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

1. Preheat the oven and grease two round cake pans.
2. 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.
3. Combine buttermilk with baking soda in a small bowl and then set it aside.
4. Pulse sweetened flaked coconut in a food processor until the flakes become fine.
5. Transfer the fine coconut flakes into an empty stand mixer bowl.
6. Add cake flour, granulated sugar, powdered milk, and salt to the bowl of fine coconut flakes and mix to combine.
7. Mix in softened unsalted butter until a sandy texture forms.
8. Scrape the sides of the bowl down and then beat in large egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, and coconut extract.
9. Beat in the buttermilk mixture in three parts until fully combined.
10. Fold in the stiff egg whites until well combined.
11. 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.
12. 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

1. Prepare the homemade frosting by beating cream cheese with salted butter until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture, alternating with heavy cream.
3. Beat in vanilla extract and coconut extract.
4. 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.
5. 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!

This recipe was originally published in March 2016 and was updated in April 2025 with an improved method and photos.ro