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This Coconut Cream Cake Recipe is layer upon layer of coconut flavor in every bite! Coconut infused cake, coconut cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with toasted coconut. Truly a coconut lover’s dream!
Featured with this Recipe
This Coconut Cream Cake is probably one of the best layer cakes I have ever had. The coconut cream cake itself is so rich and moist and the frosting is just to die for. This is a coconut cake recipe you will want to keep on hand for special occasions. It is perfect for showers, birthdays, weddings, and having company over. We have even made it for Easter and dressed it up like a bunny. It’s a fun treat to serve at Hawaiian themed parties, too!
Ingredients in Coconut Cream Cake
- Unsalted Butter
- Sugar
- Cream of Coconut – this is not the same as coconut milk. You can find it by the drink mixers.
- Eggs
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Coconut Extract – coconut extract is best but vanilla extract will work in a pinch
Frosting and Decorating Ingredients
A lot of coconut cakes use a buttercream frosting but this coconut cream cheese frosting is to die for! It really levels this up to be the best coconut cake recipe I have ever had.
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Coconut Extract
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Toasted Coconut Flakes
Cake Supplies Needed for Layer Cake
- 9 inch round cake pans – to split the cake batter
- stand mixer or electric mixer with paddle attachment
- large mixing bowl
- wire rack – for help cooling to room temperature
Tips for Making this Coconut Cream Cake Recipe
- This is one of our more advanced recipes, not necessarily an easy coconut cake recipe, but well worth the work! We have made this countless times and it will turn out great as long as you carefully follow the instructions and don’t skip steps.
- This Coconut Cream Cake requires freezing OVERNIGHT so be sure to make it a DAY AHEAD of when you plan to serve it! This is a very moist cake and the freezing of the cake makes it so it will not crumble when it is frosted then next day. This step is very important if you want to keep your cake looking pretty.
From Our Readers
- I have had a few comments with people saying they had issues with sticking, so make sure to grease and flour! I always grease my pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper (so it doesn’t slip) cut a round piece of parchment paper for the bottom and a long strip for the side of the pan. Then grease again over the parchment paper and lightly flour.
- Some people have had issues with the cake overflowing in 2 cake pans, I’m not sure if this is an elevation issue or an over-beating issue with the batter, but if the batter seems to be filling your pans more than ¾ full, consider using a 3rd pan or reserving some of the batter for some coconut cupcakes.
- One reader mentioned that she just made it in a traditional 9×13 inch pan without doing the layers and it turned out great. Another reader just did cupcakes and said that they turned out really good too! With either of these options you will need to adjust your baking times accordingly and really watch it close by doing toothpick tests. The cupcakes should cook much faster so start checking those sooner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does coconut cream do in baking?
Coconut cream adds richness and moisture to this delicious dessert.
Does coconut cake have to be refrigerated?
Yes. Store leftover cake in the fridge in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
Is it okay to use coconut milk instead of coconut cream?
In this recipe, no. It will not give the right texture to the batter.
Read Next: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas (with Pictures + Simple Recipes)
More Recipes for Coconut Lovers
- Tasty Coconut Cupcakes – Light and fluffy cupcakes with the most amazing coconut frosting!
- Coconut Cream Pie from Scratch – No pudding mixes in this delicious coconut cream pie filling.
- Coconut Pecan Cookie Bars – A graham cracker crust topped with coconut, milk chocolate chips, pecans.
- Caribbean Coconut Fudge Bars – A soft oatmeal cookie crust topped with chocolate fudge and a gooey coconut topping.
- Coconut Almond Bread – This is a moist coconut bread with a hint of almond.
How to Make Coconut Cream Cake
Coconut Cream Cake Recipe
This Coconut Cake Recipe is layer upon layer of coconut flavor in every bite! Coconut cake, coconut cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with toasted coconut. A coconut lover's dream!
Video
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- 2 9 inch Round Pans
Ingredients
COCONUT CAKE
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup cream of coconut Coco Lopez is the one I used, it can be found by the drink mixers at your grocery store- reserve another ½ cup to drizzle on the cake after baking
- 4 large eggs
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
COCONUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 pounds powdered sugar more if needed
- milk as needed
- toasted coconut for topping, see below for recipe
Instructions
For the Cake
- Separate eggs, set whites aside.
- Beat wet ingredients together including egg yolks until fluffy.
- Sift dry ingredients together and stir well. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk and coconut extract. Set aside.
- Add dry ingredients to wet using mixer on low speed alternating with buttermilk/extract mixture.
- In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Fold egg whites into batter.
- Line two 9-inch pans with baking spray and flour (or what works BEST is lining the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper- cut a circle for the bottom of the pan and a strip for the sides and still spray above and below the paper)
- Bake at 275 degrees for about 90 minutes (this cake comes out much nicer when cooked at a lower temperature). After about 60 minutes, do the "toothpick test", repeating every 5-10 min or so until the toothpick comes out clean.
- After the cake is out of the oven and transferred to parchment paper or a cooling rack, poke each cake with a few holes (making sure not to poke all the way through) and drizzle another ½ cup of coconut cream over the top. This keeps the cake extra moist.
- After the cake completely cools, gently cover it with some plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer to freeze overnight.
- The next day, frost immediately after removing from the freezer (see frosting recipe below). This keeps the cake from crumbling while it is being frosted. Put a layer of frosting in-between the two cakes and then continue to frost the remainder of the cake.
- After frosting, sprinkle the cake with toasted coconut (instructions for toasting are below). Allow the cake to thaw for about an hour before serving.
For the Frosting
- Beat butter, cream cheese, and coconut extract together, adding powdered sugar little by little until reaching desired consistency.
- If it seems to get too stiff, add about 1 tsp of milk at a time until you get the consistency you want (add milk to thin it out, add powdered sugar to thicken it up).
