This is, dare I say it, the most AMAZING Coconut Cake to grace the earth. Layers of tender, moist coconut cake, fresh pineapple filling, and whipped coconut cream cheese frosting that all pair together perfectly. The final product is somewhat of a masterpiece, and could be one of my favorite cakes of all time!
I think I’ve officially reached food nerd status by how excited I have been to share this cake with you all.
It’s incredible. Dare I say it–it’s on the same level as my Mom’s ridiculously amazing German Chocolate Cake.
It’s that good.
The recipe is inspired by this coconut cake from A Bountiful Kitchen. I added a cream cheese buttercream frosting instead, and used the leftover coconut milk from the cake to give the frosting a little extra creaminess, with just a milk hint of coconut flavor.
How to make Coconut Cake:
This recipe starts with a simple homemade coconut cake made with egg whites for texture and color, coconut milk and coconut extract to give it that perfect coconut flavor, that’s not overwhelming at all.
The cake is incredibly moist (I hate that word, but it must be used here), not overly sweet, which I really love because it blends so well with the flavors from the pineapple filling and frosting, without any one element being too sweet.
Can you get a better flavor combination then coconut and pineapple? This cake is completely DREAMY! Also, when you make each part in advance, it’s really a simple and fun recipe!
Once you’ve made the cake, you will “torte” each layer — that’s a fancy name for cutting each cake layer in half, horizontally to split it into two layers. This allows us to add layers of pineapple filling and frosting, between each cake layer.
Assembly is really easy. Once you’ve got your 4 thin layers of cake, place one of them on a cake board or your serving platter. Spread half of the pineapple filling over it.
Refrigerate the cake for a few hours before serving.
When your friends or family are raving about this cake with every single bite, I hope you feel like a rockstar! And, I hope you’ll take a moment to tell me about it in the comments!
SOME TIPS FOR THIS CAKE:
MAKE IT IN ADVANCE!
I like to make the cake, pineapple filling, and coconut cream cheese frosting at least one day in advance. That way, the cake is really easy to throw together.
I make the cake in 8” or 9” rounds, bake it and let it cool completely. Then I wrap it really well in plastic wrap and stick each layer in a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for up to one month. I’ve found that frozen cakes are the easiest to frost.
The pineapple filling and coconut frosting can be made ahead and placed in a covered container in the fridge. Remove the coconut frosting from the fridge about an hour or so before you’re ready to frost your cake. This will allow it to come to room temperature.
DECORATING IS EASY!
I used a wilton 2D tip for the swirls on top of this cake. SO EASY. I also love the Wilton 1M tip. I use both tips with an Ateco flex 14” reusable piping bag. Those three items right there are my favorites for cake and cupcake decorating.
STORE IT COVERED, IN THE FRIDGE.
This is one of those cakes that really tastes better after it’s been in the fridge for at least 4 hours. It allows the flavors and texture time to settle and blend together. I think it even tastes better on day two.
You may also like one of my other popular cakes:
- Tres Leches Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling
- Berry Cake with Lemon Cream Mousse
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The most AMAZING Coconut Cake, with layers of tender, moist coconut cake, fresh pineapple filling, and whipped coconut cream cheese frosting that all pair together perfectly.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 13.5 ounces canned unsweetened coconut milk , divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 5 large egg whites
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup butter , room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- Remaining coconut milk , or 2 tablespoons regular milk
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Line the bottom of two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with wax or parchment paper.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed (with hand or stand mixer) for 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
- Add sugar and mix 1 minute.
- Add 1 1/4 cups coconut milk and coconut extract and mix.
- Gradually add flour mixture and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the batter until incorporated.
- Spray the bottom and sides of the lined cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Divide batter evenly between the pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the pans from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before inverting them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cakes have cooled, use a sharp serrated knife cut each cake round in half horizontally, so that you end up with four cake rounds.
- At this point I like to freeze the cakes for several hours or up to 3 weeks. They're much easier to assemble and frost when they are frozen. But, you can assemble them fresh, the day of.
- Add all ingredients to medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir well to combine.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and looks "glossy", about 5-8 minutes.
- Pour filling into a tupperware. Place a piece of plastic wrap gently over the top and allow it to cool.
- Once cooled, cover it with an airtight lid and refrigerate until you're ready to use it (up to 1 week).
- Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and the rest of the remaining coconut milk (or regular milk). Mix until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add a little more milk, to thin, or powdered sugar to stiffen, if needed, until you reach your desired frosting consistency.
- Stir in coconut flakes, saving some for sprinkling on the sides and top of the cake, if desired.
- Place your first cake layer on your cake board or serving platter. Spread half of the pineapple filling over it.
- Top with another cake layer. Smooth a layer of frosting over it.
- Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining half of the pineapple filling over it.
- Top with last (4th) cake round.
- Frost the sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle with coconut, if desired.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, before serving. Tastes even better the next day!
If you love to bake, try my German Chocolate Cake!
