Light and Fluffy Coconut Cake
This coconut cake is guaranteed to be the BEST coconut cake you’ve ever had. It has light and tender coconut cake layers, a creamy coconut filling, and coconut cream cheese frosting. It’s a coconut lover’s dream come true!
Since I first shared this old-fashioned “southern” coconut cake recipe in 2010, this cake has been a favorite with pretty much everyone. I have family and friends request it for birthdays and holidays, and it’s the recipe on my site with the most consistent 5-star reviews. There’s no doubt about it, everyone LOVES this cake!
What makes this coconut cake special?
- The coconut flavor really comes through in every aspect of this cake, from the cake layers to the frosting, to the toasted coconut on top!
- Using canned coconut milk not only helps with flavor, but it also make the cake super moist and tender.
- It’s an elegant yet comforting dessert, perfect for any occasion.
One bite and I know you’ll agree, this really is the best coconut cake recipe!
“I just want to say that I was so intimidated by this recipe at first. I bake a lot-but usually not cakes. This sounded so complicated! But, tomorrow is my mom’s birthday and coconut cake is her favorite. So, I gave it a try. Just want to say that everything turned out beautifully! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!!!” — reader Diane
Table of Contents
- What makes this coconut cake special?
- How to make the best coconut layer cake
- My best cake tips
- Flavor variations
- Make this cake now!
How to make the best coconut layer cake
Layer cakes are a labor of love and can be a bit time-consuming, but this coconut cake is more than worth it! Make sure to read and follow all of my tips below for the most success. I’ve done my homework and fine-tuned this recipe over the last 10 years, and it’s practically fool-proof.
There are 4 components to this cake: coconut cake layers, coconut cream cheese buttercream frosting, creamy coconut filling and a toasted coconut topping. Let me show you how to make it!
Moist and tender coconut cake layers
These white cake layers are so soft and very tender. They’re flavored with both coconut flavoring and coconut milk, which adds a lot of richness and helps keep the cake layers moist.
This recipe uses the reverse creaming method, which means all the dry ingredients are beaten together with the butter before the egg whites and coconut milk are added at the end. It’s not any more difficult than using the traditional creaming method, and I like how light the cake layers turn out.
Tip: Bake the cake layers in advance for easy assembly. I usually bake mine at least 1 day ahead of when I will assemble the final cake. Cake layers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and in the freezer for a month or more. See my tips on how to store cake layers here.
Rich coconut cream cheese frosting
For frosting, I’ve taken my classic cream cheese frosting and added coconut flavoring. I love the combo together and it’s the perfect rich topping to complement the light cake layers and whipped filling. (If you want a lighter/less-sweet frosting, I recommend trying my chantilly cream frosting instead.)
Creamy coconut filling
To balance the sweetness of the cake layers and cream cheese frosting, the filling for this southern coconut cake is simply whipped cream folded together with just a bit of frosting. It’s very light and creamy, with a hint of coconut flavor and sweetness.
Tip: This is my hack for many layer cakes where I want a slightly different filling between the layers than the overall frosting. Simply fold whipped cream and a bit of frosting together! Voila!
Top it with toasted coconut
Coconut is of course the perfect finish for this cake. I prefer to toast it in the oven until it’s golden brown, but you can also leave it untoasted for an all-white appearance. Use sweetened coconut or unsweetened coconut, coconut flakes or shredded coconut, it’s all up to you!
And together with the coconut cake layers, creamy filling, and cream cheese frosting is a magical coconutty combination. It’s delicious! And I know you’re going to love it as much as we do.
My best cake tips
- Need help assembling and frosting layer cakes? If you’re new to bakinglayer cakes or need a little help, be sure to check out my complete guide for how to build a layer cake. It’s got everything you need to know!
- This recipe uses one 13.5-oz can of unsweetened coconut milk (plus more for the frosting if you want). If you don’t see it in the baking aisle, look for it with the Asian foods. You can also use whole milk in a pinch, just increase coconut extract by 1 teaspoon in both the cake and frosting.
