Coconut Cake
Coconut Cake: A towering triple-layer beauty, filled and iced with fluffy, marshmallowy frosting and topped with mounds of sweet shredded coconut.
Spring is in the air!
And I can’t stop thinking about Easter recipes! I’ve got deviled eggs, pineapple stuffing, quiche Lorraine, and lemon meringue pie on the brain!
So it seems like the perfect time to overhaul my old coconut cake post.
This was originally published way back in 2016, and it made a big splash!
I adapted it from my classic white cake recipe, so it’s a really easy recipe to make. You just mix your dry ingredients in one bowl and your liquid ingredients in another bowl and then combine the two.
A lot like a quick bread!
Most everyone loved this easy coconut cake recipe, but I did get a few comments about it being dense (which I don’t always think is a bad thing… ie: pound cake?). But I decided to rework the recipe and create something with a little more of a downy-soft, moist, and fluffy texture.
This coconut cake recipe bakes up light as a cloud and so pillowy! It’s just sweet enough and extra-moist, and it’s perfumed throughout with the fresh, tropical aroma of coconut.
I like to bake it as a tall triple-layer beauty (talk about the wow factor!), but it can also be made into a shorter, wider cake, a sheet cake, or even cupcakes.
Topped with a fluffy-sweet meringue frosting and coated in shredded coconut flakes, this simple coconut cake recipe will be the centerpiece of your holiday table.
Get ready for rave reviews!
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this coconut cake recipe
- Ingredients and notes
- How to make coconut cake
- Recipe FAQ’s
- Expert tips
- Variations
- How to store and keep
- A few more of my favorite coconut recipes!
Why you’ll love this coconut cake recipe
Tropical flavor: The cake will remind you of an island vacation with its sweet, nutty, and mildly tropical flavor.
Moist and tender: This coconut cake is so moist and tender, thanks to the addition of coconut milk.
Great texture: The shredded coconut on the cake adds a nice chewiness.
Gorgeous presentation: This cake’s snowy-white look with toasted coconut flakes on top will really wow your guests!
Celebratory treat: Coconut cake is great for celebrations like birthdays, weddings, and holidays. It’ll really add to the joy and festivity of the occasion.
Ingredients and notes
Flour
All-purpose flour is my go-to, but you can swap it out for any kind of whole-grain option if you like. You may need slightly less if you go that route.
A gluten-free flour blend that can sub 1:1 for regular flour should also work just fine, if you’d like to make a gluten-free coconut cake.
Sugar
Sugar adds sweetness (obvs!) but it also aids in browning and keeps things moist, since it’s hydrophilic (this means it loves water, in other words, it draws moisture in).
Regular white sugar is fine, or sub for another type of sweetener if you like. As long as it swaps 1:1 for granulated sugar it should work.
Baking Powder
This coconut cake recipe utilizes baking powder to leaven (or “lift”) the cake layers.
Baking powder is a double-acting leavener, so it starts the pastry rising both when liquid is added to it, as well as when it hits the hot oven.
Baking soda will not work in this recipe because there isn’t enough acid to activate it.
Baking powder has a little bit of that acid built in.
Salt
Salt carries the flavors and intensifies them. The end result won’t taste salty, but it will make everything so much more flavorful!
I like kosher salt best because it doesn’t have any additives (table salt usually contains iodine and that can leave a bitter taste), so the flavor is pure. It’s also inexpensive and easy to find in a regular grocery store.
Coconut milk
A crucial ingredient that infuses the cake with a sweet coconut flavor and makes it ultra moist, coconut milk is essential. You’ll want to use full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk in a can for the coconut milk. I especially like the Thai Kitchen brand.
Oil
Provides richness and moisture to the cake. Use a neutral-tasting oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil that won’t detract from the coconut flavor of the cake.
Egg whites
Egg whites provide structure and stability to the cake.
Coconut extract
Enhances the overall coconut flavor. If you don’t have coconut extract you can order it here: Coconut extract. Or just substitute almond extract or vanilla extract.
