Coconut Cake
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This coconut cake recipe makes a beautifully soft, fluffy layer cake with rich coconut flavor in every bite. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or just because.
This coconut cake recipe has been a favorite in my family for years. It’s rich and coconutty, with tangy cream cheese frosting and plenty of shredded coconut. Using egg whites instead of whole eggs gives the cake a light, delicate texture.
I use a reverse-creaming method, which simply means mixing the butter into the dry ingredients before adding the liquid. It may sound unusual, but it makes the cake exceptionally tender. The result is an impressive and delicious layer cake that’s simple to make and especially nice for Easter, birthdays, and other celebrations.
“Can easily vouch, this is one of the absolute BEST coconut cake recipes ever…I’ve also made this recipe into cupcakes and they bake up just as beautifully.”
What You’ll Need To Make Coconut Cake
- Flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt: These are whisked together at the start of the recipe. For the best texture, measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method rather than scooping it directly from the bag.
- Unsalted butter: Make sure it’s softened but still slightly cool to the touch. The butter gets mixed directly into the dry ingredients as part of the reverse-creaming method.
- Egg whites: Using whites instead of whole eggs helps give the cake its light, delicate texture.
- Canned coconut milk: Use full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk from a can—not refrigerated coconut milk beverage. Look for a brand that contains a stabilizer such as guar gum, which helps keep the coconut milk evenly emulsified and gives the cake a more consistent texture.
- Vanilla and coconut extracts: Vanilla rounds out the flavor, while coconut extract gives the cake a more pronounced coconut taste.
- Cream cheese frosting: The tanginess of the frosting is a nice counterpoint to the sweet coconut cake.
- Sweetened shredded coconut: Creates the snowy coconut coating and adds texture and coconut flavor to every bite.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Coconut Cake
Mix the wet and dry ingredients: Whisk together the coconut milk, egg whites, vanilla, and coconut extract in a measuring cup or bowl with a pouring spout. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Make the batter: Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture looks crumbly and sandy. This is the reverse-creaming method, and while it may look a little unusual at this stage, that’s exactly what you want. Gradually add the coconut milk mixture and mix just until the batter is smooth.
Bake the cake layers: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are lightly golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool briefly in the pans before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.
Make the cream cheese frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, coconut extract, and salt until smooth and light. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat until the frosting is fluffy.
Assemble the cake: Once the layers are completely cool, place the first layer top side down on a serving plate and spread with frosting. Set the second layer on top, then frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle coconut over the top and gently press more onto the sides.
Serve or store: For the best flavor and texture, serve the cake at room temperature. If it’s been refrigerated, take it out ahead of time so the cake can soften and the frosting can lose its chill. See the recipe card below for detailed make-ahead and storage instructions.
More Coconut Desserts You’ll Love
Coconut Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ¾ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the Frosting
- 12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- Pinch salt
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray two 9-in (23-cm) round cake pans with nonstick spray with flour. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper circles; lightly spray the parchment.
- In a large liquid measuring cup or bowl with a pouring spout, whisk together the coconut milk, egg whites, vanilla extract, and coconut extract.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds to combine. Add the butter and continue mixing on low until the mixture is crumbly and moistened, about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and egg white mixture in 3 separate additions, mixing on medium speed for about 2 minutes after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto the rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until aerated and light, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, mixing on low to combine. Once all of the sugar is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- After the cake layers have completely cooled, assemble and frost the cake: place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with a third of the frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top of the cake with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Our family loves this cake!
Holy smokes… this coconut cake knocked our socks off as our featured dessert after Christmas dinner. Absolutely fabulous Jen. Thanks for sharing your wonderful baking skills. 😊
I want to make a coconut cake for dessert when my family gathers for Christmas dinner. Of course your site was my go to. I want the cake to have an almond flavor. Would you recommend adding almond extract in addition to the vanilla or replacing the vanilla with almond extract? Also, I prefer a heavily frosted cake. What is your suggestion to accomplish this?
Hi Kathy, thank you for making my site your go-to! I would add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and keep the vanilla extract as is. And to have the cake more heavily frosted, I’d make 1.5 times the frosting recipe. Hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Jenn,
I was hoping to bake this in a bundt pan. Do you think that would work? And if so, what modifications should I make?
Thanks so much!
Unfortunately not – sorry!
Wow! What a delicious cake. I just made it for Easter and everyone loved it. Great recipe!
Hi Jenn! Would Baker’s Angel Flake coconut work here? If you have a brand of shredded coconut you can get in the USA, please advise. I can’t find it at my usual spots (Kroger, Publix, Trader Joes). Thank you!
Hi Regina, yes, that’s exactly what you need. I generally use the words shredded and flaked interchangeably for coconut but have updated the recipe to alleviate any confusion. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi Jen. I can only find coconut milk that has guar gum in it- none labeled unsweetened- is that ok or should I cut back on sugar?
Hi Pauline, I’d just go with the coconut milk you found; no need to reduce the sugar. Enjoy!
Should I omit the salt in the recipe if I’m using salted butter because that’s all I have? I have to write you a longer thank you later, but you have changed my life with your wonderful recipes. 😉
So glad you enjoy the recipes, Angie! Yes you can omit the salt in both the cake and the frosting. Hope you like the cake!
Jenn, sometimes I bake your Honey’s coconut cupcake recipe as a cake and it’s a fave. But I wonder if this coconut cake recipe results in a lighter texture or is the end result differs in some other way?
Hi Regina, yes, because the cake is made with all egg whites, it’s definitely lighter in texture than the cupcakes. 😊
I made this the day before serving, and it was delicious! I was worried that the coconut extract in the frosting would be too much, but it was perfect! I toasted the coconut and served the cake at room temperature! Will definitely make this again!
I made this scrumptious coconut cake for my mom’s birthday, and everyone loved it! I added white chocolate chunks to the batter and in between the layers alongside the frosting. The chunks were a special treat. Finally a coconut cake recipe I can keep making! Thank you as always, Jenn for making us home bakers look so good :).