The Scoop
Coconut cake is having a moment, and honestly, it never needed a comeback!
Fluffy vanilla-almond cake gets loaded with sweet shredded coconut, layered with tangy cream cheese frosting, and finished with even more coconut for a beautifully nostalgic bake with plenty of texture.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 ounces coconut, sweetened and shredded
For the frosting:
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 6 ounces coconut, sweetened and shredded, optional, for decoration
Directions
- To begin, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, then line them with parchment paper. Grease once more and dust lightly with flour.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter for 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed, until fluffy and light yellow.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl.
- Reduce the mixer to medium speed, then add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl once during mixing.
- Add in the almond and vanilla extracts, mixing well.
- In a separate bowl, sift the baking powder, flour, baking soda, and salt together.
- Put the mixer on low speed, then alternately add in the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula, being careful not to knock the air out of the batter.
- Evenly pour the batter into the 2 pans and gently smooth over the top with a knife.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven until the cake tester comes out clean and the tops are browned, about 45-55 minutes.
- Cool in the pans for 30 minutes before turning the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.
- While the cakes cool, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fully combine the butter, vanilla, cream cheese, and almond extract on low speed using the paddle attachment.
- Add in the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip).
- To assemble the cake, place 1 layer of cake on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with the frosting.
- Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost both the sides and top.
- To decorate, sprinkle the top with coconut and gently press the coconut onto the sides.
- Serve at room temperature.
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