Description
This Coconut Cream Cake recipe brings island vibes to your kitchen. Layers of moist cake, creamy frosting, and toasted coconut flakes for pure bliss.
Ingredients
Scale
- Cake Base Essentials:
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Creamy Frosting Goodness:
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Finishing Touches:
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
- Make It Special (Optional):
- ½ cup shredded coconut, toasted
Instructions
- Prep Your Pans & Dry Mix:: First things first, preheat that oven to 350°F (175°C) and get two 8-inch round cake pans ready. Grease and flour them, or line them with parchment paper – I prefer parchment for easy release, especially after my pan-sticking incident! In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make sure it’s all combined; you don’t want pockets of un-leavened flour. I always give it a good sniff; sometimes the flour has a really earthy smell.
- Cream Butter & Sugar:: In a large bowl, or your stand mixer, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3-5 minutes. It should look almost pale yellow and airy. This step is crucial for a tender cake, so don’t rush it! I sometimes get impatient and cut this short, and my cake isn’t quite as fluffy as I like. Learn from my mistakes, friend!
- Add Eggs & Vanilla:: Beat in the large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often! Then, stir in that lovely vanilla extract. The mixture will look rich and glossy at this point, and it smells amazing already! Don’t worry if it looks a little curdled; it’ll come together when you add the dry ingredients.
- Alternate Wet & Dry:: Now, it’s time to add the dry ingredients alternately with the full-fat coconut milk, starting and ending with the dry. So, flour mix, then coconut milk, then flour mix, and so on. Mix on low speed just until combined – seriously, *just* combined. Overmixing develops the gluten, making for a tough cake, and we want tender! My kitchen usually looks like a flour bomb went off at this stage, but it’s worth it.
- Bake the Coconut Cream Cake Layers:: Divide the batter evenly between your prepared cake pans. Pop them in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The edges should be lightly golden, and your kitchen will start smelling like a tropical dream. Let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is a virtue here!
- Whip Up the Frosting & Assemble:: While the cakes cool, make the frosting! In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat until light, fluffy, and spreadable. Once the cake layers are completely cool, frost your Coconut Cream Cake. Layer the cakes with frosting in between, then frost the top and sides. Press the shredded coconut onto the sides and top for that signature look. It’s okay if it’s a little messy; that’s the charm!