Coconut Cake (No Synthetic Flavors!)

Coconut Cake (No Synthetic Flavors!)

This moist and scrumptious coconut cake recipe is infused with pure taste all through and embellished with large toasted coconut flakes.

A cake sitting on top of a table

At present’s submit is a revamp of one in every of my oldest recipes. All the best way again to 2015! It was a kind of recipes that was good however might have been higher.

My predominant problem with the unique coconut cake recipe was that it used coconut extract. I don’t typically like to make use of flavored extracts in my baking, as I discover them to style synthetic and customarily disagreeable.

Some are higher than others, thoughts you, however I principally stick with vanilla or attempt to infuse the flavors in another means.

Coconut extract, not not like almond extract, could be very straightforward to overdo. It’s robust, typically overpowering, and may make your baked items style such as you’re consuming suntan lotion when you’re not cautious.

Coconut cake with toasted coconut flakes.

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All Pure Components

I used to be on a mission to redo this Coconut Cake recipe utilizing coconut in its pure kind. There’s a slew of coconut merchandise on the market, so the chances are infinite.

I’m not kidding once I say I purchased each single coconut product I might discover to check and experiment with. This included the next:

All of those elements (aside from the coconut flakes) have been tremendous straightforward to seek out within the grocery retailer.

For me, the primary three have been discovered within the Ethnic Meals part, the remaining within the baking part. The one factor that was more durable to seek out was the big coconut flakes, which I picked up at Entire Meals.

I didn’t find yourself utilizing parts of the entire coconuts aside from for the pics, however I used to be stunned at how straightforward they have been to crack!

Homemade coconut cake decorated with toasted coconut and a swirl of frosting on the top.

There are a bunch of movies on how to do that, and I like to recommend watching one to see the way it’s completed, however mainly, all you have to do is:

  • Poke out a number of of the “eyes” with a screwdriver (I used to be capable of poke by way of with out utilizing a hammer)
  • Drain the coconut water right into a bowl
  • Hammer across the axis of the coconut whereas turning it, and ultimately a crack will begin to kind (this didn’t take lengthy)
  • Hold hammering till the crack is sufficiently big which you can pry the coconut open

Coconut Tip!

Should you’re cracking multiple coconut and need to maintain the water, drain them into separate bowls. I didn’t know on the time, however the second coconut I cracked was a bit rotten on the within, and I didn’t need to use the water after I noticed that.

Toasted coconut flakes decorate the outside of the cake.

Easy methods to Make this Coconut Cake Recipe

For the precise cake recipe, I ended up utilizing the canned coconut milk instead of common milk, and I added medium shredded coconut to the batter.

I’d have most popular to make use of positive shredded coconut, as a result of I don’t love the feel of coconut, however the stuff I had was unsweetened and I needed so as to add a bit extra sweetness to the cake. Both mixture will work although — sweetened/unsweetened, positive/medium/coarse. It’s only a matter of choice!

I didn’t find yourself utilizing the coconut sugar within the ultimate model of the recipe, as a result of it coloured the cake batter an excessive amount of and I needed a pleasant, white/yellow cake.

So you should utilize coconut sugar and it’ll work completely positive, the cake will simply have a barely completely different taste and colour. But it surely’s necessary to notice that coconut sugar doesn’t truly style like coconut in any respect. It’s comprised of the sap of the flower buds of the coconut palms, not the coconut itself. It tastes and appears much like brown sugar.

The coconut milk powder labored extraordinarily properly within the frosting. It added a tremendous taste with out affecting the feel. Should you have been to make use of canned coconut milk as an alternative, you’d have to make use of much more of it for the flavour to come back by way of, and it might make the frosting too tender. I extremely advocate utilizing the milk powder if you’ll find it!

I solely used the coconut milk powder within the frosting, not the cake, however I believe it will be an effective way so as to add extra taste to the cake when you needed to. I’d most likely add a few Tbsp to the dry elements.

This beautiful Coconut Cake is completed off with a easy ornament of some large toasted coconut flakes, and I simply love the look of them. I used to be capable of purchase mine already toasted, however I popped them into the oven for a bit extra to reinforce the colour.

Shot of the top of the cake showing a buttercream swirl.
Why Do you Toast Coconut?

Toasting coconut provides it a scrumptious nutty taste. It’s actually a step that you simply don’t need to skip! It additionally provides it a crispier texture and smells simply heavenly.

