This perfect coconut cake sets the bar for homemade cakes everywhere. It’s supremely moist with a soft fluffy crumb and intense coconut flavor. For success, follow this recipe carefully including using cake flour, egg whites, sour cream, and canned coconut milk.
At the request of many readers, let me introduce you to the best coconut cake I’ve ever had. Homemade with love for coconut lovers everywhere, this cake exceeds my expectations. Complete with silky coconut cream cheese buttercream, she’s absolutely perfect and juxtaposes bold flavor with a light crumb.
I endlessly tested this cake recipe. In fact, I’m pretty sure my head turned into an actual coconut during the process. Is there shredded coconut caked into the crevices of my kitchen floor and backsplash? Yes.
5 Reasons to Love This Coconut Cake Recipe
Not Dry: This coconut cake is mega moist. There’s no point wasting your time (or calories!) on dry cakes.
Intensely Flavorful: Using coconut milk, shredded coconut, and coconut extract, you are guaranteed an intensely flavorful coconut cake.
Soft & Fluffy: Following the recipe carefully, as well as using the power ingredients described below, you are guaranteed a soft-as-silk coconut cake crumb.
Any Shape: Use this cake batter for coconut bundt cake, coconut cupcakes, a 2 layer cake, 3 layer cake, or a coconut sheet cake.
Ingredients:
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup lemon-lime soft drink
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pineapple Filling
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (6-ounce) package frozen flaked coconut, thawed
Garnish: fresh mint sprig
Preparation :
Grease bottom and sides of 3 (9-inch) round cakepans; line bottoms with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper.
Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup juice. Remove 1/4 cup reserved juice for Cream Cheese Frosting, and reserve crushed pineapple for Pineapple Filling.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Combine 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice and soft drink. Add flour to butter mixture alternately with juice mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts. Pour into prepared cakepans.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately; cool on wire racks.
Spread 3/4 cup Pineapple Filling between cake layers and remaining filling on top of cake. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on sides of cake; pipe border around top, if desired. Sprinkle with coconut. Garnish, if desired.
*For lemon-lime soft drink, we used 7-Up. Its specific level of carbonation makes the layers rise beautifully.