The Ultimate Moist Coconut Cake
A game-changing coconut cake featuring soft, tender layers made with canned coconut milk, topped with a dreamy coconut cream cheese frosting and finished with textured shredded coconut.
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 280g, sifted
- 1/4 cup cornstarch 30g
- 1 tbsp baking powder fresh
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113g, room temperature
- 5 tbsp unflavored vegetable oil 66g, canola recommended
- 1 2/3 cups white granulated sugar 332g
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract or 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/4 cups canned coconut milk 275g, shaken well
- 1 cup shredded coconut 80g, dried and unsweetened
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting & Decoration
- 1 cup unsalted butter 225g, room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups icing sugar 570g, powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups cream cheese 335g, cold, firm block type
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut 120g, dried and unsweetened for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C) fan-forced or 350°F (175°C) no fan. Grease two 8-inch pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Sift flour and cornstarch into a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Cream room-temperature butter, oil, and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing for 15 seconds between each. Add vanilla, coconut extract, and 1/2 cup coconut milk. Mix to combine.
- By hand, alternate folding in the dry ingredients and the remaining 3/4 cup coconut milk using a spatula. Do not overmix.
- Fold in 1 cup of shredded coconut. Divide batter between pans and bake for 33 minutes. Cool completely.
- Beat frosting butter until fluffy. Add icing sugar in batches. Mix in cold cream cheese and extracts until just smooth.
- Frost the cake layers and coat the exterior. Press 1.5 cups of shredded coconut into the sides and top of the frosting.
Notes
Always use unsweetened shredded coconut to avoid over-sweetness. Ensure cream cheese is the cold, firm block type for the best frosting stability.