Old Fashioned Moist Coconut Cake Recipe

The All-time Coconut Cake Y'all'll Ever Make

published Apr 10, 2019 — last updated February 22, 2022

This is hands downwards the BEST Coconut Cake recipe you'll e'er make. This easy kokosnoot cake recipe uses fresh kokosnoot and a secret ingredient to make the coconut cake extra moist!

I dear this coconut cake recipe and  I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that it is the BEST Kokosnoot Cake You'll Ever Brand! Information technology has been making an appearance as a vacation dessert at our family dinners since I was a footling daughter.

The secret ingredient is cream of coconut and fresh coconut. Information technology is SO much ameliorate than the dried, sweetened coconut yous find in the baking aisle!

This cake is a southern tradition only like this Hummingbird Cake and Sock information technology to Me Cake, and I love my grandma's version.

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Ingredients

• White cake mix – I've always used white cake mix for this but I do use the egg yolks in the eggs so honestly a yellow block mix works just too. It volition just but a piddling darker yellow.
• Sour foam – Make sure you use total fatty sour cream for this!
• Vegetable oil – I've been asked if you can substitute butter for the vegetable oil and the respond is yes. You tin do a 1:one exchange of melted butter. I suggest unsalted butter so you lot don't add together whatever actress salt to the mixture.
• Eggs – You lot'll be using 6 large eggs for the 3 layer version of this cake.
• Cream of coconut – See beneath for an explanation of the difference betwixt cream of kokosnoot vs kokosnoot cream. They are different!
• Foam cheese – Utilise a block of total fat cream cheese not whipped foam cheese or reduced fat foam cheese.
• Milk – Y'all could also use heavy cream if you adopt.
• Powdered carbohydrate
• Vanilla extract or Coconut extract – My grandma e'er fabricated this cake with vanilla extract in the frosting simply I have started using coconut extract instead to give it just a little actress boost of flavour.
• Fresh frozen coconut – This is the star of the dish! The fresh coconut tastes so much different than dehydrated coconut and gives the cake a totally dissimilar texture. If you accept trouble finding it in your area meet the notes below almost other options and where to find it.

What is Cream of Coconut vs. Kokosnoot Foam?

Cream of Coconut is coconut foam that has been sweetened like sweetened condensed milk in coconut grade. It is most often used in cocktails and has a super intense and sugariness coconut flavor. This recipe calls for cream of coconut and you should non substitute kokosnoot foam. Yous can find cream of kokosnoot with the other drink mixers at the grocery store. The most common brand is Coco Lopez or Coco Real.

If you buy a little more than you need whip up a batch of our Pina Colada Tropical Fruit Salad or Pina Colada Cake Bites.

Kokosnoot cream is the cream that rises to the height of coconut milk. You tin make your own by simmering 4 parts shredded coconut in one part water.

Doctored Upwards Cake Mix

My grandma used to make it for Easter, Thanksgiving, and if I asked extra prissy, Christmas! Everyone in my family loves it, fifty-fifty the ones who aren't a big fan of coconut.

She wasn't a from scratch baker (that was my other grandma) and this cake starts with a box of block mix but you doctor it upwards by skipping the instructions and ingredients on the back of the box and instead calculation eggs, oil, sour cream and cream of coconut.

Coconut for Cake

I know I've said it several times at present but the fresh coconut really is the star of this cake recipe. Over the years we've gotten a lot of feedback from readers and the biggest issue is people non being about to find it in stores.

I've detailed places to find information technology beneath just if you tin can't here are some substitutions for your cake:

• Unsweetened toasted coconut flakes
• Sweetened kokosnoot flakes/shredded coconut
• Unsweetened coconut flakes/shredded coconut

Where Tin can I Observe Frozen (Fresh) Coconut:

The thing that I think makes it so much better than a lot of store bought coconut cakes is that it is coated in fresh coconut. None of that shredded coconut you find on the shelves. Fresh kokosnoot is usually shaved and can be found in the freezer section well-nigh the frozen fruit at the grocery store.

Goya, Bird's Eye, and Harris Teeter are the brands of fresh frozen coconut I have used. I have found them at Harris Teeter, Nutrient Panthera leo, Trader Joe's (it comes in chunks you volition need to shred yourself), and Asian food markets.

Practise I thaw the fresh coconut before putting it on the cake?

