Coconut Cake Recipe: Easy, Moist, and Fluffy Best Ever

My grandma’s favorite coconut cake recipe — a dreamy, moist coconut cake built on a doctored-up cake mix and piled high with the most ah-mazing coconut buttercream frosting you will ever taste. I love that this cake is both beautiful AND simple. Be still my heart! 🥥💕

Originally posted in May 2014.

I thought it would be so fun to celebrate Mother’s Day by spending the whole week posting the favorite dessert recipes of all the mothers in my life — starting with my Grandma. I’ve shared some of her recipes here before, like her legendary Red Velvet Cake and her Monster Cookies. Those are two of my absolute favorites, and today we’re adding this gorgeous coconut layer cake to the family hall of fame!

My Grandma is one of my heroes — both in the kitchen and out. She is genuine and kind and has always been such a great support to me. So many of my memories of time with her revolve around holiday baking. I loved sitting at her counter, watching her work, and just talking… whilst eating Monster Cookies of course 😉. She’s the queen of the layer cake and this one is absolutely for her!

Grandma says she likes coconut cake best, so here we are! This is my easy coconut cake recipe — the best coconut cake recipe in my personal opinion — and it’s perfect for summer, Easter, or honestly any Tuesday where you need something spectacular. My grandma would make this with at least six layers. I’m settling for four, and I have zero regrets! 😂

Why This Is the Best Coconut Cake Recipe

Can we talk about what makes this the best coconut cake recipe for a sec? First, we’re using a white cake mix as the base — yes, a white cake mix! — but we’re doctoring it up so thoroughly that no one will ever guess. We swap in cake flour for a lower protein content that gives you that impossibly light crumb and fluffy texture. We add sour cream for moisture, unsweetened canned coconut milk for a sweet coconut flavor that goes all the way through, and coconut extract plus vanilla extract to make every single bite taste like you’re on a tropical vacation. The result is a moist cake with a genuinely tender crumb. I literally can’t even. 🥥

Key Ingredients for This Easy Coconut Cake Recipe

Here’s the thing — this easy coconut cake recipe uses ingredients you can find at basically any grocery store, mostly in the baking aisle. You’ll need your white cake mix, cake flour (which has that lower protein content we love for a light crumb), unsalted butter at room temperature, vegetable oil, sour cream, unsweetened coconut milk (grab unsweetened canned coconut milk — not the carton kind!), cream of coconut, egg whites, and egg yolks. For the frosting, we need cream cheese, powdered sugar (also called confectioner’s sugar), coconut extract, and almond extract for a little something extra. If you’re a true coconut lover, you are going to absolutely adore every single component here. And if you love coconut as much as I do, you’ll also want to check out my Coconut Cream Pie and these adorable Coconut Cream Cupcakes — SO good! 💕

How to Make the Coconut Cake Layers

Let’s get into it! Preheat your oven and prep your 9-inch cake pans (or 8-inch cake pans work too!) with cooking spray and parchment paper so nothing sticks. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat your room temperature butter on medium-high speed until fluffy. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients — the white cake mix, cake flour, and a small amount of salt. In a separate bowl or medium bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients: vegetable oil, sour cream, unsweetened coconut milk, cream of coconut, egg yolks, coconut extract, and vanilla extract. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the wet ingredients to the large bowl on low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold gently into the cake batter. Pour evenly into your prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting!

How to Make Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Okay, the coconut cream cheese frosting is honestly what dreams are made of. You guys. DREAMS. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat room temperature cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add room temperature unsalted butter and beat on medium-high speed until creamy and fluffy. Gradually add your powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar!) on low speed so you don’t end up wearing it — ask me how I know 😂. Add coconut extract, vanilla extract, and a small amount of almond extract for that best flavor combo. Beat on medium speed until you have a super fluffy, creamy frosting with a strong coconut flavor. This frosting works equally beautifully on this cake as it does on my Pina Colada Birthday Cake if you want to riff on it!