Toasted Coconut
- Place contents of about ½ bag of sweetened, shredded coconut on a cookie sheet. Spread it out so it makes just a single layer. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 8-10 minutes. Some pieces will still be white and soft, some browned slightly with a little crunch.
- Press toasted coconut into the frosting all over the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
- This is one of our more advanced recipes on our site but well worth the work! We have made this countless times and it will turn out great as long as you carefully follow the instructions and don’t skip steps.
- This cake requires freezing OVERNIGHT so be sure to make it a DAY AHEAD of when you plan to serve it! This is a very moist cake and the freezing of the cake makes it so it will not crumble when it is frosted then next day. This step is very important if you want to keep your cake looking pretty.
- I have had a few comments with people saying they had issues with sticking, so make sure to grease and flour! I always grease my pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper (so it doesn’t slip) cut a round piece of parchment paper for the bottom and a long strip for the side of the pan. Then grease again over the parchment paper and lightly flour.
- Some people have had issues with the cake overflowing in 2 pans, I’m not sure if this is an elevation issue or an over-beating issue with the batter, but if the batter seems to be filling your pans more than ¾ full, consider using a 3rd pan or reserving some of the batter for some cupcakes.
- One reader mentioned that she just made it in a traditional 9×13 inch pan without doing the layers and it turned out great. Another reader just did cupcakes and said that they turned out really good too! With either of these options you will need to adjust your baking times accordingly and really watch it close by doing toothpick tests. The cupcakes should cook much faster so start checking those sooner.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 644kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 5gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 342mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 1gSugar: 85gVitamin A: 805IUCalcium: 56mgIron: 1.2mg
I made this for a potluck and it was awesome. I used a 9 by 13 pan and it worked great. I did increase the baking time by maybe 15-20 minutes. (We are at high altitude, though, so you just have to check it.)
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
did u cut the 9×13 cake in half and frost inside too? or just all over the outside?
You can do it either way, I sometimes like to add more layers by cutting the cakes in half but it isn’t necessary
love, love….fall baking time….have a moment.
What a delicious cake. I love anything coconut and especially coconut cake. It looks divine!
Made this cake this week – Best. Cake. Ever! Am making it again for family Sunday dinner gathering. Super moist, frosting is just right. Thank you!
This was a hit at my potluck dinner tonight! It was so yummy!! It's rich and sweet. You can only have a little at a time but it's so good. I'm waiting right now to have my second piece. Trying to hold back. Ha! Ha!
Coconut cake is one of my favorites and this recipe sounds perfect and very doable. I love that it uses buttermilk, too! I will save this recipe…pictures look great, too!
Since some of you are having difficulty with the sticking, I recommend lining the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. When my cakes stick with or without flour this always does the trick. I put that in the recipe just so hopefully no one else will have sticking problems!
I also had problems with the cake sticking to the pan. I even floured the pan. Not sure what more I could have done. Was able to save it so it will still work. Got to taste some and it's yummy so far! The top was a very dark golden and almost crusty consistency. Normal? Not sure but I'm sure with the cream of coconut going on top and the frosting it will soften up.
@ Sarah– Yes, frost it right out of the freezer. It won't crumble as much when you are putting the frosting on. You won't get those little annoying crumbles throughout the white frosting (I hate when that happens)!
-Erica
Can I get a clarification? Are you to frost the cake immediately after taking it out of the freezer? I'm about to make the cake and this part had me concerned.
Thanks for the recipe. This looks heavenly! 🙂
@ ME again – – what helps is if you use the actual baking spray.. it is the kind that has flour in it. That is what I like to use any time I bake and it seems to help with the sticking. If that doesn't seem to work, maybe like you said, just coat it with a little more flour.
I had a real problem with the cake sticking in the pan. Next time I think I would flour the pan. Or just use a lot more Pam.
Would love to make. But before this is Never addressed in the recipe or comments. Salted or unsalted butter ?
We like to use salted because it balances out the sweet a little but you can use unsalted if that’s what you have on hand! Hope this helps!
@ the Crunkletons:
That's right. The can of coco lopez has more than a cup of coconut cream in it. Just whatever is leftover I drizzle over the top
I'm assuming that the optional 1/2 c. coconut cream drizzled over the cake is in addition to the 1 c. that is mixed into the batter? I just want to make sure I've got it right. So excited to try this!
I have a ladies church potluck coming up and I've been lacking inspiration – this just may do the trick!! Thank you, thank you… I am so excited to try this! 🙂
Oh. my. goodness. I want this now!
Best Cake Ever!!!
Can this be baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan and if so, what would the baking time be? This looks so yummy!
OOh…we ate some at Erica's house last night. Delish. I'm not a huge coconut fan and I kept wanting another bite! Sooo good!
Is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar and how many cups is in “a bag”?
Icing sugar and powdered sugar are the same thing – they are both sugar processed into a fine powder. I think different countries and regions call it by different names. There are 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar in a 1 lb. bag, 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a 2 lb. bag. Thank you for your question!
So which sized bag is this recipe calling for? I would assume the smaller?
It is a 2 Lbs bag of powdered sugar. You may or may not use all of it.
Hello!dear
Powder sugar means when u grind the sugar (like in coffee grinder &powder it.
Icing sugar means confectioners sugar which is used in making icing for cakes & pastry.which contains the contents of corn flour with some ratio of
1cup 1tbp
1cup 2tbp.
It’s not the same thing never.
Yes, it can be done in a 9×13 pan.. you might just have to take out a little batter so it doesn't overflow. Maybe save the extra batter for a couple cupcakes? I haven't done it in a 9×13.. maybe just bake for an hour and then keep doing the toothpick test every 5-10 minutes or so until it comes out clean.