Fresh Coconut Layer Cake Recipe

Fresh coconut layer cake

The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Prep: 50 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 16 servings

This is a delicious and moist fresh coconut cake with fluffy frosting. Make this cake as a special dessert for Easter, Christmas, or other special dinner or family gathering.

You will need parchment paper for this recipe.

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 10 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing the pans

  • 3/4 cup coconut milk, or regular whole milk, or a combination of coconut milk and regular whole milk

  • 1/2 cup fresh coconut, grated

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 1/4 cups cake flour, or pastry flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

  • 3 large eggs

  • Cooking spray

For the Fluffy Coconut Frosting

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 large egg whites

  • 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups fresh coconut. grated

Steps to Make It

Make the Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for cake
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  2. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with a little bit of butter. Line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper or waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper and sides of the pans; set aside. Heat oven to 350 F.

    Fresh coconut layer cake
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  3. Heat the coconut milk with 1/2 cup coconut and the 1 teaspoon vanilla until hot.

    Heat coconut milk
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  4. Put in blender and process until coconut is finely chopped. Set aside.

    Put in blender
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  5. Sift the cake flour into a bowl with the baking powder and salt; set aside.

    Soft the cake flour
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  6. In a bowl of electric mixer, beat butter until light and creamy.

    Beat butter
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  7. Gradually add the 1 1/2 cups sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, scraping the bowl and beating for about a minute after each addition.

    Add sugar
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  8. Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping sides of the bowl frequently.

    Add eggs
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  9. Slowly, add about one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, along with half of the milk/coconut/vanilla mixture. Beat on low speed until blended.

    Mix
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  10. Scrape the bowl and repeat with another one-third of the dry mixture and the remaining milk mixture.

    Scrape sides
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  11. Scrape the bowl and repeat with remaining flour mixture. Scrape the bowl and continue beating on low speed for a few seconds.

    Scrape bowl
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  12. Spoon batter into the two baking pans, spreading evenly.

    Spoon batter
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  13. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned and sides pull away from the sides of the pans.

    Baked cake
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  14. Cool in pans on racks for 15 minutes.

    Cool
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  15. Invert onto racks which have been sprayed with a little nonstick coating to cool completely.

    Invert onto racks
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Make the Frosting

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for frosting
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  2. Bring the 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil; cover and cook without stirring for 1 minute.

    Pot
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  3. Uncover and boil, stirring frequently until mixture is hot enough to spin a thread when a little is dropped from a spoon, or to about 230 F. Remove from heat and set aside.

    Boil
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  4. In the bowl of electric mixer -- with whisk attachment if available -- beat the eggs until fluffy and soft peaks form when you lift the beaters or whisk.

    Beat eggs
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  5. Still beating on high speed, gradually add the sugar syrup in a thin stream. Continue beating until the frosting is fluffy and holds peaks.

    Beat
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Assemble the Cake

  1. Invert one of the cakes onto a serving plate.

    Cake on plate
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  2. Frost top and sides with frosting.

    Frost top
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  3. Place the second layer atop the first and frost the top and sides liberally.

    Frost top
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  4. Sprinkle the freshly grated coconut over the top of the cake and toss coconut gently onto the sides.

    Sprinkle coconut
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  5. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

    Serve
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Recipe Variations

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
306 Calories
15g Fat
41g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 306
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 11g 57%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 209mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 32g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 109mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)