Coconut cake is another one of those classics that I enjoy year-round, but once Spring rolls around, it’s even more popular. I created this recipe to try and yield a nice light and fluffy cake bursting with lots of coconut flavor. Note that if you don’t have cake flour, use 2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour and add 1/4 cup cornstarch!

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Bake Time: 35 Minutes

Inactive Time: 2 Hours (for cooling)

Total Time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes

Serves 10-12 people.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

3 Cups (360g) Cake Flour

2 Tsp (8g) Baking Powder

1 Tsp (4g) Salt

1 Cup (226g) Softened Unsalted Butter

3 Cups (600g) Granulated Sugar

4 Large Eggs, Separated, Room Temperature

1 Tbs (13g) Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp (4g) Coconut Extract

1 Cup (240mL) Canned Coconut Milk (solids removed)

1 Cup (80g) Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

For the frosting:

2 Cups (452g) Softened Unsalted Butter

1 Tbs (13g) Vanilla Extract

1 ½ Tsp (6g) Coconut Extract

4 ½ Cups (540g) Icing Sugar

Additionally:

1 Cup (80g) Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

 Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F (180C) and grease 3 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line them with parchment and spray again.

2.     In a bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

3.     In a separate large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

4.     Add the egg yolks, vanilla and coconut extracts, and coconut milk, keeping the egg whites in a separate bowl for later. Mix until smooth.

5.     Beat the egg whites for 2-3 minutes, until stiff, white, foamy peaks form. Add the flour mixture to the batter, mix until just combined, and add the coconut, mixing until combined.

6.     Fold in the egg whites until the batter is smooth and evenly disperse it amongst the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean (a few crumbs are ok).

7.     Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

8.     With the additional 2 cups of coconut, pour it evenly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 Degrees for around 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely.

9.     To make the frosting, cream the butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 3 minutes, until very light and fluffy.

10.  Add the vanilla and coconut extracts and the icing sugar. Mix on a low speed until the sugar starts to absorb into the butter, then turn the speed to medium high and beat for one minute, until smooth. You can taste the frosting and optionally add more icing sugar if you like a sweeter frosting.

11.  To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake on your platter, spread ½ cup of frosting in an even layer, then sprinkle ¼ cup of the toasted coconut on top of that. Place the next layer of cake on that and repeat this one more time. After the third layer of cake is placed on top, spread the frosting evenly around the edges and top of the cake, optionally leaving a little to do some piping if desired.

12.  Gently press some of the toasted coconut around the base of the cake, then sprinkle the rest on top. Serve immediately.

-Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

-Since this batter uses whipped egg whites, it won’t be able to keep that long, so this isn’t a batter to make in advance and freeze. You can absolutely bake the layers and freeze them after they’ve cooled, just wrap them twice tightly with plastic wrap and thaw before using.