Classic Coconut Cake
This Classic Coconut Cake is the perfect southern dessert! A double-layered coconut-flavored cake that’s deliciously light and fluffy with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting covered in sweetened flaked coconut – talk about dreamy!
Coconut Cake With Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
With Easter on the horizon and warmer days to follow, this Coconut Cake makes for the perfect dessert to welcome the change of seasons! Its fresh, lightly sweet coconut taste pairs deliciously with the tangy, creamy coconut cream cheese frosting, creating a springtime dessert that will brighten everyone’s day!
To bake an unforgettable dessert with excellent texture, I whipped the egg whites separately and then folded them into the batter to create airiness in the cake. Between the airy, fluffy texture and sweet coconut flavor, this is exactly the kind of cake you’d want to make for Easter Sunday, or any day for that matter.
With a silky, rich coconut frosting finish that’s covered in minced coconut, this Classic Coconut Cake is sure to be a showstopper!
Classic Coconut Cake Ingredients
To make this homemade coconut cake we combine cake flour with baking soda, eggs, buttermilk, powdered milk, salt, and unsalted butter. Sweetened flaked coconut, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste, and coconut extract are then incorporated into the cake batter to achieve a perfectly sweetened coconut taste.
This two-layer cake is then covered in a decadent coconut frosting that’s made with cream cheese, salted butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and sweetened flaked coconut.
To finish off this spring cake, we then gently press sweetened flaked coconut into the frosting. This gives it a fun texture while also elevating the flavor of coconut even further!
How To Make Classic Coconut Cake
- Preheat the oven and grease two round cake pans.
- Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer that’s fitted with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Transfer the stiff egg whites to small bowl and set it aside.
- Combine buttermilk with baking soda in a small bowl and then set it aside.
- Pulse sweetened flaked coconut in a food processor until the flakes become fine.
- Transfer the fine coconut flakes into an empty stand mixer bowl.
- Add cake flour, granulated sugar, powdered milk, and salt to the bowl of fine coconut flakes and mix to combine.
- Mix in softened unsalted butter until a sandy texture forms.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl down and then beat in large egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, and coconut extract.
- Beat in the buttermilk mixture in three parts until fully combined.
- Fold in the stiff egg whites until well combined.
- Divide the coconut cake batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans. Then transfer them into the preheated oven to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
How To Frost Coconut Cake
- Prepare the homemade frosting by beating cream cheese with salted butter until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture, alternating with heavy cream.
- Beat in vanilla extract and coconut extract.
- Assemble the two-layered classic coconut cake by first adding the bottom cake layer to a plate or cake stand. Then frost the top of the bottom cake all the way to the edges. Afterward, set the second cake layer on top and frost the cake.
- Press sweetened flaked coconut gently onto the sides and top of the cake using the palm of your hand.
- Note that the egg whites, egg yolks, and buttermilk need to be at room temperature. Therefore, be sure to pull them out a little bit before beginning this recipe.
- It’s best to use a kitchen scale when measuring out the dry ingredients. Too much or too little flour can negatively impact a recipe, so knowing how to measure flour properly can really make or break a recipe.
- To get the best pan release, try using my 3-ingredient Cake Goop (Magic Pan Release) or learn How To Line A Round Cake Pan With Parchment Paper.
- I’ve found that these cakes are best made the day before frosting them. Therefore, if you can, when the cakes are still warm to the touch, wrap them in a double layer of plastic wrap and then store them at room temperature overnight. Double wrapping them will help to make the cakes nice and moist!
- Feel free to run the sweetened flaked coconut through the food processor for shorter strands to use for pressing into the frosting.
- To easily dress this cake up, you can pipe additional decorative frosting around the top and base of the cake.
How To Store Classic Coconut Cake
Once frosted, this cake can set at room temperature for up to 2 hours. After that, transfer the cake into an airtight cake carrier or transfer slices into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
More Coconut Recipes
- Coconut Poke Cake – The perfect spring and summer dessert that pleases a crowd!
