Easy Coconut Cake Recipe

TL;DR

John Kanell's three-layer coconut cake uses cake flour, coconut milk, and shredded coconut for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Key Points

• 1.Dry ingredients: 3¼ cups (390g) cake flour, ½ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt — whisked together first
• 2.Wet ingredients: ½ cup butter + ½ cup vegetable oil + 2 cups sugar creamed 3 minutes, then 4 egg whites, 2 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp coconut extract added
• 3.Batter finish: Alternate dry ingredients and 1 cup full-fat coconut milk in thirds, then fold in 1 cup (100g) sweetened flaked coconut by hand to avoid overmixing
• 4.Baking: Three 8- or 9-inch parchment-lined pans at 350°F for 30–32 minutes; rotate at 20 minutes and loosely cover with foil to prevent over-browning
• 5.Frosting: 8 oz each cream cheese and butter, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp coconut extract, 6 cups (720g) sifted powdered sugar — creamed until fluffy
• 6.Assembly: Layer frosting between each tier, coat entire cake with ~2½ cups shredded coconut pressed on by hand, then refrigerate 30 minutes to set; lasts 5 days in fridge or 3 months frozen