This is the very best Coconut Cake Recipe EVER! It’s moist, fluffy, and soft, with the perfect amount of coconut flavor all topped with creamy coconut buttercream frosting!
Love a classic cake recipe? Make sure to check out my Hummingbird Cake and my Banana Cake Recipe!
My Favorite Coconut Cake Recipe!
Today’s recipe is a MEGA CLASSIC! It’s a cake recipe that I LOVE making, but have to get out of the house instantly, or I will eat the entire thing. AND it’s not exactly health food.
This Coconut Cake is what cake dreams are made of. It’s rustic and casual looking, but it’s special enough to serve on holidays, birthdays, or to guests. This, along with my Hummingbird Cake are my go-to cake recipes I make when I want to impress.
The cake itself is soft, fluffy, and moist and the frosting is creamy coconut buttercream! A lot of coconut cakes have cream cheese frosting, but I prefer mine with coconut buttercream. It’s fluffy and sweet, and partners with the cake texture in a gorgeous way. Cake dreams are happening today, lads. Get your mixer ready!
Looking For More Coconut Recipes? Try These:
How To Make Homemade Coconut Cake
Let’s talk about the details. I always sigh when I need to make a layer cake. I much prefer a sheet cake, baked in a 9×13 pan. It’s less fussy, easy to frost, and you generally can serve it right out of the pan! And ps – you CAN make this in a 9×13! I’ll get to that in a minute.
BUT there is just something about a layer cake…wouldn’t you agree? It just makes more of an impact, and let’s be honest…it’s just prettier. Plus it’s really not THAT much more work!
The cake batter is pretty straight forward, but there are a few steps I want to talk about…
Why Do You Whisk the Egg Whites?
So when you read the recipe for this coconut cake, you will notice that you separate the eggs. In a lot of cake recipes you toss the yolks, but I hate that waste, so in my recipe I use both…just at different times. Let me talk about why:
- Eggs in baking contribute structure building proteins. The proteins along with the starch from the flour forms the crumb of the cake as it bakes.
- The yolks in eggs have protein, but also fat, flavor and emulsifying lecithin. The emulsifiers hold water and fat together, which in turns creates a moister cake. So over the years I’ve realized I don’t like to leave the yolks out! I’ve made cakes before that just use whipped whites, and I always find them to be slightly dry with less flavor.
- But you can’t leave the whites out! The egg whites, when separated and whipped act as a leavener. They will lighten up the texture of the batter, and in turn the cake as it’s baked!
Do You HAVE To Whip the Egg Whites?
The short answer is no. You can make this cake and omit that step completely. BUT you will be left with a denser, tighter crumb.
The magic of this cake is the tender, fluffiness, so I absolutely recommend whisking the whites separately. Just give it a try!
What If You Don’t Have Buttermilk?
No problem! I show you guys How To Make Buttermilk in that post! It’s easy with milk and vinegar or lemon juice. If you don’t have any of those things, you can just use milk.
What Kind of Frosting Do You Use on Coconut Cake?
Honestly you could put just about any frosting on this cake and it would work! The coconut flavor is mild enough that it could be paired with lots of other flavors!
Traditionally, I have seen coconut cake made with cream cheese frosting, and yes, that’s delicious, but I actually prefer Coconut Buttercream on mine!!
Here are a few other frosting options:
- Creamy Chocolate Frosting. Think about an Almond Joy! Garnish it with sliced almonds and you’ve created an entirely new cake!
- Cream Cheese Frosting. If you still love the idea of cream cheese frosting on this cake, grab the recipe from my Hummingbird Cake and use it here!
- Roasted Strawberry Buttercream. Pairing strawberry and coconut isn’t the norm, but I bet it would be DELICIOUS!
How Can You Make This In a 9×13 pan?
This cake easily can be made in a sheet style pan instead of as a layer cake! Just coat a 9×13 pan with baking spray, and spread all of your batter in evenly. Increase the baking temperature to 350°F, and bake for 35-40 minutes!