Marshmallow frosting
This light and fluffy frosting perfectly compliments the airy texture of the cake.
Learn lots more about it here: Marshmallow frosting.
Coconut
Shredded coconut is the star ingredient, adding texture, taste, and stunning visual appeal to the cake.
I prefer sweetened shredded coconut, but you can use the unsweetened kind if you prefer.
How to make coconut cake
This showstopper of a cake comes together in 6 simple steps.
Step 1: Prep the pans
Get your oven preheated and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
You can make this in other sized pans as well; check the notes in the recipe card below for specifics.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients
Add the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a big bowl.
Whisk everything together to get it combined.
Step 3: Combine the liquid ingredients
Next, whisk your coconut milk, oil, egg whites, and coconut extract together in a smaller bowl.
For the oil, you can use any neutral-tasting oil that is liquid at room temp.
My old recipe called for melted coconut oil, but I think that was actually what was causing the denser texture. So if you like a more pound-cake-y coconut cake, use melted coconut oil! It will give your cake an even coconutty flavor.
Step 4: Add wet to dry
Once all these wet ingredients are well combined, add them to the large bowl with the dry ingredients.
And whisk everything together until smooth.
Step 5: Bake the cake layers
Transfer the batter to your prepared pans and bake!
Keep an eye on your cake while it’s baking. You’ll know it’s done when it feels springy and when a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.
In my oven, this takes about 40 minutes, but ovens can vary, so I would suggest checking it 5 minutes early to see. But don’t open the oven door too soon, or your cake could collapse!
Allow the cakes to cool completely before filling and frosting them.
Step 6: Frost and decorate
Fill and frost the cake with marshmallow frosting.
Then coat the entire thing in a thick layer of fluffy shredded coconut!
Do this by holding the iced cake over a big bowl, then pressing big handfuls of coconut along the sides and over the top, allowing the excess to fall away into the bowl.
You can see just what this looks like when you watch the video in the recipe card below.
Recipe FAQ’s
I used my favorite marshmallow frosting to fill and ice the cake.
To me, coconut and marshmallow go together like bread and butter!
Find the full step-by-step picture tutorial and recipe here: Marshmallow Frosting.
You could also try 7-minute frosting, a classic choice that’s similar to this.
There are plenty of specifics on this in the nutritional info found in the recipe card below, but I can tell you that this old-fashioned coconut cake is 100% dairy-free!
It is not vegan, however, because it does contain eggs. (Contrary to popular belief, eggs are not dairy. Even though they’re often sold in the dairy section, the term “dairy” only applies to milk products.)
Expert tips
- Start with fresh and high-quality ingredients, as they can significantly impact the flavor and texture of the cake.
- Ensure that ingredients like the eggs and coconut milk are at room temperature. This allows for better mixing and helps achieve a smooth batter.
- Use the spoon and level method to avoid packing flour in the measuring cup when measuring flour. This helps prevent a dense and dry cake. Find more info on this here: How to Measure for Baking.
- Once you add the wet ingredients to the flour, mix until just barely combined. Overmixing can result in a tough cake.
- Keep a close eye on the cake while it’s baking. Coconut cake can go from perfectly moist to gross and dry very quickly, so check for doneness a few minutes before the recommended baking time is up.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Let it cool completely before filling and frosting.
Variations
Gluten-free coconut cake
This cake can be made gluten-free by swapping the wheat flour for a gluten-free blend. Look for one that subs 1:1 for regular flour. Here are a few good options:
- King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
- Cup4Cup Multi-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
Try a different filling or frosting
I used a coconut pastry cream filling for the prior version of this southern coconut cake. If you’d like to try it that way, swap the dairy milk in this recipe for coconut milk: Pastry Cream.
Lemon curd would also be a great choice!
You could even use chocolate mousse or strawberry jam between the layers.
If you prefer something a little less sweet, definitely try this with whipped cream frosting or Swiss meringue buttercream.