Easy methods to Toast Coconut

Toasting coconut is tremendous straightforward and could be completed very quickly. Preheat your oven to 350F and unfold the coconut in a skinny, even layer on a big baking sheet. Pop it within the oven for 5mins, stir it round, and maintain toasting till the specified colour is reached. It’s necessary to notice that it might go from lovely golden brown to burnt in a short time, so watch it like a hawk and stir it round typically. Be certain the coconut is cooled fully earlier than utilizing it on the cake.

Slice of coconut cake on a plate.

This Coconut Cake recipe has the proper hit of coconut taste all through with out being overpowering or tasting synthetic. Any coconut fan in your life is certain to like it!

Often Requested Questions

How can I convert this recipe?

  • The recipe as-is can even work in two 8″ pans. For 3 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe. Baking time could should be adjusted.
  • To make cupcakes, all you have to do is cut back the baking time — begin checking at 15mins or so. The recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes relying on measurement.
  • For different conversions go right here.

Can I make it upfront?

  • The cooled cake layers could be baked forward of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for as much as 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours earlier than meeting.
  • The frosting could be positioned in an hermetic container and refrigerated for 1 week for frozen for 3 months. Carry to room temperature and rewhip earlier than utilizing.
  • The completed cake (entire or sliced, saved hermetic) could be frozen for as much as 3 months.

Can I get the measurements by weight/grams?

  • There’s a Metric choice within the recipe card. Should you click on it it would convert every thing to grams.
  • This conversion is finished robotically and I can not assure the accuracy however many readers have had success utilizing the metric choice for this recipe. 

Suggestions for this Coconut Cake Recipe

  • Make sure to use canned coconut milk, not the stuff within the carton, and shake it properly earlier than use. Mine was fairly clean, however it might separate a bit, so be sure you shake it!
  • I’d have used very positive shredded coconut within the cake batter if I had it accessible, however you should utilize any form you want. I used sweetened, however unsweetened will work too.
  • The coconut milk powder labored extraordinarily properly within the frosting, including nice taste with out affecting the feel.
  • Should you like, you possibly can add a few Tbsps of coconut milk powder into the dry elements within the cake batter to reinforce the flavour much more.
  • I like the big coconut flakes on the surface of this cake, however when you can’t discover them you should utilize any form of shredded coconut.
  • Should you favor to make use of an American buttercream, like my authentic coconut cake recipe used, you should utilize my Easy Vanilla Buttercream recipe and add coconut milk powder to it.
  • I like to organize my cake pans utilizing Home made Cake Launch then line with parchment.
  • Make sure to test my Swiss Meringue Buttercream submit for ideas and troubleshooting.
  • See my submit on Easy Syrup for recommendations on how to verify your desserts keep moist.
  • To assist guarantee your cake layers bake up good and flat, see my Flat High Muffins submit.
A coconut cake sitting on top of a table

Coconut Cake

This moist and scrumptious coconut cake recipe is infused with pure coconut taste all through.

Course Dessert

Delicacies American

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook dinner Time 35 minutes

Complete Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Servings 12

Energy 701kcal

Components 

 

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Directions 

Coconut Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds and line with parchment.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt till properly mixed. Put aside.

  • Utilizing a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high till pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Cut back pace and add eggs one after the other totally incorporating after every addition. Add vanilla.

  • Alternate including flour combination and coconut milk, starting and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and a couple of of milk). Absolutely incorporating after every addition.

  • Gently fold in shredded coconut.

  • Bake for 35-40mins or till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out principally clear.

  • Place desserts on wire rack to chill for 10mins then prove onto wire rack.

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  • Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk till mixed.*

  • Place bowl over a double boiler on the range and whisk always till the combination is sizzling and now not grainy to the contact (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a sweet thermometer.

  • Place bowl in your stand mixer and whisk on med-high till the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is now not heat to the contact (approx. 5-10mins)).

  • Change to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and blend till clean.**

  • Add coconut milk powder and whip till clean.

Meeting:

  • Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. High with roughly 2/3 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layer and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.

  • Frost the highest and sides of the cake and clean with a bench scraper. Do a swirl on the highest.

  • Gently press toasted coconut flakes into the perimeters of the cake.

Notes

* Guarantee there’s NO hint of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is totally grease free or your meringue gained’t stiffen.
** The buttercream could seem like it’s curdled sooner or later. Hold mixing till it’s fully clean.

Energy: 701kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 6gFats: 45gSaturated Fats: 30gLdl cholesterol: 138mgSodium: 171mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 1gSugar: 52gVitamin A: 1130IUVitamin C: 0.6mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 1.7mg

The dietary data and metric conversions are calculated robotically. I can not assure the accuracy of this knowledge. If that is necessary to you, please confirm together with your favourite vitamin calculator and/or metric conversion instrument.

Coconut Cake photo collage

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