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Coconut Cake

       

         
       I've used this recipe to make layer cakes, cupcakes and pan cakes for many years now. 
       When I made it again for a recent birthday, several people asked for the recipe so here it is. 
                                      The secret to its moist texture is the buttermilk.
The cake pictured above is filled with lemon curd and frosted with Seven Minute frosting.
The cake below is filled with Raspberry jam and whipped cream and frosted with Cream Frosting



For the Cake:
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 2 1/4 cups sifted flour, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
1. Grease and flour 2 round 8 inch cake pans or 1 9x13 inch pan.
2. Cream butter and add sugar gradually until light and well blended.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
4. Add 1 1/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt and beat well.
5. Add extracts to buttermilk and add half of liquid to batter. Beat well.
6. Add remaining cup flour and rest of liquid and beat until moistened.
7. Beat an additional 2 minutes at medium speed. Fold in 1 cup coconut.
8. Spoon into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out dry.
9. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.

If you’ve baked your cake in 2 round pans, you can fill the cake with any of the following:

• Lemon curd folded into lightly sweetened whipped cream
• Raspberry jam topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream
• Vanilla pudding

Frost with: Seven minute frosting (also known as boiled frosting) and top with flaked coconut.

Or: Frost with
Cream Frosting
• 1/2 litre of whipping cream
• 2-3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with mixer on high until thick. Do not over beat.
Spread whipped frosting on top and sides of cake and top with toasted coconut

23 comments:

  1. HOLY MOLY, I have to bake this, my mouth is watering!!!!!!

    Spring Blessings and Happy Baking,
    Tricia

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  2. I am putting this on my Easter menu! Yummy!
    Donna

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  3. I think a coconut cake should have some coconut in the cake. If it is just on the frosting, it is just a butter cake with some coconut on top. is there no way to add coconut milk to the cake batter?

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  4. Looks to me like there is 1 cup coconut in the cake batter, is there not. I am not sure, but that is how I read the recipe. Correct me if I am wrong.

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  5. Those cakes look BEAUTIFUL! I just was hoping that you would have given us photos of how you shaped the icing so well. I really lack in the decorating department.

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  6. Easter dessert. And since I'm a lifelong member of the Peeps Fan Club (yes, a high point of my life), I'll have a small flock of yellow chick Peeps nesting on top of the cake.

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  7. Please clarify which kind of cream you mean, as I believe you've mixed up these terms and may confuse novice cooks:
    liquid cream = WhippING cream
    cream beaten until fluffy = WhippED cream

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  8. I make a cake similar to this one but I like this with the buttermilk. Thanks! I'm going to make it for the next birthday cake. I use coconut cream filling also and it is awesome and coconutty!

    The cream frosting looks very delicious too!

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  9. Ah yes, just the dessert I was looking for. A pot luck is coming up for my DH at work. I think this will knock their socks off!
    Hope mine will look as yummy as yours.

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  10. Wowzers! what a cake. I can't wait to try this lovely gem. :)

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  11. OK, I want to make this, and eat it all by myself!! jk, I'll share with my family :) Looks yummy

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  12. This looks wonderful! I may add it to my Easter menu like Donna is. Printed out the recipe.

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  13. Thank you for all your comments. Thank you also for the whipping/whipped cream question - I have corrected it to make it clear which is which in the recipe.
    As for the decorating - I don't do the fancy cake decorating well but I find using a long metal spatula meant for spreading does wonders to make a cake look nice.
    As for the coconut milk- I have never used it in this cake. The coconut in the cake as well as a bit of coconut extract gives lots of flavour.

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  14. Oh...yummy...beautiful cake. I love coconut!

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  15. Oh Bev, this looks beautiful! I want to try this one soon. Thanks!

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  16. Yum! I love coconut cake. It's perfect for spring!

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  17. My favorite cake!! I am making this for Easter. I am going to try in my bunny mold that was handed down from my grandmother and put the cake on a bed of green tinted coconut for the grass! Thank you so much for this recipe!

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  18. i kid you not, I came to this blog about 5 days ago looking for a coconut cake recipe! Now there is one! Yeah! I did end up making the coconut fish curry recipe and it was fab!

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  19. this looks amazing! coconut cake is a classic. i love this! i had bookmarked a bunch of recipes to get back and comment on post vacation and this was one i knew i needed to share some love on. thanks for sharing :)
    -meg
    @ http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com

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  20. Ladies....you have outdone yourselves yet again!! I made this cake as a dessert for a "Friday Night Girls Night In" dinner with my sister-in-laws. Oh me oh my did we ever enjoy it!! It also served as a birthday cake that evening and the colourful candles placed on top of the creamy white whipped frosting .... well what can I say!! It was only surpassed by the scrumptious taste of this delicious cake! This recipe is a keeper for sure!!

    Thank you for helping make our evening extra special with posting this incredible recipe!!

    ~ Shirley ~

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