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Ultimate Moist and Fluffy Southern Coconut Layer Cake

A tall, three-layer slice of moist coconut cake recipe covered in white frosting and toasted coconut flakes.
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Create a bakery-style Southern Coconut Cream Layer Cake from scratch. This recipe yields incredibly moist, tender layers filled with rich coconut flavor and topped with fluffy coconut frosting, perfect for any celebration.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup cream of coconut (like Coco Lopez)
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk (full fat, canned)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (for frosting)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 1/4 cup cream of coconut (for frosting)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract (for frosting)
  • 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper circles.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites, whole milk, and vanilla extract.
  5. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Gently fold in the finely chopped unsweetened coconut and the 1/2 cup of cream of coconut.
  7. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans.
  8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Prepare the frosting: Beat the 1/2 cup of softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, alternating with the cream of coconut and coconut extract, beating until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add a tablespoon of coconut milk if the frosting is too stiff.
  11. Once the cakes are completely cool, place the first layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1/3 of the frosting evenly over the top.
  12. Place the second layer on top and spread another 1/3 of the frosting. Top with the final cake layer.
  13. Frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
  14. Press the sweetened flaked coconut onto the top and sides of the cake immediately.
  15. Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing to set the frosting.

Notes

  • For extra moisture, you can gently brush the cooled cake layers with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of cream of coconut before frosting.
  • Use high-quality cream of coconut for the best tropical flavor in both the cake and the frosting.
  • If you prefer a thicker layer cake, use two 9-inch pans instead of three 8-inch pans and increase the baking time slightly.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerycommand.com/coconut-cake-recipe-southern-magic/