Before trying this coconut cake I wouldn’t have thought of myself as a coconut cake person. I grew up with coconut cake being a staple of our Easter spread, but that coconut cake was more known for its adorable bunny face shape and cute licorice whiskers than flavor. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place for adorably decorated cakes, but this cake didn’t leave me head over heals for coconut cake.
About a year and a half ago my friend Sarah brought this coconut cake to a cookout and since then I have changed my tune. I am officially a coconut cake person. The cake itself is perfectly spongy and the cream cheese frosting has the perfect tang contrasted with a touch of sweetness. This cake has captured my heart and I am positive it will capture yours.
Today I am so excited to have my friend Sarah here to share her recipe with us!
Tell us a little about yourself
Hi, I’m Sarah Spurlock! I am a hair stylist, but am currently a stay at home mom. I have 2 amazing daughters, Winnie (8), and Georgia (6), and have been married to my husband, Jeff, for 12 years. I love to cook and bake, and it’s so rewarding for me when my family, or anyone else, happens to love something I make. I am obsessed with coffee— V60 pour over or cappuccino for me, please.
How did you get into baking?
I got into baking by spending time with my mom in the kitchen. Food Network came out when I was little, and my Mom became hooked. She had never really learned how to make anything from scratch, and being able to watch someone do it on tv made her determined to start. When I got a little older, I began watching with her too, and was also hooked. One of the main things I have memories of us making weekly was Banana Bread— so simple, but so comforting, and with 4 kids in my house, gone almost instantly. As I got older, especially once I got married, I became determined to learn how to make all kinds of baked goods and desserts from scratch. Now as a mom, I love to make treats for my girls. My daughter Georgia had to go gluten-free 2 years ago, and I felt like I had to completely re-learn how to make a lot of things I had been making for years. I feel like I’ve pretty much figured it out, but gluten-free baking definitely has a learning curve.
What does baking mean to you?
For me, baking is a way I show love to those around me. I love making someone’s favorite treat, and seeing how excited it makes them. Baking is also a way I love myself, and is therapeutic for me— I have definitely made brownies for myself at 9pm because I just have to have one. Late night has become one of my favorite times to bake. I love the precision and meticulousness of baking when I’m doing it alone, but I also love including my girls in it with me, knowing things won’t be perfect, but that they’re learning a fun skill, and that hopefully we’re making great memories together. I love how proud it makes my mom that I’m a good baker, knowing I wouldn’t be one if it weren’t for her showing me you can learn anything at any age if you really want to.
What makes this cake so special?
This coconut cake is special because I feel like it was the first time I really developed a recipe myself. I became curious about making coconut cake around Easter last year when tons of food blogs/social media pages were posting recipes. After reading recipe after recipe, I didn’t love the idea that most coconut cakes are just white cake covered in shredded coconut, or use extract/flavoring to make it taste like coconut. I felt like it needed to have more elements of natural coconut than that to truly be called coconut cake, so I started experimenting. I started by swapping out all the fat in the batter for virgin coconut oil. Then I decided to swap some of the sugar for coconut sugar, and the liquid for full fat coconut milk. The fragrance of coconut was so good, I knew I was getting somewhere. Then for the frosting, instead of just cream cheese, I decided to add some coconut oil as well. And lastly, to coat the cake, I decided to toast the coconut because we all know toasted coconut is way better than plain. What came from all this turned out to be a cake that my entire family, and many friends went crazy over, and I think I ended up making it around 10 times for different gatherings in less than a year!
Toasted Coconut Cake
Cake:
4 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks
1 cup solid virgin coconut oil at room temp
2 cups coconut sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 13.5 oz can unsweet full fat coconut milk (make sure the fat and liquid are well mixed)
2 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour OR 1:1 Gluten-free flour (I use bob’s red mill 1:1)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Frosting:
8 oz softened cream cheese
4 tablespoons softened salted butter
4 tablespoons solid room temp coconut oil
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 tsp salt to taste
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes for decorating, toasted
Step 1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans OR 9x13
Step 2) Separate the eggs into whites and yolks. Set the yolks aside. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, then set aside until ready to use.
Step 3) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 4) Beat together the coconut sugar and coconut oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer or with a stand mixer with paddle attachment until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Step 5) Add the egg yolks, and extracts, and beat until just combined.
Step 6) Starting and ending with the coconut milk, alternate between adding the coconut milk and dry ingredients until everything is just combined.
Step 7) Gently fold in the beaten whites with a spatula until completely incorporated, but maintaining the volume. Be very careful not to over-mix!
Step 8) Divide the batter evenly between the prepared round cake pans (I use a scale for this to ensure even sized cakes), or a 9x13.
Step 9) Bake until a toothpick inserted to the middle of the cakes comes out clean, about 30-35 min for 2 rounds, or 40-45 min for 9x13. Keep oven on after removing cakes!
Step 10) If using round pans, Let cakes cool for about 5 min, then slide a knife along the edge of the pans to make sure the cakes will release, and invert onto cooling racks. Make sure cakes are completely cooled before frosting, about 40 min.
Step 11) While the cakes are cooling, make the toasted coconut. Make sure oven is still at 350. Spread the shredded coconut onto a cookie sheet and toast for 5 min. Pull it out, toss the coconut, and put it back in for another 5 min. You may need to repeat the last step one more time if it does not look evenly toasted, but keep an eye on it, it can burn quickly. Once it looks evenly golden, remove it and let it cool completely.
Step 12) For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and coconut oil in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt. Slowly start to add the powdered sugar, beating it in a little at a time. Beat until all the sugar is combined and the frosting is stiff but still light and fluffy. Add more sugar if it is too loose, or a little milk if it is too thick. Set aside at room temperature until you are ready to decorate.
Step 13) Once everything is cool enough to decorate, frost the cakes. Gently press the toasted coconut into the frosting until the whole cake is completely coated in coconut.
Step 14) Slice and serve!
Note: This cake is very temperature sensitive due to do all the coconut fat. In cold temps, the cake will harden, so it needs to be stored in an area that stays mildly warm. In hot temps, the frosting can melt very easily, so store it in a cool place away from any direct sunlight. You can refrigerate this cake if you are making it a day ahead of time, but it would need to be pulled out at least 4-6 hours ahead of time to ensure it has time to soften. I’ve found this cake is best when served fresh, and eaten within a few days.
