Let me tell you a little something about Coconut Custard Cake. Not just a coconut cake—but the one. The kind of cake that whispers tropical daydreams with every bite. Think layers of soft, tender coconut-infused cake hugging luscious homemade coconut custard, all dressed up in a cloud of cream cheese frosting and golden toasted coconut. I mean… are we dreaming, or is this dessert real life?
Alright, let’s talk about this Coconut Custard Cake. It’s a three-layer, homemade, totally-worth-it kind of cake. The kind you pull out when you want to make something extra special—but still doable in a regular kitchen on a regular day. No fancy techniques, no weird ingredients, just good stuff coming together to make something really good.
Enjoy a sweet, creamy dessert that you can easily prepare from scratch with this recipe for Coconut Custard Cake. It’s the perfect treat to serve when hosting family and friends at your place. This cake is soft and tender, with layers that are full of coconut flavor without being over the top. In between, there’s a rich, creamy custard packed with shredded coconut, and the whole thing gets wrapped up in a fluffy cream cheese frosting and covered in toasted coconut. It’s like the cozy sweater of cakes—comforting, familiar, and always appreciated.
Coconut Cake with Filling
When was the last time you had a homemade coconut treat? If it’s one of your favorite flavors, but you’re used to having traditional desserts such as chocolate cake or cheesecake, you’re going to love trying out this recipe for Coconut Custard Cake. Not only will you prepare the cake from scratch, but you’ll also make a creamy custard and sweet, flavorful frosting to spread all over it.
Why You’ll Love the Coconut Custard Cake?
- It’s a coconut lover’s dream dessert. It has such a sweet taste with hints of coconut flakes in each bite.
- You can get up to 14 slices out of a single cake, making it perfect for hosting loved ones or large families, ensuring that everyone gets a slice of it.
- It won’t take long to prepare this delicious Coconut Custard Cake from scratch! From prep time to baking time, you’ll spend a little over two hours preparing this creamy dessert.
Common Questions
What is the custard filling for the cake?
The custard filling consists of granulated sugar with egg yolks, milk, sweetened coconut, butter, and a few other ingredients. It has a creamy, sweet taste with hints of coconut that add to the flavor of this cake.
What flavor does the frosting have?
The frosting for this cake has a sweet cream cheese taste to it that is amazing and pairs well with coconut. You’re going to combine the cream cheese with butter, powdered sugar, coconut extract, vanilla extract, and a bit of shredded coconut to give it such a sweet and delectable taste.
What kind of cream cheese should I use for the frosting?
You can use any brand of cream cheese that you prefer, such as Kraft, or a generic version that you might like. However, when selecting your cream cheese, go for the full-fat option instead of the low-fat or fat-free cream cheese. The full-fat cream cheese has more flavor and provides a better overall texture for the frosting.
What kind of flavor will the homemade cake have?
The cake itself has a slight vanilla taste with hints of coconut because of the coconut extract added to it. While there is plenty of coconut flavoring in each bite, it’s not too overpowering. The cake has just the right balance of vanilla and coconut to keep you coming back for more slices.
The Cake Layers: Tender, Light, and Coconuttiest of Dreams
Let’s start with the foundation. The cake layers are soft and buttery, but not in a heavy way—they have this gorgeous crumb that’s airy and delicate thanks to a combination of butter, oil, and coconut milk. The coconut extract gives it that delicious flavor without being overbearing. Which means you get a soft, moist crumb with just the right amount of structure to stack. The coconut milk adds some body and flavor, while the combo of coconut and vanilla extract keeps things balanced. And four eggs? That’s what helps everything hold together while still staying light. It bakes up evenly, and the layers come out looking golden and smooth. If you’re worried about stacking cakes, don’t be—this one is forgiving. And if the tops are a little domed? That’s what serrated knives are for.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Let your cakes cool in the pan for ten minutes after you’ve removed them from the oven. Once you’ve given them a bit of time to cool down, you can remove them from the pans and place the cakes on a wire rack to continue cooling.
- If you don’t have a piping bag for your frosting, you can use a large Ziploc bag in a pinch. You’d need to pour the frosting into the bag, remove excess air, seal it shut, and then snip a corner off the bottom of the bag before attaching your tip and applying the frosting on top.
- Wait for your cakes to cool down before you begin adding the custard layers and icing the cake with the frosting. Once you’ve added your frosting to the cake, be sure to sprinkle the toasted coconut on top as a finishing touch.
Do I have to use toasted coconut flakes?
