We are serving up a coconut cake recipe that makes all other cakes look like they’re not even trying. Think your grandma’s recipe is top-tier? Prepare to have your minds blown and your palates schooled because this cake is the ultimate mic drop. It’s so unapologetically coconut, it’s practically a tropical vacation in every bite.

Lifting a slice of coconut cake from serving platter.

This is an extraordinary, yet simple coconut cake. It has a tender, soft, velvety crumb and it keeps well for several days. It is filled and covered completely with coconut buttercream frosting and smothered in coconut.

Baking a cake from scratch is completely doable. This recipe uses the reverse creaming method which coats the flour in butter before adding the liquid. It helps prevent gluten formation and ensures a soft and tender cake.

If you like this cake, check out our coconut cake roll.

Here is Why This Coconut Cake Recipe Works

This is an incredibly delicious cake and just looking at the pictures and recipes is going to tickle your tastebuds. Here is why you will love this cake.

Flavors on Point: Alright, let’s talk about this flavor balance. We’re blending the sweet with the creamy, using coconut milk and extract, so every bite’s got that coconut vibe without making you feel like you’re stranded on a desert island.
Texture That Sings: This cake is so soft, moist, and tender it practically serenades your taste buds. Imagine diving into a cake so fluffy, it’s like biting into a cloud – if clouds were tasty and didn’t require you to be ten thousand feet up in the air.
Frosting Goals: And let’s not skip the best part – the frosting. I’m talking about a frosting so luxurious, it’s practically the cake’s rich, indulgent alter ego. It’s a creamy, dreamy, coconutty cloud that lays on so smooth, you’ll want to put it on everything. Honestly, it’s so good, you’ll be tempted to ditch the cake and just go straight for the frosting with a spoon – not that I’m endorsing that… officially.

A partially eaten slice of coconut cake with coconut buttercream frosting.

Ingredients Needed

Pantry: Cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, all-purpose flour, shredded coconut
Dairy: Butter, sour cream
Condiments: Coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut cream, vanilla extract, coconut extract
Eggs: Egg whites, whole eggs

Ingredients to make coconut ermine frosting.

How to Make This Cake

There are a few components to the cake but this is an easy cake to prepare. Here are the basic steps but make sure you scroll down to the printable recipe card for detailed instructions.

Mixing butter and coconut oil with the dry ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients until they are combined then toss in the butter and coconut oil then blend until it looks like damp sand.
Add the egg whites and whole eggs one at a time then beat the batter well to build up the structure.
Beat in the sour cream.
Mix in the coconut milk, vanilla extract and coconut extract.

Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake.
Make the buttercream. Start by creaming the butter and sugar.
Cook the flour and coconut cream until you have a thick paste, then let it cool.
Add the cooked flour mixture to the creamed butter.

Reverse Creaming Method.

I mentioned above that we are using the reverse creaming method for this cake. If you have never used this method before, you might think it seems strange. It isn’t how your grandma baked a cake.

Instead of creaming the butter and sugar together, you add the butter to the dry ingredients. The fat particles in the butter coat the flour and protect the cake from developing too much gluten. It’s a great method that helps prevent the cake from getting tough.

Tips For Making This Cake.

Have your ingredients at room temperature. If your ingredients are too cold, they will not emulsify well. Room temperature ingredients are KEY to a light and fluffy texture.
Use cake flour for the lightest texture. We have made this recipe with all-purpose flour and it comes out just fine. But when we use cake flour it has a much softer texture.
Use coconut milk for the cake and coconut cream for the buttercream. Make sure you use the kind of coconut milk that comes in a can and not the stuff in cartons that are meant for drinking.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it. If the cake is even slightly warm, the buttercream will melt.
Serve the cake at room temperature. Since this is a butter cake, if you eat it straight from the fridge, the butter will be cold and firm. If you let the butter sit at room temperature, it will soften up which will soften the whole cake.
Careful with Coconut Extract: It seems like a small amount but a little goes a long way! Overdoing the coconut extract can overpower your cake, making the flavor too intense and even artificial.

The Awesome Coconut Buttercream Frosting

And the icing…..you are not going to believe how wonderful and awesome it tastes! It is a spin on an old-fashioned recipe called Ermine frosting or cooked frosting.