Cream cheese frosting is another excellent choice.
My easy chocolate frosting would take things in a delicious direction, and a simple American-style buttercream is always a favorite!
How to store and keep
Room Temperature: It’s OK to leave this cake at room temperature for a few hours. The hot sugar syrup cooks the egg whites in the marshmallow frosting.
Refrigerate: If you have any leftovers it’s best to wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will keep in there for several days to a week.
Freezing: This homemade coconut cake freezes beautifully.
You can bake the layers, allow them to cool, and then wrap them tightly, and they will last at least a few months in the freezer.
Fill and frost them while frozen (this works great by the way!), or thaw them in the refrigerator first.
You can try freezing the leftovers too, but you may not have the best results depending on what filling and frosting you’ve used. Some fillings and frostings don’t hold up well through the freeze/thaw process.
A few more of my favorite coconut recipes!
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Coconut Cake
Ingredients
For the coconut cake layers
- 2 1/2 cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt, scant
- 13.66 fluid ounces (403.93 g) coconut milk, (1 can)*
- 1 cup (224 g) oil, (any neutral-flavored oil that is liquid at room temp will work)
- 2 (60 g) egg whites, (large)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.39 g) coconut extract
For the marshmallow frosting and decoration
- 5 (150 g) egg whites, large
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g) cream of tartar
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.75 g) kosher salt
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2/3 cup (157.73 g) water
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (120 g) shredded coconut, (approx.)
Instructions
To make the coconut cake layers
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, lightly mist three 6-inch diameter cake pans** with non-stick spray, and line them with circles cut from parchment.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Place the coconut milk, oil, egg whites, and coconut extract in another bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Add the coconut milk mixture to the flour mixture, and whisk together until smooth.
- Divide the batter equally between the 3 prepared pans, and bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean (approx. 35 to 45 minutes).
- Cool completely, then fill and frost the cake with marshmallow frosting and coat it with shredded coconut.
To make the marshmallow frosting***
- Place the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whip on medium speed until foamy.
- While continuing to whip, add 1 cup of the sugar in a very slow and steady stream (about 1 teaspoon at a time).
- Once the entire cup of sugar has been added, continue to whip until the meringue can hold stiff peaks.
- Whip in the vanilla extract, and continue to stir the meringue on low speed while you prepare the hot sugar syrup.
- Place the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a small pot, along with the water.
- Place the pot over medium heat and cook until the syrup boils and reaches 235 degrees F.
- In a very slow and steady stream, add the hot sugar syrup to the meringue, while continuing to whip on low speed.
- When all the syrup has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until very stiff and glossy.
Notes
This was delicious! I made it for my brother’s birthday cake. He likes coconut and lemon so I made this in two layers. I made lemon curd to go between the layers and lemon cream cheese for the frosting. We all enjoyed it. I will definitely be making it again.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Allie,
I had to let you know how much we enjoyed your coconut cake recipe! I made it with the marshmallow frosting and your lemon curd in center! My sister loved it so much she had to have your recipe! Needless to say she had a happy birthday surprise. 🎂
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!!!
Will I need to adjust this recipe for higher altitude? I’ll be baking this in Denver at 5,000 ft.
Can I substitute coconut milk for whole milk in this recipe?
Yes, that will work beautifully!
How long would you recommend baking this cake in a 9×13 pan?
You’ll have to play around and see Katy. No two ovens are exactly the same, so just look for a cake that feels springy, and when you insert a toothpick in the center it should come out clean. Good luck!
I was thinking about adding sweetened fine coconut for extra flavour. Have you tried that? How much should I add?
Hi Allie,
Could you recommend a brand of shredded coconut that would be best to make this cake?
Thank you!!!
xoxoxo
I used Baker’s Angel Flake. Good luck!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I made pastry cream for the filling and then Swiss meringue buttercream for the icing. Served for Easter dinner for my daughter and me. Oh. Dear. Heavens!!! Where have I been??!! I worried the buttercream was a little runny but I left the whole cake setting in a domed cake stand and it lasted wonderfully for a week. Want to make again but the pastry cream does take a little time. Thanks again!!
