Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
A tall three-layer coconut cake made with coconut milk, sour cream, coconut oil, and whipped egg whites, finished with coconut cream cheese frosting.
Three sources of coconut build flavor without sacrificing structure: canned coconut milk hydrates the crumb, cooled coconut oil adds richness, and a small amount of extract sharpens the aroma. Frothy egg whites and alternating dry and wet additions keep the tall layers light enough for generous cream-cheese frosting.
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease three 23 cm (9-inch) round cake pans, line their bases with parchment, and grease the parchment.
- 2
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cake salt together in a large bowl.
- 3
Beat the cake butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high for 2 minutes, then beat in the cake vanilla and coconut extracts.
3 min
- 4
On medium-low, add the six eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl after each. Add the frothy egg whites in two additions and scrape again.
- 5
Mix the 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, sour cream, and cooled melted coconut oil in a measuring cup until uniform.
- 6
On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coconut-milk mixture in two additions. Begin and end with flour and stop as soon as combined.
- 7
Divide the batter evenly among the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 22–23 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges and a centre toothpick comes out clean.
22 min
- 8
Cool in the pans on wire racks for 10–12 minutes, invert the layers onto racks, remove parchment, and cool completely.
10 min
- 9
Beat the frosting butter and cream cheese on medium-high until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
2 min
- 10
On low speed, gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar, then the frosting coconut milk, vanilla, coconut extract, and salt. Beat on high for 1–2 minutes until fluffy; adjust with sugar or coconut milk only if needed.
2 min
- 11
Trim any domes from the fully cooled layers. Stack them on a plate or cake stand with a thick layer of frosting between each, then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
- 12
Press the shredded coconut over the top and sides. Let the finished cake set for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
20 min
Ago's Notes
- The recipe uses two separate 1 1/2-cup (340 g) portions of unsalted butter: one in the cake and one in the frosting. Keep both butter portions, the cream cheese, eggs, egg whites, and sour cream at room temperature.
- Use canned, unsweetened Thai-style coconut milk, stirred smooth before measuring. Coconut beverage from a carton is too thin for this cake.
- Beat the egg whites only until very frothy, not to stiff peaks. Once flour is added, mix only until combined so the cake stays tender.
- Cool all three layers completely before trimming and frosting. Warm layers melt the cream-cheese frosting and can make the cake slide.
- The uncut cake keeps at room temperature for about 24 hours. After that, wrap and refrigerate it; bring slices toward room temperature before serving. Freeze well wrapped for up to 2 months.
Let the finished cake stand for 20 minutes so the frosting settles before cutting clean slices through all three layers.
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