24 Coconut Cake Recipes

By Southern Living Editors
March 30, 2015
Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Coconut is a true Southern ingredient, and one of our favorite flavors in beautifully baked cakes. These delicious recipes make it simple to have a bite of coconut every day. You’ll love the ease of making the Lemon-Coconut Pound Cake Loaf, or the Coconut Sheet Cake. For beautiful coconut cake kitchen creations, bake the Coconut-Almond Cream Cake—it looks as good as it tastes, and the Four-Layer Coconut Cake. If you prefer your coconut as a bite-size delight, whip up a batch of the Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes. They mix two classic Southern tastes into one handheld treat. However you crack it, coconut cake is one of our favorite sweet treats.
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Coconut Cream Cake

Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Recipe: Coconut Cream Cake

The nostalgia of coconut cream pie meets the fanfare of a layer cake in one delicious dessert.

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Coconut-Almond Roulade

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Coconut-Almond Roulade

If you can't find desiccated coconut, process shredded coconut in a food processor until finely ground.

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Coconut-and-Pecan Strawberry Shortcakes

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Recipe: Coconut-and-Pecan Strawberry Shortcakes

For a creative, updated take on shortcake, we added coconut and pecans to the dough.

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Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Vanessa McNeil Rocchio

Recipe: Pineapple-Coconut Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting

These delectable Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting start with a cake mix and are 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.

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Ambrosia Coconut Cake

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Ambrosia Coconut Cake

Make the filling and frosting up to 2 days ahead. Then, build the cake, and chill up to 24 hours.

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Lemon-Coconut Pound Cake Loaf

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Lemon-Coconut Pound Cake Loaf

Garnish this pound cake with flaked coconut or, for a dressier look, curly shavings of coconut. See the Test Kitchen note below for instructions on making fresh coconut shavings.

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Coconut-Almond Cream Cake

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Recipe: 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."

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Four-Layer Coconut Cake

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Four-Layer Coconut Cake

Coconut shavings can be purchased in the bulk section of your local health food store or dried fruit section in the supermarket.

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Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes

Small bites are big treats! These Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes topped with a sweet Caramel Frosting make for a perfect after-dinner treat.

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Coconut Sheet Cake

Recipe: Coconut Sheet Cake

Coconut cake just got easier. Make a sheet cake instead of a layer cake for a dessert that's as easy as it is delicious. Top with cream cheese icing and a sprinkle of coconut for a cool, delicious dessert.

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Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake

Your guests will never realize this gorgeous and delicious dessert is dairy-and gluten-free, but the ones who usually have to decline dessert based on dietary restrictions will be so grateful.

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Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream

Swap out your usual carrot cake with a lightly spiced, coconut-sweet version this Easter. A sheet cake feeds a crowd and travels better than a layered cake.

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Coconut Pound Cake

Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: 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.

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Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting

This stunning layer cake will be the star of any Southern holiday table, and if you’re a baker who’s never tried ermine frosting, you’ll love its soft, buttercream-like texture.

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Japanese Fruitcake with Lemon-Coconut Frosting

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Japanese Fruitcake with Lemon-Coconut Frosting

This spiced cake is a holiday favorite for many families, and unlike some of the less-than-appetizing fruitcakes that might come to mind, this one only contains raisins—no odd dried fruits.

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Toasted Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Toasted Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

These rich cupcakes are filled with coconut flavor. They’re perfect for feeding a crowd at the potluck but impressive enough for a holiday dinner.

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Coconut Tres Leches Sheet Cake

Alison Miksch

Recipe: Coconut Tres Leches Sheet Cake

The word might make you cringe, but there’s no other way to describe a well-done tres leches cake than moist—and this one has dreamy coconut flavor to go along with that velvety texture.

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Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

A sweet, tangy orange filling between layers adds so much zest to a traditional Italian cream cake, and it’s perfect for a dressy holiday celebration.

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Tropical Carrot Cake

Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Tropical Carrot Cake

This tropical treat combines everything you love about carrot cake and our beloved Hummingbird cake into one decadent dessert that might become a new Easter tradition.

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Coconut-Macadamia Nut Pound Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Coconut-Macadamia Nut Pound Cake

This dreamy dessert is topped with an easy rum glaze that’s festive for any dinner party or Christmas cocktail.

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Festive Piña Colada Cheesecake

Southern Living

Recipe: Festive Piña Colada Cheesecake

This fruity cheesecake is like a slice of the tropics for your cake stand.

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Coconut-Lemon Cake

Photo: J. Savage Gibson

Recipe: Coconut-Lemon Cake

This classic white layer cake has a dreamy lemon filling and fluffy frosting. If you have leftover lemon filling from the layers, use it to fill tart shells for an extra bite.

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Chocolate-Coconut Layer Cake

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Chocolate-Coconut Layer Cake

If you’re a coconut-cake fanatic but you have all chocolate lovers in your family, let us introduce you to the ultimate, delicious compromise.

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By Southern Living Editors