You’re so welcome Jennifer! I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed so much. Thanks for the great feedback!
You have powder in the ingredients and baking soda in the directions.
Thank you for the heads up! It is meant to be powder. Correcting that now!
Dear Allie,
I am pretty addicted to your recipes and Helen Fletcher’s. She has become quite a friend. At the moment I want to make the coconut cake but as it happens, our shelves are out of coconut milk and I only have a cup. I do have coconut cream, cream of coconut, evaporated milk, etc. etc. I have every form of coconut, even the power and coconut flour, but what do you recommend I do to top up the “missing quantity” of coconut milk??
Let me know. We are in near isolation here, and the only think keeping me somewhat sane is baking.
Ugh, I know how you feel! The isolation is really hard and not being able to get the things you need makes it even more so. Now, I have not tested this recipe with any of the ingredients you have listed, but out of all of them I think coconut cream might be your best bet. If it is unsweetened, that is. If not then maybe evaporated milk. You are going to have to play around I think! Use what you can and if you don’t have anything unsweetened then maybe cut back on the granulated sugar to compensate. Good luck, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you’re able to make it work!
I LOVE coconut cake, and if it’s paired with marshmallow frosting like this one…double wow! I have got to give this one a try, perhaps with a little pineapple frosting for a tropical vibe… 🙂
That sounds fantastic Erin! Pineapple and coconut are such a great combo!
Is the coconut milk the kind in the can or the kind found in the dairy case?
I used the kind in a can; if you click the link in the recipe card it will take you to the exact brand.
So, I made this (twice) and it is absolutely incredible.
I’m running into 2 problems.
My pastry cream is not nearly as thick as yours and my top layer slid off ?.
My frosting isnt quite as stable as yours, either and started running down the sides, but I beat it until stiff peaks were formed.
Any ideas of how to fix these issues?
Hey Autumn- so sorry you had difficulty. I think if you cook your pastry cream a little longer that should help. It doesn’t reach it’s full thickening power until it comes to a bubble, so try that and I think you’ll see it becomes quite thick. As for the frosting, I think that is pretty typical of this type of topping. It does that for me when I make it too, but when I put the coconut on I just press it into place and it seems to stay that way. If you’re looking for a more stable frosting recipe, I would highly recommend this option: https://bakingamoment.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream/. It doesn’t have quite the same marshmallow-y quality (it’s more buttery), but it’s so silky and delicious!
hi allie! for the cake can I subsitute coconut oil with butter instead? and should it be the same amount or more? thanks!
Hi Yang! I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure- but I would think it would work, if you use equal amount of melted butter. Good luck!
Hi!i just used this recipe to bake the cakes. The only thing i changed was that I used two 9 inch cake pans but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and my cakes turned out quite flat and dense ☹️ This is my second time trying it and I cant figure out where Im going wrong!Any ideas?
Hi Vagisha! There are a few things that might cause your cakes to come out flat. 1) Check to make sure your leavening isn’t expired. Baking powder and baking soda lose their efficacy over time. 2) Make sure they’re really, truly done before taking them out of the oven. Sometimes, if they’re still a little wet inside, they’ll deflate as they cool. You want to make sure that structure is really secure! But do bear in mind that the texture of this cake is a little more dense, like a pound cake. Sorry you weren’t happy with the result, I hope you have better luck next time!
hi I’m about to make this cake and after reading the comments I have a couple of questions.
First, what is the texture of the cake supposed to be? Is this a dense cake like a pound cake or is it something else.
Second, in the cake could I use vanilla extract in place of the coconut extract for more of a vanilla flavor and would that work with the rest of the coconut flavorings.
Thanks
Hey Shirley! Thanks so much for the great question. I found the texture to be more similar to pound cake than say, angel food cake. It’s moist and the crumb is quite fine. You could absolutely use vanilla in place of the coconut extract, and I think that would be lovely. Hope you enjoy!
