that they’re easy to work with and frost. I’ve included a way to make it in a 9×13 baking pan if you’d rather have a coconut sheet cake instead.

The coconut is the star of this cake, so the amount of creamy frosting is lighter than other traditional round cakes. Make this cake for Easter, a Spring gathering, or it’d be perfect for a baby or bridal shower!

You’ll Also Love: Coconut Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

The cake and the frosting use some of the same ingredients, making it a cinch to shop for! Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make coconut cake:

Cake Ingredients

• Flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Baking Powder
• Butter
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk – Whole or 2%
• Egg Whites – Freshly separated large eggs, not from a carton. We only use the whites to keep the bright white color and light crumb texture of the cake.

Frosting Ingredients

• Milk – Whole or 2%
• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Coconut – Shredded and sweetened

How to Make the Coconut Cake Recipe

I love how perfect this cake looks when it’s finished. The coconut helps hide any imperfections and makes it a pretty centerpiece dessert! Here’s how to make Coconut Cake:

Bake the Cake Layers

1. Grease and line 3 9-inch cake pans with butter and parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
3. Add the melted butter and 2/3 of the milk, and beat with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes until all of the flour is moistened.
4. Add the remaining milk and egg whites, and beat again until smooth and well combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly into the 3 baking pans and bake for 18-20 minutes in a 350-degree F oven. Let cool.

Make the Frosting

1. In a saucepan, whisk together the milk and flour, and cook over medium heat until thickened. Let cool.
2. Using a hand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
3. Add the cooled milk mixture and vanilla and beat again until whipped and light.

Putting the Coconut Cake Recipe Together

1. Frost the top of the bottom layer, add another layer, frost the top of that layer, and add the last layer.
2. Frost the top and around the cake.
3. Cover the top with sweetened, shredded coconut, and use your fingertips to gently press it in so it sticks well.
4. Use your fingers to press the coconut into the sides of the cake all the way around.
5. Clean up the extra coconut that has fallen and either add it to the top or press it into the sides.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Make it in a 9X13 Cake Pan

If you prefer a rectangular cake or just don’t want to mess with the layers of a round cake, you can easily make this cake in a 9×13 baking pan! Just follow these simple steps:

1. Make the cake batter as directed and pour it into a greased 9×13 pan.
2. Bake in a 350-degree F oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3. Allow the cake to cool completely while you make the frosting.
4. Frost the top of the cooled cake, and cover the whole top with shredded sweetened coconut.
5. Cut the cake into squares to serve. Follow the same storing recommendations given for the round cake.
6. Enjoy!

RELATED: Strawberry Tres Leches Cake

Substitutions

Time Savers – Use a white cake box mix, and store-bought vanilla buttercream to make this cake even easier! You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment instead of a hand mixer.

Flavors – Swap the vanilla extract with almond extract or coconut extract for a different flavor in the cake and frosting! Any white frosting you love will work for this recipe. If you like cream cheese frosting, this recipe is a great one!

Make it Gluten-Free – This cake should work just as well if you swap out the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 ratio of gluten-free flour. If the batter seems too thick, add 1/4 cup additional milk.

RELATED: Substitute Almond Flour for All-Purpose Flour

Storing Coconut Cake

This Coconut Cake Recipe is best stored in the refrigerator. Cover it tightly or place it inside a cake dome, and store it in the fridge for 2-5 days.

I don’t suggest freezing a frosted cake, but you can freeze the cake layers before frosting them! Wrap them tightly with plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, frost, and serve.

More Spring Desserts You’ll Love

• Lemon Chess Pie
• Strawberry Crunch Cake
• Lemon Bar Cookies
• French Strawberry Cake
• Lemon Turmeric Cake

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Coconut Cake Recipe

Julie Davis

Creamy, light, and beautiful, this Coconut Cake Recipe is one you've got to try. The vanilla white cake is lightly covered in a whipped buttercream frosting and coated with sweetened coconut. Make this cake as a layered round cake or a 9×13 sheet cake for your next spring or summer celebration!

5 from 41 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Servings

Calories 423 kcal

Equipment

• Hand Mixer
• 9-Inch Baking Pan

Ingredients

  

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Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter unsalted, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk whole or 2%
• 5 large egg whites not from a carton

Frosting

• 1 cup milk whole
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

 

• Grease and line 3 9-inch round cake tins with parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the melted butter, vanilla, and 2/3 of the milk, and using a hand mixer on low speed, beat for 2 minutes.
• Add the remaining milk and the egg whites, and beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
• Divide the batter evenly between the three layers and bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean and top will begin to brown in places.
• While the cakes bake, make the thickened milk for the frosting.
• In a saucepan, whisk the milk and flour over medium heat until it thickens to glue consistency. Let it cool
• After the cakes are finished allow them to cool in the pans for 5 minutes and then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
• While the cakes cool, finish making the frosting.
• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar for 5-6 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla, and thickened milk mixture and beat for another 4 minutes until all combined and fluffy.
• Frost the top of one layer, add the next, and frost the top of it, and then add the final layer and frost the top and around the cake. Carefully add the shredded coconut to the top and sides of the cake, completely covering the frosting.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving allowing the coconut and frosting to set up a bit.

Notes

Make it in a 9×13 Pan:

Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for 30 minutes. Leave the cake in the pan, and frost and coat the top only. Add shredded coconut and enjoy!

Tips:

Use a large cookie scoop to put the frosting on the cake and then use an offset spatula to spread it. Don’t overbake the cake! It will dry out easily.

Storing Coconut Cake:

Store this cake in the refrigerator. Cover it tightly or place it inside a cake dome, and store it in the fridge for 2-5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 423kcal

Keyword Coconut Cake Recipe

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