Coconut hasn’t always been one of my favorite cake flavors. Too many are dry or overly sweet or not coconutty enough. I was often left unimpressed and underwhelmed. But this easy coconut cake recipe changed all that for me. It takes the proverbial cake, if you will. That fresh, tropical, sweet coconut flavor is the undisputed star of this show and it’s front and center without being artificial or sunscreen-y in any way. It comes from adding coconut to every part of the cake in a few different forms, including using canned coconut milk in place of regular dairy milk or buttermilk that you might see in other recipes. This recipe has been well-tested many times over to make sure it turns out perfect for you from the very start. It’s perfect for any kind of celebration, from a birthday party to a bridal shower to Easter dinner. Enjoy it just as it is written, or try filling it with my Raspberry Cake Filling, Easy Homemade Lemon Curd, or Homemade Cherry Pie Filling to create another entirely delightful dessert! If you love coconut sweet treats, be sure to check out my Coconut Cupcakes, Pineapple Coconut Muffins, Coconut Bread, or this Coconut Cream Pie as well!
Why We Love This Recipe
The sweet flavor of coconut is undeniably the star of the show. Making celebration cakes from scratch gives you the best flavors, hands down! You can use the cake recipe as a base and change the frosting or add fillings for a totally different flavor profile.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Butter – Use salted butter for cake layers and the frosting to add essential fats and enhance the flavor throughout. Oil – Helps keep the cake super moist. I will often combine oil & butter in recipes when I want the best of both worlds in terms of flavor and moistness. Sugar – White granulated sugar will make the cake layers perfectly sweet. Eggs – A combination of whole eggs and egg whites gives a fluffy texture, richness, and lovely light color to the cake. Vanilla Extract – While it’s not the prevailing flavor here, adding some vanilla extract balances out the other flavors. If you haven’t tried making Homemade Vanilla Extract, it’s fantastic for the cake layers and the frosting. Coconut Extract – To enhance the coconut flavors in the cake layers and the frosting. I kept the amount as small as possible to not overwhelm the natural coconut flavor. Flour – I’ve found that cake flour works best in this recipe, although you can certainly make it with all-purpose flour if you are in a pinch. It won’t be quite as delicate and light, but it’s almost just as good. Baking Powder – A perfect rising agent for this cake crumb to be perfectly fluffy and light. Salt – To enhance all the flavors of this cake. Add a bit more to the cake layers and the frosting if you’re using unsalted butter. Coconut Milk – To make the cake batter and frosting the right consistency. You can use regular milk or heavy cream instead, but you will miss out on some of the additional coconut flavor. Shredded Sweetened Coconut – The star of the show is this shredded sweetened coconut, giving the chewy texture on the outside with a wonderful tropical flavor! Cream Cheese – For the base of the coconut cream cheese frosting. The tanginess of this ingredient pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the other cake elements. Powdered Sugar – To make the frosting sweet and add some substance to it.
How to Make Coconut Cake From Scratch
Tips for Success
Use good-quality ingredients for the best results with celebration cakes. After all, it is a celebration! Leave all your ingredients at room temperature for about an hour before mixing them to encourage even mixing. Overmixing the batter can result in a tough, dense cake. Mix just until the ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth.
Substitutions and Variations
Use my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, Fresh Strawberry Frosting, Guava Frosting, or Homemade Chocolate Frosting for a different but delicious flavor combination. You can use regular milk instead of coconut milk. Almond extract can be used instead of vanilla extract, but I would use half the amount so as not to let it overpower the coconut flavor.
More Easy Celebration Cake Recipes
German Chocolate Cake Aunt Becky’s Black Forest Cake Devil’s Food Cake with Chocolate Frosting Homemade Funfetti Cake Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Your egg separation need not be in vain, though. Your left-over egg yolks can be used in a variety of other recipes that can be added to your party menu too! 4 egg yolks are enough to make: 2 batched of my Homemade Aioli, some Hollindaise Sauce, and almost any of my ice cream recipes!
Luscious Lemon Layer Cake
Best Homemade Strawberry Cake
Marble Cake
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
