25 Coconut Cake Recipes For The Perfect Ending To Any Meal
Layer cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, and more.
Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
Coconut is a magical ingredient when it comes to baking, which is why you'll find it in so many Southern desserts. The dried shredded fruit makes a delightfully crunchy, subtly sweet topping, but it can also add moisture to a cake when baked in a batter. And then there's coconut oil, milk, extract, and cream—all of which add can layers of flavor to baked goods.
We've gathered our very best coconut cake recipes so you can find the perfect one for you. If you're looking for a low-effort dessert that packs a big coconut punch, try our Pineapple Sunshine Cake or Key Lime-Coconut Icebox Cake. For birthdays and other special occasions, an impressive layer cake might be in order, like Mama's German Chocolate Cake, Lemon-Coconut Cake, or Coconut Chiffon Cake. Or, If you prefer your coconut as a single-serve delight, whip up a batch of Coconut-Lime Cupcakes.
However you crack it, you can't go wrong with a good coconut cake. Browse these recipes to find the one that's just right for you.
Coconut-Lime Cupcakes
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Lime and coconut are a terrific flavor combination, as you'll see in these tender cupcakes topped with a cream cheese frosting made with coconut milk.
Oatmeal Cake
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
This homey cake from reader Pat Ynesta is wonderful served right out of the pan with a cup of coffee or tea. You'll love the buttery topping made with coconut, nuts, and brown sugar.
Caramel Italian Cream Cake
Large flakes of toasted coconut give this cake a dramatic look. But the inside is even more special: layers of vanilla cake filled with pecans and coconut and an incredible caramel frosting.
Pineapple Sunshine Cake
As the name suggests, a slice of this poke cake will make anyone's day. Coconut flakes and whipped coconut topping (found in the freezer aisle) makes an easy and delicious finishing touch.
Key Lime-Coconut Icebox Cake
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This is one of the prettiest—and best tasting icebox cakes we've ever had. Coconut extract and shredded coconut pair wonderfully with the Key lime whipped cream.
Classic Coconut Cake
Coconut filling helps enhance this cake's flavoring. The frozen flaky coconut, coconut shavings, and whipped cream frosting with coconut extract make this cake unlike any other. If you still crave more coconut, add some flakes as a garnish.
Lemon-Coconut Cake
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
This lovely dessert slices so beautifully to reveal layers of tender coconut cake, lemon curd, and cream cheese frosting.
Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake
Your guests will never realize this gorgeous and delicious dessert is dairy-and gluten-free. This cake is layered with crisp meringues and coconut cream, making it a delightful but flourless dessert. Use canned coconut cream, not coconut milk, for the best results.
Four-Layer Coconut Cake
Purchase coconut shavings in bulk from your local health food store or in the dried fruit section of the supermarket. Allow time to completely cool the layers before adding any coconut filling. The coconut filling comes together with only six ingredients.
Carrot Cake Muffins
Who says you can't have carrot cake for breakfast? These tender muffins are filled with shredded coconut, raisins, and spices.
Ambrosia Cheesecake
Make this cheesecake up to four days in advance. Prepare the cream cheese and coconut filling and pour it into the graham cracker crust. Wait until you are ready to serve to add the assorted citrus toppings.
Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream
Swap out your usual carrot cake with a lightly spiced, coconut-sweet version. A sheet cake feeds a crowd and travels better than a layered cake. Plus, coconut and carrot cake together is better.
Coconut Pound Cake
Coconut pound cake sounds delicious enough, but this recipe packs two secret Southern ingredients that take this cake over the top—pecans and bourbon. This recipe serves about 12 people.
Banana Coconut Cobbler
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Like a cross between banana pudding and a cakey cobbler, this inventive dessert is flavored with coconut milk, lime, and cardamom.
Japanese Fruitcake with Lemon-Coconut Frosting
This spiced cake is a holiday favorite for many families. Unlike some less-than-appetizing fruitcakes that might come to mind, this one only contains raisins—no strange dried fruits. Paired with the Lemon-Coconut frosting, this is a dessert you'll want to serve on every holiday.
The Lane Cake
Topped with Peach Schnapps-infused frosting, this cake is an unforgettable layered classic. It uses all the favorite Southern flavors: toasted pecans, coconut flakes, and dried peaches. The meringue frosting brings it all together.
Triple-Coconut Poke Snack Cake
This poke cake is perfect for coconut lovers. The cake gets its flavor from coconut milk, sweetened condensed coconut milk, and coconut chips. Enjoy it for breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert.
Coconut Cream Cake
The nostalgia of coconut cream pie meets the fanfare of a layer cake in one delicious dessert. To complete this cake's beautiful exterior, look for packaged coconut shavings in the natural foods section of your grocery store. Coconut shavings are the perfect garnish on top of the Fluffy Coconut Frosting.
Ambrosia Cupcakes
Coconut oil and milk, and shredded coconut make this dessert a coconut triple threat. Add an orange-marshmallow frosting and a cherry on top and you've got a treat that everyone is sure to love.
Coconut Chiffon Cake
This classic cake, covered in meringue swirls, is as beautiful as it is delicious. The thick and rich filling is mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and a grated coconut blend. Paired with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, this cake is something you need to try for your next event.
Mama's German Chocolate Cake
Coconut plays a starring role in German Chocolate Cake, and this version is as decadent as they come. The coconut frosting is very thick, so press it into the sides of the cake instead of spreading it, which can tear the delicate crumb.
Louisiana Crunch Cake
Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
If you've never tasted this regional dessert, now's the time. The cake is flavored with vanilla and coconut and has a generous topping of toasted shredded coconut, hence the dessert's fun name.
Ambrosia Trifle
ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: GIULIETTA PINNA; FOOD STYLING: ALI RAMEE
While a trifle isn't exactly a cake recipe, we couldn't leave this magnificent dessert off of this list. The star of the dish is coconut pastry cream, which brings together angel food cake, citrus, and an Italian meringue topping.
Coconut-Almond Cream Cake
Brooks Hamaker, from New Orleans, makes this cake with the precision of a skilled baker who has made his masterpiece many times. If the tops of the layers are a little rounded, he recommends leveling them with a serrated knife. "This is a tall cake," he says, "and it needs to be level if you want your friends to admire your work before they devour the cake—as they absolutely will."
Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes
These delectable Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting start with a store-bought cake mix. It's a favorite dessert for any gathering. Make an impression by making birds' nests with malted milk balls and edible paper as a garnish for these cupcakes.
For more coconut desserts, check out 28 Coconut Dessert Recipes That'll Transport You Right to the Tropics.
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