Recipe Video
*See my notes above the recipe for tips for making this cake in advance!
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
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Toni says
I can’t wait to try this amazing coconut cake. Looks so delicious!
Mary says
I made this cake it was beautiful only thing my frosting was too sweet! Is there any way I could make it not so sweet?
Paula says
Add more cream cheese
16oz or do 7min frosting
Becky Blick says
Please tell me exactly how much of coconut milk goes in frosting. Do I use balance of milk after cake has been made?
Ginny says
Add a little lemon juice
Janie arcos says
To what do you add the lemon juice?
Janelle Moore says
Toni…You left 5 stars BEFORE YOU EVEN MADE THE CAKE?????????????????
Donna Marie Dreher says
Maybe, cause it looks so delicious, and positive thinking?
Vanessa says
First of all I have to say I am 25 years old and I have never baked anything from scratch. Someone posted this recipe on Facebook and for the first time in my life I felt compelled to bake something.
I just made this cake and I cannot stress how badly I want to eat it! The batter tasted amazing and so did the pineapple filling and the frosting! I am currently waiting for my cakes to cool off.
Although I know everything will taste amazing once put together, I noticed my cakes were very flat in the middle compared to the rest of my cake 🙁 I am kind of scared to slice them in half, but I don’t care if they fall apart, haha.still gonna be tasty.
I am a super novice baker, can you lend some advice? Otherwise this cake is amazing. Thank you for the recipe!
Dale Trombley says
My wife is in California on vacation visiting her kids. I was going to make it for her when she gets back home. I do want to try your chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling too.
Jenny says
Although the recipe suggests assembling this cake at least 4 hours before serving, I baked this cake this afternoon for a book club meeting this evening. I started with the pineapple so it would have time to cool while the cake was baking. I had just enough time to assemble it before I had to pack it up to take with me. Because of other comments here, I wasn’t sure how it would come together. I’m pleased to say that the results were amazing!
I didn’t have coconut extract, so I omitted it altogether. I still found the cake to have a lovely coconut flavor that was enhanced by the grated coconut and additional coconut milk in the frosting. My layers were a bit uneven, but they held together well and looked lovely. There is a trend to leave cakes unfrosted, and this would be a lovely presentation for this cake, except the frosting really shouldn’t be skimped on.
My book club friends loved the cake, enough so that I don’t have any left to test that it tastes better with time. But I’m already planning to make this cake again for a potluck this weekend. And I’ll start early to make sure that the favors have time to meld (if it was as good as it was after only an hour or two, I can’t wait to taste what a day or two will do).
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! This is the kind of cake that has me thinking of excuses to bake it because I want people to taste just how good it is.
Debra Brunson says
Can I substitute a gluten free flour blend?
Lauren Allen says
I haven’t tried it! Curious to know how it turns out.
Patrice says
Hi there! When you bake this cake in 8″ pans, are the pans 2″ or 3″ tall?
sml says
I think this would be helpful to know. I cooked the cakes almost an extra 2o minutes and I think they still were a little undercooked.
Sara says
I made this cake. Substituted half of the coconut milk for regular milk, used vanilla instead of coconut extract in the cake. In the frosting I used regular milk and added vanilla. It was amazing. Even my husband who thought he only liked chocolate cake loved it and it’s his favorite now. ❤️
Vida says
Is the coconut milk the Thai kind from the grocery store or the thicker kind that you buy in Asian markets?
Lauren Allen says
Any unsweetened canned coconut milk should work!
Aileen Duffek says
Can I make this into cupcakes? If so, how?
Lauren Allen says
Yes, that should be fine! I haven’t tested it but I would check them around 18 minutes. I’d love to know how they turn out!
Johnnie says
I wonder if the bake time is wrong. I baked 28 min. , then cooled cake and when i inverted on rack it opened up and raw batter poured out. I put it back in oven for another 30 min and it. It Finally got done. With all that said I love the taste of the batter, it has to be heavenly when finished.
Johnnie
Lauren Allen says
Hi Johnnie,
I’m so sorry that happened. It’s always helpful to use the toothpick test to make sure your cake is cooked all the way through. Unfortunately bake time may always very depending on oven calibration and your location.
Michelle H. says
This cake is delicious! My family absolutely loved it. Also, thank you for the tip about freezing the layers – very helpful.
Eloise says
Made this exactly as instructed! It had my hubby’s two favorites: pineapple and coconut! He enjoyed it!! Will make again!!
Michelle says
This cake is delicious! Definitely a new family favourite. Also, thank you for the very helpful tip about freezing the layers.
Dena says
5 cups of powdered sugar in the frosting? Am I reading that right?
Lauren Allen says
You will use at least 4 cups (it says 4-5 because you can add more or less depending on the consistency you like). Enjoy!
