The tenderness, moisture, and airiness of this home-made coconut cake are off the charts. Because of the coconut cream cheese icing and the additional shredded coconut that is placed on top, each and every mouthful of the light and airy cake layers is bursting with the scrumptious flavor of coconut. There is no recipe for coconut cake that can compare to this one.
Everyone who gives this recipe for coconut cake a shot will become completely enamored of it. Each morsel is so luscious and tender that it almost disintegrates on the tongue as you chew it. The flavor of coconut is there in each and every speck of the cake. Because coconut essence and sweetened shredded coconut were incorporated into the recipe, not only are the cake layers but also the cream cheese frosting are bursting with the flavor of coconut.
This coconut layer cake is perfect for every occasion because it can be adapted to a variety of tastes and is simple to make. Preparing it is a breeze, as there are just a few simple steps involved, and it will quickly become your go-to cake.
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR THE RECIPE
- For a cake that is both tender and moist, cake flour is an absolute necessity. If you use regular all-purpose flour to make the coconut cake, the consistency of the finished product will be different.
- Leavening agents: to ensure that the cake layers remain airy and tender, use only baking powder and baking soda that have not been opened.
- Because there will already be salt in the batter, use butter that has not been salted. Before using the butter, it is absolutely necessary for it to reach room temperature. It should be soft enough that your finger can make a dent in it, but it shouldn’t be so soft that it leaves a greasy residue behind.
- Egg whites; if you make a cake using only egg whites, it will have an incredible amount of moisture and be very soft.
- Milk, ideally whole milk, is recommended for the best flavor possible and for maintaining the cake’s moistness while it is being baked.
- Coconut that has been shredded, with the exception that sweetened coconut flakes are preferred in terms of both flavor and consistency.
- The frosting can only be made with full-fat cream cheese, which can be purchased in blocks rather than in a tub.
MEASUREMENTS FOR INGREDIENTS
For the Cake:
- 3 cups cake flour (360g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature and cubed (227g)
- 4 egg whites lightly beaten
- 1 cup milk room temperature, (240ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (100g)
For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (227g)
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature (227g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups confectioners’ sugar (600g)
- 2 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut (250g)
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
- Calories: 927kcal
- Carbohydrates: 121g
- Protein: 8g
- Fat: 48g
- Saturated Fat: 32g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 103mg
- Sodium: 526mg
- Potassium: 205mg
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 96g
- Vitamin A: 1233IU
- Vitamin C: 0.2mg
- Calcium: 107mg
- Iron: 1mg
OTHER DETAILS
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 927kcal
Equipment
- 3 9″ cake pan
- Electric or stand mixer
- Mixing Bowls
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- A sifter should be utilized to incorporate the sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into the flour.
2. To make crumbs, simply add the butter and beat for one minute with the paddle attachment of your mixer.
3. After that, add in the egg whites, milk, vanilla essence, and coconut extract. Completely combine the ingredients by swirling them together at a slow speed. After that, reduce the speed to medium and beat the mixture until it is fluffy.
4. After that, include some shredded coconut into the mixture.
5. Evenly distribute the batter among three round cake pans measuring 9 inches in diameter that have been greased and floured. After 15 minutes have passed in the oven, rotate the pans. After twenty minutes, remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.
6. Sixth, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer equipped with the whisk attachment, whip the butter until it is fluffy and light. Cream cheese should have extracts of vanilla bean, coconut, and salt added to it before serving. Blend and whip until the mixture is fluffy and light. While the mixer is on low speed and you are scraping the bowl after each addition of sugar, gently add the sugar a cup at a time until you have added all of the sugar.
7. Create a cake stand that can hold just one layer of the cake. Spread one cup of frosting over the top in an even layer. Add one more layer of cake on top of the previous one, then frost it all over. Place the last layer of the cake on top. Apply the icing that is left over to the exterior of the cake.
8. Cover the entire cake in coconut and push it into the frosting all over so that it is evenly distributed. The coconut cake needs to be chilled for at least half an hour in order to achieve clean, uniform slices.
PROFESSIONAL GUIDE TO MAKING THIS RECIPE
- There are a few other kinds of milk that could be used successfully in this recipe for coconut cake. It is possible to use either regular milk, canned coconut milk, or buttermilk as an alternative. Using buttermilk will result in a lighter crumb, and using coconut milk will lend a bit of flavor to the cake; but, using regular milk will still result in a very nice cake even if you don’t use either of those ingredients.
- If the extract is particularly strong, use a smaller quantity of it. If you don’t like the flavor, you can also omit the coconut extract from the recipe.
- Tap the cake pans a few times on the counter to expel any air bubbles that may be trapped inside.
- If you let the eggs, milk, and butter get to room temperature before using them in the recipe, you won’t have to worry about overmixing the batter. When you overmix the recipe, you end up with a coconut cake that is very dense.
- Verify that the amount of flour you’re using is correct by checking its measurement. Using a scale to measure the flour is the most accurate technique to prevent the cake layers from becoming excessively dense. If you do not have a scale, you may simply use a spoon to aerate the flour before pouring it into the cups and using a knife to smooth the tops of the cups. By employing this method, you will eliminate the possibility of overfilling the measuring cup by accident.
- Using a knife with a serrated edge, remove any domes that form on the top of the layers. This will prevent the layers from collapsing. Cake strips enable you to create layers of completely uniform thickness. During the baking process, using cake strips to keep the outer border of the pan at a cooler temperature will prevent a dome from forming in the center of the cake. Check out my tutorial for an alternative to the commercially available cake strips.
FAQs
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE CAKE IF IT IS LEFTOVER?
You may keep any leftover coconut cake in the fridge for up to three days if you cover it well.
MAY I PREPARE THIS IN ADVANCE?
You can bake the entire cake in advance, or just the individual layers, and put everything together shortly before serving. The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen for up to three months, as long as they are tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. The frosting can be made a week in advance and kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
WHEN SHOULD I FREEZE THIS CAKE?
The finished coconut cake or individual servings can be frozen. The cake or slices can be frozen for up to three months if they are wrapped in many layers of plastic. Before serving, just let the cake or slice come to room temperature.
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