- You can use either 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. (These are the pans I have and love.) 8-inch pans will yield a taller cake, 9-inch will yield one that’s wider. I baked this cake in 3 8-inch pans, but if using 9-inch, only bake 2 layers.
- Use parchment paper rounds to prevent sticking! The cake layers are so tender, so don’t skip this step and be sure to grease your pans too. Here’s all my tips for prepping cake pans before baking.
- Handle baked cake layers carefully. For best results, chill layers completely in the fridge for several hours or overnight so they are firm and easier to work with. See my tips for storing cake layers.
baking tip:Why you should use cake flour
If you don’t have cake flour on hand, substitute 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for 1 cup of cake flour. You can also simply just use all-purpose flour, cup for cup. The results won’t quite be the same, there’s not the same guarantee of success, but you’ll likely still have a delicious cake.
Flavor variations
I love this cake so much, I’ve made a few variations that are equally delicious! These all use the coconut cake layers as a starting point:
Make this cake now!
Recipe originally published in April 2010, with slight improvements to the recipe and clearer instructions added over the years. Most recent update April 2025, it’s just as awesome as ever!
Light and Fluffy Coconut Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the Coconut Cake:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 ½ cup (375 ml) unsweetened full fat coconut milk , divided
- 2 teaspoons coconut flavoring (see Notes)
- 3 cups (340 grams) cake flour
- 2 ⅓ cups (470 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
For the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:
- 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese , softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (455 grams) powdered sugar , sifted
- 1-3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
For the Whipped Coconut Filling:
- 1 cup of the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting , above
- 1 cup (250 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 cups (85 grams) flaked or shredded coconut , for decoration
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour (or use nonstick baking spray) two or three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. (See Notes)
- In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg whites, ½ cup of the coconut milk, and coconut flavoring just until combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and remaining 1 cup coconut milk and combine on low speed until moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed so the mixture is uniform.
- Add the egg white mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing just long enough to incorporate between additions.
- Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes. Baking time will vary based on pan size and how many layers you're baking, so start checking when the tops look dry and set. The tops should bounce back when gently pressed.
- Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely. If making cake layers in advance, wrap in plastic and store in the fridge for up to 2 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month (thaw in the freezer overnight before using).
To make the buttercream:
- Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy. Add the coconut flavoring and enough coconut milk (or regular milk) to reach a spreadable consistency. Mix until smooth.
To make the Whipped Cream Cheese Filling:
- With a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add 1 cup of the cream cheese buttercream a spoonful at a time while mixing on medium-high speed. Whip to soft peaks.
To frost and decorate the cake:
- Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Cover with some whipped cream cheese filling. Repeat with the rest of the layers and filling. Frost the entire cake with the cream cheese buttercream as desired.
- To toast coconut, spread the coconut on a sheet pan. Toast in a 350°F oven until golden, checking every 2 minutes. Watch it carefully, the coconut will burn fast. Let it cool completely before adding to the frosted cake.
- Chill the cake for one hour before serving. Store in the fridge, cake will keep for several days.
Video
Notes
- This recipe uses one 13.5-oz can of unsweetened coconut milk (plus more for the frosting if you want).
- “Coconut flavoring” can be coconut extract or coconut baking emulsion flavoring. This is what I use.
- The cake can be baked in either 8 or 9-inch pans and you can use 2 or 3 pans, depending on the look you’re going for. Be sure to not fill cake pans more than 2/3 full, or they may overflow in the oven. If using 8-inch pans, make sure they are deep enough, or bake more separate layers.
- This recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method, meaning you cream the butter and sugar along with the dry ingredients. This coats the flour with a layer of fat, resulting in a very light texture.
We will begin by first saying BEAUTIFUL photos!!! We would love to have a piece of this coconut cake right about now.
I’m so glad you finally got a good night’s sleep! I hear how hard it is all the time to just hear lie there as your baby is crying but I guess it’s something you gotta train them to do. I’m sure when it comes time for me to have children, this’ll be something I learn to do!
This cake is absolutely stunning and has all the flavors I love!
This may have to be my first post Passover baking project.
By the way, my daughter will be 28 on 4/6, but I still remember using Dr. Ferber’s book to get her to sleep through the night after 18 months of endless fussy nightly marathons. I swear she cried every time I put her down for the first year, and rarely napped!