I accept my frozen coconut out of information technology's bag and suspension it apart in a modest bowl. And so I allow it sit there as I frost the cake. It only takes a few minutes to thaw. It will be very moist considering information technology is fresh coconut. You tin can pat it with a paper towel to remove some of the excess wet if needed.

Instructions for Coconut Cake

Step 1 – Prepare oven and pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 9″ inch block pans past lightly greasing them and so dusting with flour. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of each pan.

Step ii – Brand concoction. Mix the cake mix, sour foam, vegetable oil, eggs, and foam of kokosnoot in a large mixing bowl. I like to utilize my stand mixer with the paddle zipper on medium-high speed but y'all can likewise use an electric hand mixer or just mix it together past stirring with a spatula.

Stride 3 – Fill pans. Separate cake batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans. Each pan should exist filled to slightly higher than ane/2 to ensure that the cake does not overflow every bit it bakes. You lot may have extra concoction.

Step four – Broil. Identify the filled cake pans in the oven and broil for approximately 30 minutes at 350°F or until you can put a toothpick in the middle and it comes out make clean.

Step 5 – Make the frosting. While the cake bakes brand the frosting by combining powdered saccharide and cream cheese together in the bowl of your mixer. You will need an electric mixer with a whisk zipper for the frosting and then you can whip everything together into light fluffy frosting.

Add the vanilla extract or kokosnoot extract and keep whisking. If the frosting seems a picayune stiff you lot can add a niggling milk to help it reach a spreadable texture. This could mean you don't need whatever milk at all. Just pay attending to the texture and add the milk in small amounts, then whisk thoroughly before calculation any more.

Step six – Absurd. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan. And then gently remove the block from the pans and let it terminate cooling on a wire rack until the layers reach room temperature.

Make a Sheet Cake

This recipe makes a 3 layer cake but if you lot cutting all of the ingredients in half it makes a 2 layer cake. We've included the instructions in the notes section of the recipe below.

If you want to make a sheet block in a 9×xiii inch pan instead of a layer cake we've got you lot covered. We've adapted this recipe to make an awesome Coconut Sheet Cake.

Kokosnoot Cream Cheese Frosting

The frosting for this cake is a bootleg cream cheese frosting. I used to just make it with vanilla frosting only once I discovered coconut extract I began substituting that for the vanilla excerpt to make it into a kokosnoot cream cheese frosting.

Information technology isn't a dramatic flavor departure so if you can't find the coconut extract don't worry.

The majority of your coconut flavor is coming from that delicious fresh kokosnoot that is packed onto the outside of the cake.

Assembling the Cake

1. Place one ix inch round cake on a cake board (this will make information technology easier to motion cake to the freezer. If you are not freezing information technology yous tin skip this step and instead identify it on your block stand up or your cake carrier bottom.
2. Frost the tiptop of the layer and place the side by side layer of block on top. Frost the pinnacle of that layer and place the third and final layer on top.
3. Frost the height and sides of the cake.
4. Press kokosnoot into sides and onto top of cake.
5. Once cake is frosted wrap it in plastic wrap and so aluminum foil and identify in the freezer. Accept information technology out to thaw at least iv hours before you are ready to serve.

What Fillings Can I Add?

If you're thinking about adding a little extra flavor to your block you lot can add a filling in betwixt the layers. The flavors that become best with kokosnoot are:

• Lemon (cheque out my how to brand lemon curd)
• Lime
• Strawberry
• Orange
• Pineapple
• Mango – I've used a mango curd filling with this coconut cake recipe and with my coconut mango cupcakes and it was a huge hit!

How to Freeze Coconut Block

You can make this cake up to 1 month ahead of time and shop in the freezer. Really, the thing that I love about this cake is that yous should make it at least ii days ahead of fourth dimension and put it in the freezer. At least that's what my grandma said and you really should always mind to grandma. It's pretty corking because for the holidays you can arrive in advance and and so pull information technology out a few hours before your party and accept an astonishing dessert.

1. Assemble the block, frost it and add together the fresh kokosnoot on the exterior.
2. Then you wrap it with two layers of plastic wrap to seal in the freshness.
3.  Comprehend it with a layer or two of aluminum foil to insulate the cake and keep it from getting freezer burn.
4. Identify the kokosnoot cake in the freezer until you are ready to use.
5. Remove the coconut cake at least 4 hours before you are gear up to serve to requite information technology time to thaw.

