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Coconut Custard Cake with a Coconut Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

This Coconut Cake Recipes delivers so many levels of deliciousness. The cake is tender. The coconut custard is silky and could be a stand alone dessert. The creamy coconut buttercream has a slight tang from cream cheese and is decorated with toasted coconut. It's a beautiful cake, and it's even better once you slice into it. There is more than a whisper of coconut flavor. This cake truly speaks "Coconut".
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Coconut Custard Cake
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Custard Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

  • Rotating Cake Turntable makes frosting so much easier
  • piping bag for frosting
  • off set spatula for frosting
  • Parchment paper for cake pans
  • 3 8" cake pans

Ingredients

Make the coconut custard (so it can thicken and chill:

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk or 2%
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tbsp Salted Butter
  • 1/4 tsp coconut extract recommended: LorAnn Coconut Extract
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the Coconut Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted Butter room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp coconut extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups coconut milk don't use Cream of Coconut

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 16 oz 452g Challenge Cream Cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup 224g unsalted Challenge Butter, room temperature
  • 11 cups 1265g powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp coconut extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream or half and half or milk to thin the frosting to desired consistency

Toasted Coconut (to decorate the cake):

  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut toasted

Instructions

FOR THE CUSTARD:

  • Add the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl and gently beat them together. Set aside.
  • Add the sugar, cornstarch and milk to a large saucepan and whisk until smooth.
    Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. CAUTION: Don’t want turn up the heat to speed up the process. The mixture needs time to thicken properly.
  • Remove a ladle full of the milk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk together, then return the egg mixture to the milk mixture. (This process tempers the eggs and ensures that you don’t end up with scrambled eggs.
  • Stir in the shredded coconut and bring the mixture to a light boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute or so, stirring continuously, until thickened. (The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.) CAUTION: Don’t boil the mixture for longer than 2 minutes, or you can overcook it and it’ll actually break down, rather than get thicker.
  • Remove from heat and add the butter and extracts.
    Stir until smooth, then pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed on top of the custard to prevent a film from forming on top.
    Set in the fridge to cool completely.

FOR THE CAKE:

  • Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  • Add the butter, sugar, oil and extracts to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Don't skimp on the creaming time.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
  • Add the coconut milk and mix until well combined. The batter may look a little curdled, and that's okay.
  • Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
  • Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

FOR THE FROSTING:

  • Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
  • Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
  • Add the coconut extract and vanilla extract mix until well combined.
  • Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
  • NOTE: If the frosting appears too thick to "pipe" or spread, add a little bit of heavy cream until it's the consistency you like. If the frosting appears too thin, add a few tablespoons more of powdered sugar.

TO FROST AND BUILD THE CAKE:

  • Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes. NOTE: I don't get domes on my cake. For a more level cake. I invert the domed side down.
  • Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
    Pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake. This prevents the custard from oozing over the side of the cake.
  • Spread half of the coconut custard evenly on top of the cake layer, inside the dam.
  • Add the second layer of cake, another dam of frosting and the remaining coconut custard.
  • Add the final layer of cake on top, then frost the top of the cake. Using an off set spatula, frost a "crumb" coat all around the edges of the cake. Add the remaining frosting all over the cake (you may have leftover frosting that you can refrigerate or freeze for future use.)

Toast the coconut microwave method "easier than the oven":

  • Start by spreading coconut on a microwave-safe plate.
    Microwave the coconut in 30-second bursts, until it shows signs of starting to brown--about 4 minutes in a microwave (set on high power).
    Continue to microwave in 30-second bursts, gently stirring to redistribute each time. When the coconut is as brown as you like – stop. It's done. -- technique from King Arthur Flour
    LIKEWISE: I toasted my coconut in my air fryer in just a few minutes!
  • Press the toasted coconut onto the sides and top of the cake, covering it fully. Do this immediately after frosting it. The frosting will “crust” as it sits and the coconut will not stick if you try to add it later.
  • (Optional) Pipe shells or swirls of frosting onto the top of the cake. Note that it’s a little tricky for the frosting to stick to the coconut, so you may want to pipe the frosting onto the cake prior to adding the coconut. It just depends on the look you want.
  • Refrigerate well covered until ready to serve. Cake should be eaten within 3-4 days.

Notes

Recipe source: Life, Love and Sugar