Easy Coconut Cake
This moist, Easy Coconut Cake is so flavorful and perfect for birthdays and other special occasions! This is a cake mix recipe with add-ins to make it rich and flavorful.
Servings: 15 servings
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix, sifted (15.25 oz) (We used Duncan Hines White Cake Mix- Perfectly Moist)
- 1 cup all purpose flour (121g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ teaspoon generous dash of salt
- 1 cup sour cream (242g) (We used "full fat")
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted (113g) (This is ½ cup butter)
- 1¼ cup milk (300g) (we use 2 percent or whole milk)
- 3 whole large eggs
- 2½ teaspoons coconut extract (10g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut (We use Bakers Angel Flake)
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 16 oz cream cheese 452g (We used two 8 oz packages of full fat cream cheese.)
- 1-1 ½ teaspoons 4g-6g coconut extract (adjust to your liking)
- 1 teaspoon 4g vanilla extract
- 6 to 6 ½ cups powdered sugar (747g)
- pinch salt
Decoration
- Additional sweetened coconut to press into the frosted cake .
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease and flour three 8x2 round cake pans. We also like to line ours with circles of parchment paper (optional).
- In the bowl of your mixer, combined all ingredients except for the flaked coconut (which we will add at the end).
- Mix the ingredients on low speed for about 15 seconds to incorporate, then mix on medium speed for two minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Gently fold in the cup of flaked coconut.
- Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. (If you don't have a toothpick, you can insert a thin, sharp knife.)
- Cool the baked layers in their pans on a wire rack for ten minutes before turning out.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of your mixer. Mix on low to medium speed until the butter is smooth. Cut the softened cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, along with the salt, mixing at low to medium speed until incorporated.
- Add the vanilla and coconut extracts. Gradually add the powdered sugar mixing on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel as needed to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.
- Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy. Don't over mix or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
Frosting and Decorating
- Once the cake layers have cooled completely, place the first cake layer on the cake pedestal. Spread with the top a layer of cream cheese. Repeat for the next cake layer. Then, top with the last cake layer.
- Frost the cake around the sides and on top with frosting. Press sweetened, flaked coconut into the top and sides of the frosted cake.
Notes
Freezing: These coconut cake layers can be made ahead and frozen. When freezing, we like to wrap each layer individually with plastic wrap and then foil. (You can place each layer on a foil-wrapped cake cardboard before wrapping for extra stability).
Freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, place on the kitchen counter, still wrapped for 25-30 minutes. Then, unwrap and continue thawing to desired amount. Some bakers prefer to decorate their cakes while still partially frozen, as they are less fragile and easier to handle.