- Caribbean Coconut Rum Cake – Made with yellow cake mix and a package of vanilla pudding!
- Coconut French Toast – Enjoyed with a delicious homemade coconut syrup!
- Dulce de Leche Coconut Macaroons – Chewy, sweet coconut cookies!
- Coconut Custard Pie – A dense, creamy treat that’s made with only 7 ingredients!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let leave a review in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos, or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there.
This recipe was originally published in March 2016 and was updated in April 2025 with an improved method and photos.ro
Classic Coconut Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⅓ cups sweetened flaked coconut 120g, loosely packed
- 2 cups cake flour 260g
- 2 tablespoons powdered milk
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400g
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1½ teaspoons coconut extract
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese cold and cubed
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream 60mL
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons coconut extract
- 1 to 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch pans with cake goop or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray.
- Add 4 large egg whites to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on speed 4 for 2 minutes, then increase to speed 6 until stiff peaks form, about 1 additional minute. Transfer egg whites to a small bowl and set aside.
- In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, combine the 1 cup buttermilk and 1 teaspoon baking soda and set aside.
- Add 1⅓ cups sweetened flaked coconut to a food processor and pulse until fine.
- Add the processed coconut to the now empty stand mixer bowl along with 2 cups cake flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons powdered milk, and ¾ teaspoon salt and mix to combine.
- Add the softened 1 cup unsalted butter and mix until sandy in texture.
- Scrape down the sides in case any butter is sticking and beat in 5 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, and 1½ teaspoons coconut extract.
- Beat in the buttermilk mixture in three additions until fully combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Fold in the stiff egg whites until well combined.
- Evenly divide the batter between the two pans (about 720g each) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick comes clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack until almost completely cool. These cakes are best made the day before frosting. When still a little warm to the touch, wrap them in a double layer of plastic wrap and store them at room temperature overnight – this helps make the cakes nice and moist.
Frosting
- When ready to frost, add 8 ounces cream cheese and ½ cup salted butter to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the 5 cups powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture a cup at a time, alternating with the ¼ cup heavy cream.
- Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and 1½ teaspoons coconut extract and beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add more sugar or cream to reach the desired consistency.
- Add the bottom cake layer to a plate or cake stand and spread some frosting out on the top all the way to the edges.
- Add the next layer of cake and add more frosting to the top, spreading it evenly and down over the sides.
- Gently use the palm of your hand to press 1 to 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut onto the sides and top of the cake. You can process the coconut in a food processor for shorter strands. If desired, pipe additional decorative frosting around the top and base of the cake.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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These are gorgeous!!! Everything you bake always looks so perfect! I am not worthy!
Could I switch out the buttermilk for cream of coconut milk?
I have never tried it but they are very different liquids and I’m not sure the recipe would turn out when making this substitution.
What a beautiful cake!
Thank you!
Oh my goodness that cake looks amazing! It’s GORGEOUS and I bet it tastes awesome! I Love coconut 🙂
Thank you so much, it definitely tasted amazing!
That is a beautiful cake. It almost looks to good to eat, almost!
Almost is right!
I love it!!!! yummm
I love coconut cake. This looks gorgeous. You icing flowers look professional!
Thanks so much, Lucy!
Mm, this cake sounds divine! And it’s so pretty, too! Coconut is one of my favorite flavors, but I don’t use it often enough. This cake has inspired me!
Same here, we need more coconut in our lives!
I am a huge fan of coconut! Your cake looks so sweet and light! Just perfect for Easter! I think I may try to make this. My family would love this!
Oh, I hope you do, they’ll love it!
WOW – you decorated that so beautifully!! I love coconut cake, one of my all time favorites. That looks SO good.
Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Kylee!
Words cannot even describe how good that cake looks to me. I am swooning over here.
Thanks so much, Dorothy!