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Get a triple hit of coconut with this beautiful Coconut Lovers Dream Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting recipe. This heavenly light and moist coconut cake is not only covered in coconut, but it’s speckled with toasted coconut and iced with a coconut buttercream that’s simply divine.
I know that might sound like an awful lot of coconut, but believe me when I tell you that the balance is just right.
A few months ago, I created my Chocolate Lovers Dream Cake. This was a chocolate extravaganza. With just one taste of this recipe, I knew what I was going to call this cake because it really is a coconut lover’s dream. The cake is a vanilla cake with coconut undertones, a hint of citrus, and toasted coconut baked right in – giving it a lovely texture and flavors.
The buttercream is made with coconut cream as well as butter, making it silky smooth with the perfect amount of sweetness. You get the bulk of the coconut flavor with the outside coating making this cake a perfect balance of flavor without tasting too tropical.
Here’s how to make this amazing cake:
Beat the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks beating well and scraping the bowl. Beat in the vanilla, coconut, coconut milk and lime zest. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. With a wooden spoon, mix the flour into the butter mixture stirring gently (the batter will be quite thick).
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and remaining sugar until they form soft peaks.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the bake batter until combined. Add the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack until completely cool. Prepare the icing and place the first cake layer onto a cake plate and spread a thick layer over the top. Place the second layer on top and cover both layers evenly with the remaining icing. Coat the cake with the shredded coconut – It doesn’t have to be perfect. Any imperfections will be masked by the coconut coating.
Serve and enjoy! Baker’s Notes and Tips:
- This cake keeps really well. I baked it and didn’t get to ice it for three days. I’ll be honest, after I took the photos and tasted it, I couldn’t believe how moist and fluffy it still was. I only wish I got to taste it freshly baked! We ate it for the next few days and it never dried out! Five days after baking it was still just as good. To keep the sweetness just right, I didn’t go nuts with the icing. It’s just covered before adding the layer of coconut.
- To add the coconut to the sides, I placed the cake on a turntable and just gently placed the coconut one handful at a time. It did make a huge mess and I’m guessing there could have been a better way, but whatever works right?
FAQs
Can coconut Cake be frozen? Yes, un-iced coconut cake can be frozen well wrapped with plastic wrap or in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
How long will coconut cake last? Coconut cake will last for three days when stored properly.
How to store a cake decorated or frosted with buttercream? A cake decorated with buttercream can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to refrigerate a frosted cake, place it in the refrigerator unwrapped until the frosting slightly hardens. It can then be loosely covered with plastic or placed in a cake box.
Can Buttercream be frozen? Buttercream frosting can be frozen on its own in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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Recipe
Coconut Lovers Dream Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup superfine sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 4 eggs (at room temperature, separated)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste ( or vanilla extract)
- ¾ cup canned coconut milk
- ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup toasted shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
For the coconut buttercream:
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (plus more if needed)
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste ( or vanilla extract)
- ½ cups canned coconut milk
For the coconut coating
- 1½ cups shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/165C
- Grease two 8-inch round cake pans
- Beat the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks beating well and scraping the bowl.
- Beat in the vanilla, coconut, coconut milk and lime zest
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
- With a wooden spoon, mix the flour into the butter mixture stirring gently (the batter will be quite thick).
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and remaining sugar until they form soft peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the bake batter until combined.
- Add the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack until completely cool.
- For the buttercream:
- Beat the butter until light and fluffy.
- Mix in 2 cups of the sugar. Followed by the coconut milk. If the icing is too thin, add more sugar until it’s the desired consistency.
- Place the first cake layer onto a cake plate and spread a thick layer over top. Place the second layer on top and cover both layers evenly with the remaining icing.
- Coat the cake with the shredded coconut and serve.
Save to favoritesYour saved recipes will be right here waiting for you every time you visit, so you can easily find and make the meals you love.Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2016, but was re-published in 2018 to include new photos, tips, FAQs, and nutritional information.
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