Giliane says
I baked for 30 min and center was wobbly… not baked. so I am baking for longer and going to keep and eye on it. batter tasted amazing and cannot wait to surprise my husband with it later
Janet says
I made this recipe and I was amazed how delicious it was. I have done some other recipes and they are not what I thought but this one, was even better than I imagined! I have to make it again because I gave a piece to everybody and it was too little left for me and I loved it! I would like to send you a picture.
Sherry Johnson says
Looks soon good. I will make it for my family reunion this weekend. Can’t wait for the accolades.
Nick says
Dear Lady Lauren:
Made this cake over the weekend to take to work today. Followed your recipe verbatim and guess what, cake turned out so fabulous that a co-worker even asked me to marry her! This dense, heavy, moist bundle of love (the cake, that is) was gone in 5 mins . Two women opted for second pieces which was surprising since it’s usually us pork chop men who take second pieces. THANK YOU for making my co-workers’ day today with your amazing recipe! A real treat for all!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks so much for sharing Nick–I’m thrilled that it made you popular with your co-workers 😉 Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Colette says
Do you not drain the pineapple before making filling??
Lauren Allen says
No, you don’t want to drain the pineapple.
Enid Vazquez says
Is there any way to make this cake with a box cake mix & just add some vanilla extract to it?? Trying to make it simpler since my life is soooo hectic. . . it really looks good . .. so plz let me know.
Lauren Allen says
Hi Enid, I would use a white cake mix, with a little coconut extract added to the batter. 🙂 Enjoy!
Jess says
It says divide coconut milk. An I dividing it in half or just taking out what us needed for the frosting?
Lauren Allen says
Just taking out whats needed for the frosting 🙂
Patty says
Hello, I’ve tried making the cake part 3 different times and though it is getting better it is not working out for me. I’m not a skilled baker. Though this time the cakes turned out a little better they still are pretty flat so I will finish this with two tiers because I can’t torte them. I’m noticing that my batter seems more dough like so I’m not sure if I need to add more coconut milk before adding the flour. Any thought you have on this would be appreciated.
Thank you
Winnie says
I made this cake using a Duncan Hines white cake mix, which is one of my favorites. I followed instructions for pineapple filling & cream cheese icing. I did not use any coconut as I don’t care for it. It came out great! Froze the cake for a couple of days & left the pineapple filling in refrigerator for 2 days until I made the icing & put everything together. Did not slice the layers before freezing & had no problem there. If you’ve ever had cake decorating there are a couple of items that make making this cake easier. Will make again & use lemon filling.
Julie Cutshaw says
I’m making this today for my sister’s birthday. I made the cake yesterday and froze it until I make the other two ingredients today. I tasted a tiny pinch of the plain cake and it was so good and moist. I can’t wait to see how it all turns out in taste. I’m using my wilton icing tips to decorate the top flowers with some wilton gel icing colors. I think your detailed recipe directions are spot on and thank you for sharing this scrumptious recipe.
Lauren Allen says
Thank you Julie! I would love to hear what you think when you put it all together, or I’d love to see a photo!–It sounds like it will be beautiful!! Enjoy!
Jana McCloud says
Can I make this in a 9×13 pan??
Lauren Allen says
Sure, I can’t tell you the exact baking time because I haven’t tested it.
Pat Lewis says
This cake was absolutely delicious. I took it for Pot Luck at church and it was a heavenly success. Everyone knows and loves my husband’s cheesecake, but he said he would put this cake up against his cheesecake. Coming from my husband of 55 years, that is a HUGE compliment. Thank you.
Lauren Allen says
What an amazing compliment! Thanks so much for sharing Pat–I’m so glad everyone loved it!
Deb says
You were right Lauren, this cake is the most AMAZING coconut cake and is somewhat of a masterpiece! Made it per the instructions (except the freezing part) for my daughter’s 22nd birthday and it was delicious. She doesn’t care much for cakes (not really into sweets at all) had two slices. Yeah, it’s THAT good 🙂 I decorated the top center with fresh chopped mango & strawberries. The whole family enjoyed it. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for sharing Deb! I’m glad you daughter loved it, and your addition of chopped fruit on top sounds perfect! Thanks for commenting!
Carol Rivers says
I wonder if you can use Paleo all-purpose flour for this? Has anyone tried?
Lisa says
This cake was absolutely amazing!!
Juanell Hollingsworth says
I just found this recipe today but will definitely be making it soon. I just wanted to say that I have found the easiest way to me to split the cakes in two layers is to use dental floss. Slices through cake easily.
Nedra H. says
I’m not a coconut fan, until I made this cake at my husbands request. This has become my favorite of all
cakes. Today I’m making it for the third time. It will be for my card group on Wednesday. I’m taking your
advice and making a few days ahead. Will try freezing it tonight. I have limited freezer and refrigerator space,
thanks to a side by side I do despise..But where there is a will…
Thank you so much for posting this recipe.. I love it
Lauren Allen says
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for sharing Nedra. Hope you can squeeze some room in your freezer, it will make the process even easier!