Coconut Cream Cake
This perfect coconut cream cake is an extra delicate and soft white coconut cake, soaked with sweet coconut milk, filled with coconut pastry cream and frosted with silky coconut cream cheese frosting. It’s so incredibly soft, packed full of coconut flavor, with the most irresistible texture from the coconut milk soak. The most perfect and creamy coconut cake!
Why you’ll love this coconut cream cake
- Perfectly soft and delicate coconut white cake– This cake is incredibly soft and flavored with coconut extract and coconut milk, to give it the strongest coconut flavor. The coconut milk and sour cream also work together in the cake batter along with the creamed butter and well mixed egg whites to give the cake the most fluffy and soft texture.
- Coconut milk soak- Canned coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk are mixed together to create a deliciously sweet coconut milk soak. After the cake bakes, it will get poked with holes, and this delicious mixture will get poured over the cake, allowing it to soak up all that sweet coconut goodness!
- Coconut pastry cream– After the milk soak, homemade coconut pastry cream is piped into the cake so that each bite has little pockets of sweet and delicious coconut cream flavor.
- Coconut cream cheese frosting- Coconut cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch for the cake. It’s silky and fluffy and makes each bite of cake just completely melt in your mouth!
For the full recipe, including measurements, step by step instructions, and bake time, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is just a brief overview!
Tips for baking a soft and moist coconut cream cake
Room Temperature Ingredients- You’ll have the best textured cake if you use room temperature ingredients instead of cold. Cold wet ingredients, like egg whites, sour cream, and coconut milk, can cause the cake to bake with more of a gummy consistency, and we don’t want that. We want a moist and fluffy cake!
Mixing the Batter- You’ll want to cream the butter and sugar together until pale in color and fluffy, and the egg whites should be mixed in until smooth. It’s okay at this point to mix a lot, as we’re adding air into the eggs, helping to give the batter a “lift”. However, mix the dry ingredients on low speed just until they are blended into the wet ingredients to avoid an overly dense cake.
Measuring Your Flour Properly- If you learn anything from making this recipe, please let it be this: measure your flour (and all other ingredients) with a digital kitchen scale. Don’t scoop your measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to inaccurate flour measurements and therefore, a wonky bake.
Baking Pan- I recommend using a light colored, metal baking pan. This will help to ensure that the cake gets baked evenly. A glass or dark colored baking pan can cause baking variations, like the cake baking too quickly, being over-baked in some areas, while not fully baked in others.
Coconut Cream Cake FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, for three days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before enjoying for the best texture!
Yes! See my OG Southern Coconut Cake Recipe.
I have been on my own gluten free journey lately and have found that most of my recipes turn out great GF- Hooray! There is a caveat though, I can only say the recipe will come out good with Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour. This is not sponsored, but my true opinion. This is the only gluten free flour I use as it bakes most similarly to regular, all-purpose flour.
If you make this coconut cake please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see your creation! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try
Coconut Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the Coconut Pastry Cream
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (19 g) cornstarch
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in cubes
For the Coconut Cake
- 2 1/2 cups (280 g) cake flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- 6 egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp coconut extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) canned, full fat coconut milk (unsweetened), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (122 g) sour cream, at room temperature
For the Coconut Milk Soak
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) canned, full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup (75 g/60 ml) sweetened condensed milk
For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
- 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar
- 1- 1 1/2 tsp coconut extract (depending on how strong of a flavor you would like)
- 1 cup (96 g) shredded, sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
For the Coconut Pastry Cream
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat just until it’s steaming. Then, turn heat down to low until ready to use.1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk
- To a large bowl add the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla, coconut extract and cornstarch and whisk until combined and a pale-yellow color. (It will be thick at first but will get smooth as you whisk.)4 egg yolks, 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar, pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp coconut extract, 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (19 g) cornstarch
- Add in 1/4 of the heated milk while stirring vigorously. Then, add the rest in and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, mixing continuously, until the mixture is thick, soft peaks form and has a slight jiggle when stirred.
- Remove the pastry cream from the heat and transfer it to a bowl. Add in the butter and mix to combine. Place plastic wrap right on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill it in the fridge until completely cold.2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in cubes
For the Coconut Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175 ℃). Grease a 9×9 inch pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.2 1/2 cups (280 g) cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add the softened butter and granulated white sugar to a large bowl. Cream together for 2 minutes with an electric mixer. (You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- Then add in the egg whites, vanilla, and coconut extract and mix on medium speed until pale in color and smooth, about 1 minute.6 egg whites, at room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp coconut extract
- Add in the coconut milk and sour cream and mix on medium speed just until combined.1 cup (240 ml) canned, full fat coconut milk (unsweetened), at room temperature, 1/2 cup (122 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- Add in the dry ingredients a little at a time. Mix on low then medium speed just until the batter is combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes or until a light golden color and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
For the Coconut Milk Soak
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk together. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.1/3 cup (80 ml) canned, full fat coconut milk (unsweetened), 1/4 cup (75 g/60 ml) sweetened condensed milk
For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and mix on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Then add in the cream cheese and mix on high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
- Sift in the powdered sugar, and add in the coconut extract. Mix on low speed until combined, then on high speed for about 1 minute until fluffy again.2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar, 1- 1 1/2 tsp coconut extract (depending on how strong of a flavor you would like)
Assembling the Cake
- When the cake is completely cooled, cut a very thin layer off the top of the cake using a sharp knife. This will make it easier for the coconut milk mixture to absorb into the cake. Transfer it to a serving plate. Poke holes on the top of the cake using the handle of a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Slowly pour the coconut milk mixture on top of the cake. It will be a bit thick. Use an offset spatula, if needed, to spread the mixture and help it absorb into the cake.
- Transfer the cooled pastry cream to a piping bag. Pipe the pastry cream into the holes of the cake. Some will inevitably leak out, so use an offset spatula to spread the pastry cream over the surface of the cake.
- Frost the top of the cake with a thick layer of coconut cream cheese frosting using an offset spatula. Sprinkle shredded coconut over the top of the cake. Then cut into 16 slices and serve!1 cup (96 g) shredded, sweetened coconut flakes
