Southern Coconut Cake

Fluffy and moist coconut cake, filled and frosted with coconut cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted coconut flakes.

5 from 18 votes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Decorating Time 1

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 6 inch cake pans with non stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the dry ingredients.
2 ½ cups (280 g) cake flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated white sugar with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.)
10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
Then add in the egg whites, vanilla and coconut extract and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and pale in color, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
6 egg whites, at room temperature, 2 teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoon 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), ½ cup (122 g) sour cream
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.
Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans. Bake the cakes for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Add the softened, unsalted butter to a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer on high speed until it is pale in color and fluffy, around 5-8 minutes. (The butter will about double in size).
1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
Add in cold cream cheese and mix until incorporated and fluffy again, 1-2 minutes
8 oz. cream cheese, cold
Sift in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and mix on low then medium-low speed until all is combined together.
4 cups (520 g) powdered sugar
Lastly add in the coconut extract and mix on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 more minutes.
1 teaspoon coconut extract

STEP ONE Getting Perfectly Sized Cake Layers: Once the cakes are completely cooled, make them even by removing the domed tops. With a sharp knife, remove the domed tops from each cake layer until each are flat and can be evenly stacked.
STEP TWO Frosting the Cake: Then place a dollop of coconut cream cheese frosting in the center of your cake turntable. Place the first cake layer over it. Then add a generous amount of coconut cream cheese frosting on top of the cake layer and even it out with your offset spatula, turning the cake turntable as you go. Place the next layer over top and repeat the step. Then place the final layer over the top and place dollops of frosting on the outsides and top of the cake. Even out the frosting as much as possible with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper, scrape the icing across the cake, turning the cake turntable as you go to make this as easy as possible.
STEP THREE Decorating the Cake: Transfer the rest of the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Press shredded coconut on the sides and top of the cake. Pipe decorative swirls on the top edges of the cake. Transfer the cake to a serving plate, then serve!
1 cup (96 g) shredded, sweetened coconut flakes

Keyword cake, coconut, cream cheese frosting, layer cake

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