Fantastic & easy recipe. Mine came out dense but the flavours made up for it. All components of the cake were so yummy. I licked the pudding batter clean. Thanks for a cake my entire family can enjoy!
My pleasure! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed.
I just made this pretty cake, but I also ended up with very dense layers. It wasn’t my baking powder since I just bought it last weekend and made a cake Monday without an issue. I’m wondering if the egg whites were supposed to be beaten and then folded in to get the rise it needed? Did anyone eat the dense layers? Is it like pound cake? Don’t know if I should go ahead and make frosting or start over with another cake. (I have no more coconut milk)
Hey Ellen! Sorry to hear that you weren’t happy with the texture of the cake. I do like your idea though of whipping the whites for a lighter texture. It’s a great suggestion. I suppose it’s up to your personal taste- if you don’t like the poundcake-like texture then maybe try that idea. Let me know how it goes!
I’ve been searching for the perfect dairy free coconut cake recipe and I will be making this tomorrow morning! I’m so excited. Would substituting coconut sugar work as well with this recipe? And I am worried I won’t find the pastry cream with coconut milk. Is there a substitute you’d recommend if I cannot find that? Thank you!
Hey Alessia! I’m so glad you’re going to make this cake! It’s one of my favorites. To answer your questions, I have not really experimented much with coconut sugar, but as long as it’s something that can be swapped for regular sugar in equal measure, it should work. And as for the coconut pastry cream, I’m not sure it’s something you can buy. You’ll want to make it yourself and the recipe is linked within the recipe card. Just click over to check it out- it’s really good!
Made this cake for Father’s Day. The flavor was wonderful, but the cake itself was super dense. It could be because there is so much liquid in the recipe. Has anyone else had this issue? Suggestions on how to correct it? Thanks.
Hey Heidi! I am so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I just went back and looked at it again to make sure I didn’t have any errors… It looks right to me though. I’ve used this same ratio several times (here, here, and here) and my cakes usually come out really light and fluffy. When you mention about there being a lot of liquid, did you mean in the cake recipe or in the filling? I just really want to help troubleshoot for you. Let me know, thanks!
Thanks for your reply. The filling was great, but the cake itself was dense. When I searched online for the possible reason, most sites said that happens when there is too much liquid. Maybe my problem is that I melted the coconut oil before measuring it. If I measured the oil while it was solid, then melted it, I would have used less oil. What do you think?
No I don’t know Heidi- I always melt before measuring too. I can’t imagine the liquid would have been the problem since it’s the same ratio I use for so many other cakes too. I’m wondering if it could have been the baking powder? Maybe it was expired or maybe the batter sat a little too long before going into the oven? Sometimes I’ve had that happen. Or maybe it just didn’t bake long enough. I’ve had that happen too, where I take the cake out of the oven before it’s “set” enough to hold up it’s own weight, and then as it cools it deflates 🙁 Sorry I don’t have any definitive answers for you! There are just so many factors when it comes to baking…
Mine came out pretty dense as well. But I am thinking it might be that my baking powder is old. I am going to buy new baking powder today and retrying it.
Hey I’m so sorry that happened to you Jennifer! New baking powder might do the trick but I also just wanted to suggest that you beat the batter on medium or medium-high speed for about 90 seconds or so before transferring it to the pans for baking. You don’t want to overdo it because that could result in a tough texture. But it would probably help to aerate the batter a bit. I hope that helps! Good luck and enjoy 🙂
I made the cake this weekend for Easter. The flavor was amazing I toasted the coconut and put it on the outside I also use the whipped cream frosting which was very fresh tasting and not too sweet. I did however have the problem with the cake being dense.. It seem to be cooked through but the texture was very compact. I am not sure what happened I think I followed the directions correctly. I was thinking maybe if I were to use cake flour next time that would that help make it lighter. What are your thoughts. My baking powder was brand new so it could not be that.