No, you don’t have to! Toasted coconut flakes taste amazing. However, if you prefer coconut flakes that haven’t been toasted, you can use them instead when preparing the topping for this cake.
Are there any other toppings that would taste good on this cake?
Definitely. You also have the option of topping the cake with some crushed peanuts and a few maraschino cherries.
How to Store the Cake
Place your coconut cake in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. Be sure to keep your cake in the fridge to preserve its freshness. The cake will taste best when consumed within three days of refrigeration.
Assembly and Serving
Putting this cake together is actually kind of fun. You’re piping a little border of frosting around each layer, filling it with custard, then stacking it all up. Once the layers are set, you frost the whole thing and give it that coconut coat. It doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, a little messiness adds to the homemade charm.
It’s best served cold, straight from the fridge. That way, the custard holds up nicely, and the frosting keeps its shape. And honestly, cold cake just hits different. You know?
Let’s Talk About That Custard
The custard filling is the part that sets this cake apart. It’s thick and creamy, made with egg yolks, milk, and just the right amount of sugar and cornstarch to make it hold up between the layers. Then you stir in a bunch of shredded coconut, which gives it texture and makes it feel a little more substantial than your average pudding-style filling.
One thing I love about this custard is how easy it is to make. You just stir it on the stove until it thickens, mix in a few finishing touches, and let it chill until you’re ready to use it. No stress, no long ingredient list, just a creamy middle layer that makes every bite of cake feel a little more special.
Frosting: The Cream Cheese Kind Everyone Loves
Cream cheese frosting never fails, and this one is no exception. It’s thick, smooth, and sweet without being cloying. You beat together cream cheese and butter until it’s super creamy, then mix in powdered sugar and a little more of that coconut and vanilla extract. It spreads easily, it pipes well, and it holds everything together like a champ.
And the best part? Pressing toasted coconut all around the outside. Not only does it look great, but it adds a nice bit of crunch. You don’t have to be precise—just grab a handful and gently press it in. Some will fall off. That’s fine. Snack on the extras.
Why This Cake Works
This cake checks all the boxes. It’s soft but sturdy. Sweet but not too sweet. There’s flavor, texture, and a whole lot of comfort baked into every layer. It feels like something you’d bring to a family dinner, a birthday party, Easter or any Holiday! maybe just make for yourself because, hey, you’ve had a long week.
There’s no pressure to make it picture-perfect. It doesn’t have to look like it came from a bakery to be a total hit. What matters is how it tastes—and that first bite with the soft cake, creamy custard, and crunchy coconut? It’s all worth it.
So next time you’re in the mood to bake something from scratch that people will actually want seconds of, give this Coconut Custard Cake a go. It’s the kind of dessert that feels homemade in the best way—and that’s exactly what it should be.
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Coconut Custard Cake
Ingredients
Cake Layers:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups coconut milk
Custard:
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup shredded coconut sweetened
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ teaspoon coconut extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 16 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 cup butter softened
- 11 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups shredded coconut sweetened, toasted
Instructions
Cake Layers:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare three 8- inch cake pans by rubbing generously with vegetable shortening and dust with flour and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy.
- Add the vegetable oil, coconut, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and combine after each addition.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until there are no dry spots remaining.
- Slowly pour in the coconut milk and mix until fully combined.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until there are no dry spots remaining. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to insure all the ingredients were mixed well.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans and gently tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove form the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Custard:
- Add the egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add the sugar, cornstarch, and milk to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk a few teaspoons of the milk mixture into the egg yolks. Add the egg mixture to the large saucepan.
- Place pan back on the heat and stir in shredded coconut. Bring the mixture to a light boil and allow to boil for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
- Remove form the heat and add the butter and both extracts and mix until well combined.
- Add the custard to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap allowing the wrap to touch the top of the custard and refrigerate until ready to use.
Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add the coconut and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until there are no dry spots remaining. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until just combined. Increase speed to high for 2-3 minutes until nice and fluffy.
Assembly:
- Use a large, serrated knife to remove the domes form the top of the cakes if necessary.
- Place some of the frosting in a piping bag with a large round tip.
- Place the first layer of cake face down on a cake plate or stand and pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake. Place half of the custard inside the ring and smooth evenly.
- Repeat with the other layers of cake.
- Once you have placed on the last layer, cover the entire outside of the cake with a thick layer of frosting. Place the cake stand in the center of a large baking sheet and use a clean hand to gently tap the toasted coconut shreds into the frosting all along the outside of the cake.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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