I was watching a Food Network show of The Pioneer Woman and she was making some frosting for a chocolate cake that she just baked. She used a cooked flour frosting which is also known as Ermine frosting. It is made by cooking flour and milk into a thick roux. After the roux cools, you add it to whipped butter.

The result is a creamy, light, and fluffy buttercream that is less sweet than traditional American buttercream.

I used Ree’s recipe with a little change from regular milk to coconut cream. I also increased the ratios to accommodate the size of the cake. The result was just so amazing and awesome that it is difficult to imagine anything else for a coconut cake!

Two slices of coconut buttercream cake on plates.

Recipe Variations for Coconut Cake

Chocolate-Coco Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Spread a luxurious chocolate ganache between the layers by heating 1 cup heavy cream until it’s just simmering, then pouring it over 1-3/4 cups chopped dark chocolate. Let it sit, then stir until smooth. Cool until it thickens to a spreadable consistency.

Next, swap the coconut frosting for a rich cream cheese frosting (with a drop of coconut extract blended in) then top the cake with chocolate curls.

Honestly, I prefer the coconut buttercream over cream cheese frosting but this is a great version if you are looking for an extra rich and slightly sweeter cake.

Coconut Lime Cake

Add the zest of two limes to the cake batter to infuse it with a citrusy zing that complements the coconut flavor beautifully.

Modify the original frosting by incorporating 1/2 teaspoon of lime oil and the zest of 1 lime.

More Recipes You Will Love

Here are a few more layer cakes to enjoy.

This tropical carrot cake isn’t your standard carrot cake. It has pineapple and coconut in it to give it a taste of the tropics. The cake is exceptionally moist and tender.

Everyone needs a perfect, no-fail chocolate cake recipe. This is the one! Keep this recipe in your back pocket for dessert emergencies.

This chocolate peanut butter layer cake has 4 layers and makes an impressive presentation. This is a combination that everyone loves!

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The Best Coconut Cake Recipe

Behold the coconut cake that'll make you question every other dessert's existence. It's not just layered with flavor; it's slathered in attitude, blending rich coconut into every layer. This isn't your grandma's bake sale special—it's coconut rebellion in cake form.

4.59 from 111 votes

Print Pin Video Save

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Servings: to 16 servings

Calories: 642kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Coconut Cake:

4 cups cake flour (480 grams)
2-½ cups sugar (500 grams)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter softened (16 tablespoons; 224 grams)
¼ cup melted coconut oil (56 grams)
4 large egg whites (140 grams)
2 whole large eggs (100 grams)
½ cup sour cream (113 grams)
1 cup coconut milk not coconut cream (240 grams)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coconut extract

For the Frosting:

⅔ cup All-purpose flour (80 grams)
2 cups canned coconut cream (480 grams)
2 cups butter (448 grams)
2 cups extra-fine sugar (400 grams)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1-½ cups shredded coconut for the garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F
Prepare three 8”x2” round pans by lining them with parchment paper and then spray the paper with non-stick spray.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed to blend. Add the soft butter and coconut oil and mix until evenly crumbly and looks like damp sand.
Add the egg whites one at a time, then add the whole eggs, beating well after each addition to begin building the structure of the cake.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with each egg addition. Beat in the sour cream.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk with the vanilla and coconut extract. Add this mix ⅓ at a time, to the batter. Beat 1 to 2 minutes after each addition, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 26 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Frosting:

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into the coconut cream and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
This should be very thick, it will look like white school paste. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. I put the pan into the freezer for a few minutes to get it really cold. It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step.
While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (See Notes).
Then add the completely cooled coconut cream/flour mixture a couple tablespoons at a time, and whip it until it looks like whipped cream. Beat in the vanilla and coconut extracts.

To assemble:

When the cake is cool, place one layer on a plate and spread icing on it then sprinkle with some of the shredded coconut.
Repeat with each of the cake layers. Spread the icing on the outside of the cake and over the top, then use the remaining shredded coconut to garnish/cover the cake completely.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

When you make the buttercream, it's important to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy before you add the cooked flour mixture. Make sure the cooked flour mixture is completely cool before adding it to the butter.
You will need coconut milk for the cake and coconut cream for the frosting. Purchase the canned variety of coconut milk, not the kind that comes in cartons for drinking.