Alternately you can cake make cupcakes as well by baking at 350°F for 18-20 minutes.
Want Even MORE Coconut Recipes?
PrintCoconut Cake
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Prep Time: 20 minutes -
Cook Time: 30 minutes
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Total Time: 50 minutes
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Yield: serves 12 1x
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Category: Cake
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Method: Oven
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Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:
Print Recipe
PinDescription:
This Coconut Cake is the best you will ever have! It’s fluffy and soft with creamy coconut buttercream frosting!
Ingredients:
Cake
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 eggs, room temperature*, separated
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat 3, 9- inch round cake pans with baking spray. Cut 3 parchment rounds to fit in the bottoms of the pans. Place the parchment in the pan and coat again with baking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the oil, butter, and sugar together on medium speed until well blended. Add egg yolks, one at a time until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in coconut extract, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix for 30 more seconds or until combined.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour and buttermilk in alternating additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the coconut. Set batter aside.
- In a clean mixing bowl combine the egg whites and the cream of tartar. Using the whisk attachment on your mixer beat the egg whites for 6-7 minutes on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the cake batter until evenly combined. Divide the batter between the 3 cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, combine the butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 30 seconds. Add in the milk, coconut extract, and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 1-2 minutes until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in more milk 1-tablespoon at a time if a creamier consistency is desired.
- To assemble place one cake on a cake plate. Top with about 1 1/2 cups of frosting and spread evenly using an off-set spatula. Top with another cake layer and repeat the process. Finally frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Press the coconut into the frosting to garnish.
Notes:
*Make sure your eggs are room temperature to ensure maximum volume when beating the egg whites. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days Nutrition Facts include frosting and coconut garnish.
Keywords:: cookies and cups, coconut cake, coconut recipe, cake recipe, coconut, buttercream
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Hi! I’m Shelly and I’m an addict. Of the buttercream sort. I started this site a few years ago as a way to justify my sugary, buttery obsession with desserts. It has worked out well for me so far, because as it turns out you guys all love sugary, buttery desserts too! It feels good to know you're not alone, doesn’t it?
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Yes! I made this cake for a good friend’s birthday dinner. FYI, I’m a northerner and made coconut cake as a kid but probably only either a box mix or a white cake and we put coconut on top of the frosting. However, I’m making this for a true southern gal….stress. And to add to the stress… (Oh, I didn’t mention, we live in Ecuador and some things are not available here). So I had to make my own cake flour, buttermilk ( I’ve done that before), and sweetened dried coconut ( we only have dried coconut available here) .… Read more »
So glad you liked it and thank you for the review!
If i make it in 9×13 pan instead of 2 round pans,how much icing do i need?? 8 cups icing sugar is too much
Yes, I would cut it in half 🙂
Thanks
I need help. I can’t find coconut extract. Can I decrease the buttermilk by 1/2 cup and then add 1/2 cup coconut milk to the cake to substitute for the extract? Or would a different quantity be better? For the frosting, should I use 1/3 cup coconut milk instead of the regular milk in the frosting to replace the extract? Thanks for the help!
7/25/2020. I made the coconut cake today and followed the recipe to the letter. OMG, this cake is absolutely delicious, absolutely moist. My husband enjoyed it tremendously. Ohh, the cake turned out the exact imagine posted
★★★★★
Love hearing that!!
I have been looking to make a vanilla cake that is extra moist. Alot of people think because a cake is delicious and full of flavor, means it’s a great cake. But that doesn’t mean it’s really moist not a dryer cake. Cause of taste. Actually I’d rather a super moist cake and not as flavorful, if making a choice. This cake takes the cake! It was very moist, it even looked like it in photo, so I chose this and very happy. I guess, it’s adding either sour cream, oil or buttermilk in any recipe for extra moistness in… Read more »
Love the picture!! So glad you liked it!!
