Looking for a dessert that the whole family will love? This Moist and fluffy Coconut Layer Cake is the best dessert you could make. It’s perfectly moist with soft fluffy layers and an intense coconut flavor throughout.
Put your love for coconut to good use and prepare this sweet and delicious Coconut Layer Cake. Not only is it easy to assemble, but it’s also super flavorful and perfect to enjoy as a dessert whenever you’re craving something sweet.
Coconut Layer Cake
If you’re a fan of all things coconut, you need to try this easy recipe for Coconut Cake. It’s a light, moist, and delicious cake made from scratch using a few essential ingredients, including canned coconut milk, flour, coconut extract, and more. Between each layer of cake is a layer of sweet and tasty frosting made with cream cheese, shredded coconut flakes, and more. When you want to make the most delicious homemade treat with the perfect amount of coconut flavor, this cake is a must!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Coconut Cake
- The Coconut Cake is full of flavor. It’s perfect for anyone who thoroughly enjoys eating coconut-flavored treats.
- It’s not difficult to make. If you’d like to prepare something from scratch without frustration and stress, this is the perfect baked treat to consider.
- You can easily customize the cake by adding your favorite toppings to it, such as a few dollops of whipped cream and some maraschino cherries.
Ingredients for the Sponge Cake with Coconut
Before getting started, you’ll need ingredients to prepare the cake and the frosting for this baked treat. You’re going to need the following ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour – Start with flour for the batter of the cake.
- Baking Powder – Add a bit of baking powder into the dry mix to ensure that your cake bakes perfectly.
- Granulated Sugar – Give your cake a sweeter taste with added granulated sugar.
- Canned Coconut Milk – Use canned coconut milk to enhance the flavor of this cake, giving it much more of a coconut flavor.
- Coconut Extract – The coconut extract enhances the taste of the baked cake even more.
You’ll also need vanilla extract, salt, softened butter, vegetable oil, egg yolks, egg whites, and cream of tartar to prepare the cake layers. In addition to the ingredients needed for the cake, you’re going to need softened cream cheese, softened butter, coconut extract, powdered sugar, and shredded coconut for the frosting.
Why do I need to use softened butter and cream cheese?
Softened butter and cream cheese are much easier to work with. If you’re trying to mix them while they’re cold and hard, it requires that much more work from you. It’s much better to let these ingredients sit out for around 15-30 minutes to soften before you begin the process of preparing your cake and frosting.
Do I add the frosting to the cakes while they’re still hot?
No, you’ll want the cakes to cool down before you begin frosting your cake. Let the cakes sit in their pans for a minimum of 10 minutes before attempting to remove them from the pans and place them on a wire rack to cool down even more.
What does the frosting taste like?
The frosting in this recipe has a sweet, light flavor with hints of coconut. Although you’re using cream cheese to make it, the frosting won’t have an overpowering taste of cream cheese when biting into the cake because it’s mixed with powdered sugar, shredded coconut, and other ingredients.
Can I add more ingredients on top of this cake?
You can add more ingredients on top of the cake. Some people like to add toasted shredded coconut with a few chopped nuts and diced maraschino cherries because they pair well with the coconut flavor. However, you can add what you like best.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Don’t forget to remove the dome-like shape from the top of each cake. If you don’t have a serrated knife, you can use a regular knife to get the job done.
- Use a toothpick to check the center of your cakes before removing them from the oven. The toothpick should come out clear, which would indicate that your cakes are fully cooked and ready to come out of the oven.
- After assembling this Coconut Layer Cake, you’ll need to keep it in the fridge to keep it fresh until you’re ready to eat it.
An important tip that you should always keep in mind when baking any cake is to always use all room temperature ingredients, including your eggs! Why you might ask? Well, the ingredients mix together very easily when they’re not cold, which creates a perfect texture cake.
This cake recipe is AMAZING! It is a tried and true recipe that if you follow to a T, it will be a huge hit at any event you bake it for. Made from scratch and the perfect cake to bake for Easter!
More Recipes You Will Love!
Easy Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
Coconut Layer Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 c cake flour
- 2/3 c all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 c sugar
- 1 c salted butter room temp
- 6 egg whites
- 2/3 c sour cream
- 2 tsp coconut extract
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 13.66 oz can coconut milk
- 1 1/2 c sweetened shredded coconut
Frosting:
- 6 1/2 c powdered sugar
- 2 c salted butter room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- 2 Tbs melted butter
- Shredded coconut for coating
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the bottoms of 3-9” cake pans with parchment paper and lightly spray with baking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine cake flour, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add in the egg whites. Mix until just combined. Add in sour cream, coconut extract and vanilla and mix to combine. Next, add in coconut milk and mix. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add in the shredded coconut and mix to incorporate.
- Evenly divide the batter into the 3 prepared cake pans. Place them into the oven on the center rack and bake for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and set onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and coconut extract. Mix on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then turn the mixer speed up to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Add in the melted butter and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, until white and fluffy.
Assembly:
- Once cakes are completely cool, carefully remove them from the cake pans. Place the 1st cake onto a plate or cake stand. Add about 1 cup of frosting to the center of the cake and use an icing spatula to smooth out. Top with the 2nd cake and repeat the frosting process, ending with the 3rd cake on top.
- Once all of the cakes have been layered, frost the top and sides of the cake. Do a very light coat of frosting on the edges, just enough for the coconut to stick – almost naked. Once the cake has been frosted, spoon the remaining frosting into a piping bag that is fitted with a star tip.
- Pipe swirls into the top of the cake. Press shredded coconut onto the sides of the cake. Cut into 12 pieces and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Make sure to follow on Pinterest for more recipes!
Leave A Reply!