Equipment You'll Need

• 3 9-inch cake pans – I similar having three identical cake pans so I can carve up up the batter and bake everything at 1 time.
• Cake Boards – Placing your block on a block board before frosting makes information technology much easier to wrap it upwards and store it in the freezer.
• Cake Carrier – Yous're going to need to accept this cake to all of your events from now on!

This cake is a really special retentivity for me. Grandma doesn't get to melt for us during the holidays anymore but I know she'd exist happy to hear that I'k baking her block! I hope y'all try information technology and if you practice I promise you dear it as much as I practice.

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The Best Coconut Cake You'll Always Make

This is hands down the BEST Coconut Cake recipe you'll e'er make. This classic kokosnoot cake recipe uses fresh coconut and a secret ingredient to make the kokosnoot cake extra moist!

Cake

• 2 boxes White block mix, 15.25 oz each
• 16 ounces Sour foam
• 1/two cup Vegetable oil
• 6 big Eggs
• 15 ounces Cream of coconut, such equally Coco López or Real Coco
• ii tablespoons Coconut extract, optional

Frosting

• 16 ounces Foam cheese, utilize a cake Non whipped
• 4 tablespoons Milk, See note i below
• 2 pounds Powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract or kokosnoot extract
• 4 bags Fresh frozen coconut, (about 24 oz)

Cake

• Oestrus oven to 350°F

• Prepare iii 9 inch cake pans by lightly greasing and and so dusting with flour. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each pan.

• Mix block mix, sour foam, vegetable oil, eggs, and cream of coconut in a large bowl. For a little extra boost of coconut flavor you can add together 2 tablespoons of kokosnoot extract (optional).

• Split cake batter evenly between the three prepared ix" pans. Each pan should be filled to slightly college than one/2 to ensure that the block does not overflow as it bakes. You may have extra batter.

• Place pans in the oven and bake approximately 30 minutes at 350°F or until you can put a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.

• Remove the pans from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and let them cool on a wire rack until room temperature.

Frosting

• Whisk powdered sugar and cream cheese together in the bowl of your mixer.

• Add vanilla or kokosnoot extract and keep whisking.

• Examination the consistency. The frosting should be thick but spreadable. If information technology is too business firm add a pocket-size corporeality of milk and whisk again. Run across note #i.

Assemble Cake

• Remove the parchment paper from each layer of cake.

• Place ane cooled cake layer on a cake board (this volition go far easier to motility block to the freezer. If you are non freezing it you can skip this step). Frost the height of the layer and identify the second layer on top. Frost the meridian of that layer and place the third and final layer on top.

• Frost the top and sides of the cake.

• Press coconut into sides and onto acme of cake.

• Once cake is frosted wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and and then a layer of aluminum foil and identify in the freezer. Accept information technology out to thaw at least 4 hours earlier you are set to serve.

1. You may not need to add whatsoever milk. Make your frosting without adding whatever milk and see what the consistency is like. You want it to be thick merely easily spreadable. It should Not exist runny! If information technology is besides thick add together a minor corporeality of milk and whisk again. Test the consistency before adding whatever more milk.

two Layer Cake Instructions: By Pop request I take included the ingredient amounts for the ii layer version of this cake below. The instructions for making the block are the same you'll just be using 2 9-inch round cake pans rather than three. Savour!

Cake
fifteen.25 ounces box White cake mix
8 ounces Sour cream
1/4 cup Vegetable oil
iii Eggs
seven.v ounces Foam of kokosnoot such every bit Coco López
Frosting
8 ounces Cream cheese
2 tablespoons Milk
ane pound Powdered saccharide
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
two bags Fresh frozen coconut about 12 oz

Serving: 1 slice , Calories: 566 kcal , Carbohydrates: 64 g , Protein: 7 g , Fatty: 32 one thousand , Saturated Fat: sixteen thousand , Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g , Monounsaturated Fat: v g , Cholesterol: 92 mg , Sodium: 503 mg , Potassium: 96 mg , Fiber: one g , Sugar: 38 g , Vitamin A: 550 IU , Calcium: 270 mg , Iron: 0.9 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer: We are non certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.

Update Notes: This recipe was originally published on half-dozen/25/2015 and was updated to include new photos on 4/10/2019.

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