Coconut Cake

A coconut cake sitting on top of a table

Print Pin

5 from 32 votes

This moist and delicious coconut cake recipe is infused with natural coconut flavor throughout.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 35

Total Time 2 35

Servings

Calories 701kcal

Author Olivia

Ingredients

Coconut Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup canned coconut milk room temperature
1/2 cup shredded coconut sweetened, any size (I used medium)

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

6 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
1/4 cup coconut milk powder

Assembly:

toasted coconut flakes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Coconut Cake:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds and line with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
Alternate adding flour mixture and coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
Gently fold in shredded coconut.
Bake for 35-40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack.

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer.
Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
Add coconut milk powder and whip until smooth.

Assembly:

Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layer and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.
Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth with a bench scraper. Do a swirl on the top.
Gently press toasted coconut flakes into the sides of the cake.

Notes

* Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won't stiffen.

** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.

Nutrition

Liv for Cake - https://ai-deterrant.org/coconut-cake/%3C/em%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cscript%3Ewindow.wprm_recipes = {"recipe-10391":{"type":"food","name":"Coconut Cake","slug":"wprm-coconut-cake","image_url":"https:\/\/livforcake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coconut-cake-3.jpg","rating":{"count":32,"total":160,"average":5,"type":{"comment":32,"no_comment":0,"user":0},"user":0},"ingredients":[{"uid":1,"amount":"2 ","unit":"cups","name":"all-purpose flour","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"250","unit":"g"}},"id":556,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"2 ","unit":"cups","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2 ","unit":"cups","unitParsed":"cups"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"250","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":3,"amount":"2 1\/4","unit":"tsp","name":"baking powder","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"11.09","unit":"ml"}},"id":557,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"2 1\/4","unit":"tsp","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2 1\/4","unit":"tsp","unitParsed":"tsp"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"11.09","unit":"ml","unitParsed":"ml"}}},{"uid":5,"amount":"1\/2","unit":"tsp","name":"salt","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"2.46","unit":"ml"}},"id":559,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1\/2","unit":"tsp","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1\/2","unit":"tsp","unitParsed":"tsp"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"2.46","unit":"ml","unitParsed":"ml"}}},{"uid":7,"amount":"3\/4","unit":"cup","name":"unsalted butter ","notes":"room temperature","converted":{"2":{"amount":"170.25","unit":"g"}},"id":555,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"3\/4","unit":"cup","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"3\/4","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"170.25","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":9,"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cup","name":"granulated sugar","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"300","unit":"g"}},"id":603,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cup","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"300","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":11,"amount":"3","unit":"large","name":"eggs ","notes":"room temperature","converted":{"2":{"amount":"3","unit":"large"}},"id":584,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"3","unit":"large","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"3","unit":"large","unitParsed":"large"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"3","unit":"large","unitParsed":"large"}}},{"uid":13,"amount":"1","unit":"tsp","name":"vanilla extract","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"4.93","unit":"ml"}},"id":564,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1","unit":"tsp","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1","unit":"tsp","unitParsed":"tsp"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"4.93","unit":"ml","unitParsed":"ml"}}},{"uid":15,"amount":"1","unit":"cup","name":"canned coconut milk","notes":"room temperature","converted":{"2":{"amount":"240","unit":"g"}},"id":5246,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1","unit":"cup","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"240","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":17,"amount":"1\/2","unit":"cup","name":"shredded coconut","notes":"sweetened, any size (I used medium)","converted":{"2":{"amount":"40","unit":"g"}},"id":1207,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1\/2","unit":"cup","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1\/2","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"40","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":20,"amount":"6","unit":"large","name":"egg whites","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"6","unit":"large"}},"id":615,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"6","unit":"large","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"6","unit":"large","unitParsed":"large"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"6","unit":"large","unitParsed":"large"}}},{"uid":22,"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cups","name":"granulated sugar","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"300","unit":"g"}},"id":603,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cups","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cups","unitParsed":"cups"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"300","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":24,"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cups","name":"unsalted butter ","notes":"cubed, room temperature","converted":{"2":{"amount":"340.5","unit":"g"}},"id":555,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cups","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1 1\/2","unit":"cups","unitParsed":"cups"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"340.5","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":26,"amount":"1\/4","unit":"cup","name":"coconut milk powder","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"59.15","unit":"g"}},"id":5247,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"1\/4","unit":"cup","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1\/4","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"59.15","unit":"g","unitParsed":"g"}}},{"uid":29,"amount":"","unit":"","name":"toasted coconut flakes","notes":"","converted":{"2":{"amount":"NaN","unit":""}},"id":5250,"conversion_item_snapshot":{"amount":"","unit":"","timestamp":1790005722000},"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"","unit":"","unitParsed":""},"unit-system-2":{"amount":"NaN","unit":"","unitParsed":""}}}],"originalServings":"12","originalServingsParsed":12,"currentServings":"12","currentServingsParsed":12,"currentServingsFormatted":"12","currentServingsMultiplier":1,"originalSystem":1,"currentSystem":1,"favorite":false,"unitSystems":[1,2],"originalAdvancedServings":{"shape":"round","unit":"inch","diameter":0,"width":0,"length":0,"height":0},"currentAdvancedServings":{"shape":"round","unit":"inch","diameter":0,"width":0,"length":0,"height":0},"collection":{"servingsUnit":"","servingsUnitRaw":"","originalServings":"12","originalServingsParsed":12,"type":"recipe","recipeId":10391,"name":"Coconut Cake","image":"https:\/\/livforcake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/coconut-cake-3-300x300.jpg","servings":12,"parent_id":"1885","parent_url":"https:\/\/livforcake.com\/coconut-cake\/","cachedAt":1790005722,"modifiedAt":1655491115}}}