This Southern Style Coconut Cake with a Whipped Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting recipe ranks high as my favorite. I especially love the coconut butter cream/whipped cream filling– which is light and flavorful. The end result yielded a moist cake, loaded with coconut flavor.
I am a life long member of the “I love coconut” fan club. I must really love coconut cake, because I’ve already shared three different coconut cake recipes on my blog (starting in 2009). My favorite cake is white cake. Hands down. End of story. I prefer an all egg-white cake, or it’s not a genuine white cake. Am I right?
But, did I really need another coconut cake recipe? Maybe. Maybe not. But, when you have five egg whites leftover from a lemon custard recipe, white cake seems like a good way to use them. Coconut seems to be synonymous with Easter treats, and I hadn’t baked a cake in a while.
We were having dinner guests, so this seemed like the perfect time to bake a cake. I’m loving this brand of USA cake pans, and I just got these square ones. I wanted a cake recipe that wouldn’t be too fussy to make– but I wanted a lot of coconut flavor. I’m a fan of LorAnn oils and flavors and their coconut flavor is something I keep on hand. King Arthur unbleached cake flour is also a “must” in my pantry, because I always get tender cakes when I use it.
The batter isn’t complicated, either. The dry ingredients are measured into a mixing bowl, then butter and coconut milk is mixed in. The wet ingredients are whole milk, eggs whites and coconut flavor and a little pure vanilla extract.
I prepped the pans with non-stick spray and lined the bottom with parchment paper. The recipe said to bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes. Erring on the side of caution, I always set two timers– one to check 5 minutes earlier. Ding! The cakes were baked at 30 minutes.
The reason I love these cake pans so much, is that the cakes baked evenly and released without any problems. Whew!
There are two versions of frosting, for this cake. First, a buttercream frosting is made with a combination of cream cheese and butter. Win! Let’s up the ante a bit. How about making a filling with real whipped cream, and some of the buttercream whipped into it?
Uh-huh. Brilliant. It’s silky and billowy and just the right balance of sweet.
The final step is to frost the remaining cake with the cream cheese/buttercream frosting…and you need coconut, of course.
Southern Style Coconut Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut flavoring I used LorAnn coconut flavoring
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 ⅓ cups sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
CREAM CHEESE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1-3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk or regular milk
- 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut
WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
- 1 cup cream cheese butter cream frosting see above
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch (or 9-inch) round or square cake pans and line with parchment paper. (See note)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites, whole milk and coconut flavoring.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the butter and coconut milk and combine on low speed until moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg white mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing just long enough to incorporate between additions.
- Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
Butter cream:
- Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy.
- Add the vanilla, coconut flavoring and enough coconut milk (or regular milk) to reach a spreadable consistency. Mix until smooth.
- Optional: Spread the coconut on a sheet pan. Toast in a 350 degree oven until golden, checking every 2 minutes. Watch it carefully, the coconut will burn fast. Let it cool completely. Note: I didn't follow this step, and the cake turned out great– either way.
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling:
- With a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until it starts to thicken.
- Add 1 cup of the cream cheese butter cream a spoonful at a time while mixing on medium-high speed. Whip to soft peaks.
To frost the cake:
- If desired, slice the 2 cake layers in half to create 4 layers. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Cover with the whipped cream cheese filling.
- Repeat with the rest of the layers. Frost the entire cake with the remaining cream cheese butter cream and cover in the toasted coconut.
- Chill for one hour before serving. Store in the fridge, cake will keep for several days.
- Note: If you have only 2-inch deep pans, consider using 3 pans or 9-inch pans.
- I brought the cake to slightly room temperature for about 15 minutes, before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
That looks delicious! I love coconut, it really is a great springy flavor–this cake sounds like a great way to use it 🙂
For me, the coconut craving began with Gilligan's Island and Mary Ann's coconut cream pies! This looks divine–can't want try it!
For me, the coconut craving began with Gilligan's Island and Mary Ann's coconut cream pies! This looks divine–can't wait to try it!
I LOVE coconut cake but still haven't made one. I never thought to use egg whites only in a cake, but now I know what to do with the ones in my freezer. Any of your coconut cakes would be a winner. Which one is your favorite?
Oh yes please! Sounds like the coconut milk would make a wonderfully moist cake. I love coconut too, even made a totally sweet coconut cream pie for pi day. I love how nicely your cakes turn out of the pans. Those are KA pans, yes? I keep ogling them in the catalog. Thanks for sharing!
Gorgeous. I love coconut, and there really just seems to be something fitting about coconut desserts on Easter. Maybe because it's fuzzy like bunnies? I have a go-to coconut cake recipe and 3 coconut pies in my recipe box. You make me realize I need another cake.
Coconut is the absolute best and in a cake is the best…..lovely photos!
I really think one could ALWAYS use another coconut cake recipe. The cake part looks so glorious fluffy…as coconut cake should be!
To answer your question, Ciao Chow Linda… all of my coconut cake recipes are good. I think this one is my favorite, because the frosting isn't as fussy as making Swiss Buttercream.
I would die for a piece of this right now!
I love coconut cake so much that this year for my birthday, my husband went to our favorite restaurant that bakes the best recipe on the planet (and won't share the recipe of course) and ordered a whole cake for us. I have yet to bake one and thank you so much for sharing so many recipes for my favorite cake. I don't know which one to start with . . . oh such a problem, huh?
I'm making your cake right now for a dinner tonight. I plan to blog about it soon (assuming it turns out ok. I forgot to put the sugar in and had to scoop everything out of the pans before it hit the oven. oops!)
Have not made yet. The introduction talks about baking in rectangular pan and yet instructions are fir round pans. Can you clarify? I want to bake in rectangular pan. Thanks.
Goodness! I had to scour my post and I realized that my recipe card just says 8″ or 9″ cake pans. I didn’t specify the shape, and I apologize. I have square baking pans that are the equivalent of an 8″round pan. I hope that clarifies it.