Oh my, this cake looks delicious! I’ve tried out many coconut cake recipes so far but none of them really conquered me, so I can’t wait to try yours out because I have a feeling it will be the one I was looking for!
xo, Elisa
I made this cake and is tasted wonderful, however, it was VERY small. It didn’t seem to rise very much. The cake was tiny, 8″ 2 layer cake but only made it to about 3″ in height. I did the recipe step by step. What could have gone wrong?
My bet would be that the egg whites weren’t whipped enough to and/or when added you stirred them too much. You need to make sure there is plenty of air (but don’t over whip the whites) for the cake to leaven properly.
I made it and the taste is remarkable my nieces and nephews even loved it, and asking me to make it again for them, and I’m definitely be doing this again for them!! Thanks, I will include this on my recipe list. Other likable recipes at http://www.everything-cake.com and http://www.everything-bread.com .
I don’t know what I did wrong, but the icing would just not firm up. The cakes look great, but the icing is runny and liquefied. I guess I will just go with a regular cream cheese frosting.
I halved the coconut flavoring. I made as stated the first time, it was just too much. Also, the icing is to runny, why add 1 cup of milk? Not well written, buy great cake.
Leslie, I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe! Just came back to double check I hadn’t made a mistake, but there is no 1 cup milk in the frosting. Maybe you were confused about the 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes?
What a fabulous recipe! I used this recipe over the weekend to make my boyfriends Birthday cake. I searched quite a bit for one with ingredients that I felt would make a spectacular cake, and found them in yours! Instead of the frosting that goes with this, I made my own coconut whipped buttercream frosting; not a big fan of the eggwhite frostings.
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing and to let you know I credited your site on my blog for your fabulously sweet recipe.
Thanks 🙂
FabulouslySweet.com
I am not understanding why you would grease and flour the pans and then line with parchment paper. Do you mean to do one or the other? I also assume I am using the frosting as the filling, too? Thanks. It looks great and I am wanting to make this as a birthday cake for someone who really loves coconut through and through.
It’s my experience that merely greasing the pan is not enough to ensure that a cake will come away from the pan intact, and so I like to use parchment paper as well. And greasing the parchment paper ensures that it too will come away from the cake without taking any of the cake with it. And yes, the icing should be used as the filling. Good luck with the birthday cake, I’m sure the coconut lover will enjoy it!
I just wanted to say that if you grease the pan, then swirl flour to cover the entire pan, this is a guaranteed way for the cake to not stick. Make sure to dump any ‘un-stuck’ flour. My mom used to make and sell cakes, and this was her trick. Hope that helps too 🙂
I made this cake yesterday for my family and oh my God!!! it was a big hit. This is a real coconut cake from beginning to end. The only thing i did differently is I added both coconut and vanilla flavoring to the cake and the frosting and yes..I added a little coconut milk to the frosting as well…This is my go to coconut cake. Thank you…Thank you..thank you for this recipe.
I made this cake for my husband's birthday last weekend and it was a hit. This cake is delicious and beautiful. And thanks for the tip about how to make it all level – I enjoyed eating the cake scraps, and it made the cake look so nice once it was frosted.
I made a whipped cream frosting with a little coconut extract in it, and topped it with toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes. But it was the cake that wowed. Thanks for such an amazing recipe! ~leslie
extremely yummy coconut cake! thanks for making my husband's birthday cake such a delicious and happy surprise. Our frosting, though, had a bit of a runny marshmallow-like consistency. Is that the way it's supposed to be or did I do something incorrectly? thanks!
Thanks for sharing this recipe…I halved it and made a mini cake using 6 inch round pans. I didn't have time to work with the frosting so I used a basic cream cheese frosting, subbing coconut milk and extract for the regular milk and vanilla extract. It turned out delish!!! Thanks again!
DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for sharing! Was easy to make. Used two 9" round because I didn't have 8" rounds and baked for 33 min. Love it and will make again.
Have made this cake 3 times now…My family and friends love it…moist and tastes great! Thanks for sharing!