I have always loved coconut. It's been one of my absolute favorite flavors for a LONG time. In elementary school when the weather was nice, I remember people selling little cups of sorbet for a couple of dollars. After begging my mom for some money, I would get my regular coconut...occasionally with mango.
I've wanted to make a coconut cake for a while now, especially since I read The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, but none of the recipes I found seemed coconut-y enough. I wanted a cake that was moist (sorry, I know, awful word...can we make up a new one), filled with coconut flavor in every way possible, and covered with a delicious coconut buttercream. So...I made my own from scratch (the frosting recipe was from the book)! It was so rich, incredibly delicious, and just what I was hoping for.
Coconut Cream Cake
For the Cake:
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2/3 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup chilled coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 cup room temperature coconut milk
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup shredded coconut
For the Frosting:
1 cup softened butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tsp coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, melted coconut oil and extracts. Once the mixture is cooled (the melted coconut oil can be hot!) add the eggs and beat until well combined and lighter in color.
3. Add the chilled coconut milk (it will have a thicker consistency when cool) and mix.
4. Add the yogurt or sour cream.
5. Mix together the room temperature coconut milk and coconut cream and pour into the rest of the mixture.
6. Add the flour, baking powder and mix on high for about 1-2 min.
7. Add the shredded coconut and mix again!
8. Grease three 9-in rounds and pour about 2 3/4 cups into each round. Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick comes out clean or withe a few moist crumbs.
9. For the frosting, combine butter and sugar (one cup at a time).
10. Add in coconut milk and extracts. The frosting should be thick but spreadable.
11. Once the cakes have cooled completely, frost the cake and cover in toasted coconut!
*Pro tip: for an extra moist cake you can add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut cream to each cake round while they cool.
**If you have extra coconut milk, cook your rice in it! SO GOOD!
Happy Baking!