Assembling Your Moist Coconut Cake

Assembly is the fun part — I promise! Place the first of your coconut cake layers on your serving plate. Spread a generous layer of coconut cream cheese frosting over the top side. Add the second cake layer and press down gently. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the outside of the cake first — this is your crumb coat! Pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes, then go to town with the remaining frosting on the top of the cake and sides of the cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth the sides of the cake beautifully. For the second layer and any additional layers, just repeat the same process. Now for the best part — press toasted coconut and shredded coconut into the outside of the cake. You can also sprinkle coconut flakes on top of the cake for that gorgeous, show-stopping finish. Grandma would approve. 🙌

Tips for the Best Results

A few quick tips for best results with this moist coconut cake! Always make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature — it makes such a difference in the cake batter coming together smoothly. For the type of coconut on the outside, I love using toasted coconut for a golden brown, slightly nutty crunch — just spread shredded coconut or coconut flakes on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, watching carefully! You can find coconut flakes in the baking aisle of any grocery store. If you want an even stronger coconut flavor, swap vegetable oil for coconut oil in the batter. Also, whole egg versus just egg whites matters here — we use both for structure and richness. Use a food processor if you want to pulse your shredded coconut finer for a more elegant look on the outside. This cake stores beautifully in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days!

Frequently Asked Questions About Coconut Cake

I get so many questions about this recipe, you guys! Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour? You can use all purpose flour in a pinch, but cake flour really does give you that extra-tender, light crumb because of its lower protein content — so I highly recommend it for best results. Can I use a different type of coconut milk? Stick to unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened canned coconut milk for the batter — the cream of coconut (found in the baking aisle!) adds sweetness, so you don’t want to double up with sweetened coconut milk. Can I make this in a medium bowl as a smaller cake using 8-inch cake pans? Absolutely, just reduce baking time slightly. And yes, this doubles beautifully as a great way to use up that leftover cream of coconut! Check out the full recipe card below for all the details. If you love festive layer cakes, you’ll also adore browsing our Holiday Cake Recipes We Love for more gorgeous inspiration! 🎉

Make This Coconut Cake Your Own

One of my absolute favorite things about this recipe is how easy it is to riff on! Swap the coconut buttercream frosting for a classic coconut cream cheese frosting (both are in the recipe card below!) depending on your crowd. Add a layer of toasted coconut between each cake layer for extra texture. Want to go full tropical? This is basically the cousin of my Coconut Cream Easter Eggs — same dreamy coconut filling vibes! You could even use the same coconut cream cheese frosting on a carrot cake for a super unexpected and delicious twist — carrot cake and coconut frosting is truly a match made in heaven. 🥕🥥 For a fun shortcut version, lean more heavily on the white cake mix base and reduce the from-scratch additions. Either way, for coconut lovers, this cake is an absolute must-make. I have to make this every single year and I hope you will too! Now go bake something beautiful — you’ve got this! 💕

Coconut Cake

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My favorite doctored up cake mix combined with my favorite from-scratch coconut buttercream. I love that this cake is both beautiful and simple.

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Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix
• 3.4 ounces coconut dry pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

For the Buttercream:

• 1 cup butter, room softened
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp. milk
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 2-3 cups additional coconut for topping

Instructions

• 1 cup butter, room softened
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp. milk
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 2-3 cups additional coconut for topping

Notes

For the cake:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   2. Beat together all of ingredients until smooth batter forms, reserving the coconut.
   3. Mix in the coconut with a rubber spatula.
   4. Pour batter into two 8-9" lined and greased round pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown on top and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
   5. Let cool completely before cutting and frosting.

For the frosting:

1. 1. In a stand mixer, beat the butter until it's smooth.
   2. Add the remaining ingredients by adding the powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and the wet ingredients (first the vanilla, and then the milk 1 tablespoon at a time) alternately, mixing in between additions until smooth and desired consistency.
   3. (ie, add 1 cup of powdered sugar, mix, add vanilla, mix, add 1 cup powdered sugar, mix, add 1 tbsp milk, mix, etc...)
   4. Add the coconut, mix well. Add another tablespoon of milk if needed, and mix until smooth.

Assembly:

1. Split each cake into two layers. Spread a layer of frosting and a layer of coconut on each layer of cake, stacking the cake as you go.