Gorgeous Delicious Cake!
★★★★★
I made this coconut cake over the weekend and it was absolutely delicious. I was a little hesitate because of the task of separating the egg yolk and whites since I am not an everyday baker, but it worked out well and I am glad I followed the instructions. I didn’t have cake flour and used all purpose instead.and I also substituted half coconut milk and half cup of buttermilk instead of whole cup of buttermilk for more coconut flavor. I also misread the ingredients list and only used 1/2 stick of butter, but to my surprise, the cake was… Read more »
Glad it turned out! Good to know you can use a little less butter too! 🙂
Where do I begin…. if I could give this cake 100 stars, I would. As a professional baker for almost 30 years, this is THE WORLDS BEST COCONUT CAKE!!!!!! Yes, I’ve tried many, but none compares to this one. The texture of the bread is a very fluffy and moist, but tight crumb. Let me tell you when you bake this one, you will throw all the other coconut cake recipes away! My husband is my biggest critic and while he was eating it, the only thing he kept saying was, “Oh my God This is EXCELLENT! This needs to… Read more »
ok you just made my day…week…month! Thank you thank you! and so glad you enjoyed!
Delicious!! Made it following the recipe and the results were great. Made my daughter very happy on her birthday.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Happy Birthday to your daughter! Glad she enjoyed it!
Thank you!
Finally found the best coconut cake recipe EVER!!! This confection is the absolute best! It was so soft, fluffy and moist just the way Shelly said it would be. I opted for the coconut buttercream…it was delicious. And I chose to whip my egg whites…give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. If you love coconut cake, as much as I do, try this recipe today! Kudos, Shelly!
★★★★★
Oh this is so fantastic! SO happy that you liked it!!
Thanks so much for this recipe. Backed this to bring a little comfort at this trying time. I had most of the ingredients on hand. I did halfen the frosting amount as I used lemon curd between the layers. This cake was so moist. Yes, way easy to eat more than one serving a day.
★★★★
So glad you liked it!!
What about the cupcakes oven time? And the amount of batter and frosting for the cupcakes and
9 x 13 pan. Seems like with 3 layers there’s too much for the pan 9×13 or cupcakes? So does it need adjusting ?
★★★★★
It doesn’t. It will make a nice thick 9×13 cake 🙂 And yes you will have to bake it longer in a 9×13 pan, In my experience it needs about 40 minutes. For cupcakes you will need less bake time at 20 minutes. You will get about 3 dozen cupcakes!
I need to use up some leftover coconut milk, so I’ve been looking for coconut cake recipes. Your recipe looks delicious!! Do you think I could substitute coconut milk for the buttermilk?
You could, yes 🙂
Yogurt ,Coconut milk, cream of coconut condensed coconut milk,coconut cream which would work best in the cake rather than buttermilk and why or use it in the frosting? Why is the buttermilk so soecial?
There is no buttermilk in the frosting 🙂 And if you don’t have buttermilk you can always make your own. I show you how here: https://cookiesandcups.com/how-to-make-buttermilk/
It’s super easy! Buttermilk aids in making the texture of the cake so tender. But of course if you don’t have it and don’t want to make it, I would honestly just use regular milk!
Looks so yummy! I love ALL your recipes and I want to make this for Easter this weekend but my grocery store is completely picked over and didn’t have buttermilk! Could I substitute something for it, or do you suggest I try and make my own at home?
★★★★★
Ahh yes! Here is the link to my recipe for homemade buttermilk…it’s super easy and works great!
I’ve never baked cakes in parchment paper. Could I just use greased pans instead?
Yes sure! The parchment round just makes releasing the cake extra easy 🙂
I would love to make this delicious looking cake of yours, but I have 3 x 8″ cake pans. Can you recommend what adjustments I would need to make?
You can use 8- inch pans! The layers will just be slightly thicker. You will need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time, but not too much!