Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting
This is it, folks—Southern Living's 2020 White Cake.
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Recipe Summary
This is it, folks—Southern Living's 2020 White Cake. And this isn't just any big white cake—it's the 25th anniversary of the White Cake. To celebrate this dynasty of December cover stars, our Test Kitchen pulled out all the stops, bringing you not just a recipe for cake, but also three different fillings and cookie toppers. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. It all starts with our best-ever Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting.
The cake layers themselves are quite simple. Solely using cake flour makes this coconut sponge extra tender, and whipped egg whites folded into the batter keep the layers light and fluffy. Be sure not to over-beat your egg whites—this will make them too dry and the cake will not rise properly. Coconut extract brings a subtle tropical flavor that won't overpower your palate. Butter and cream cheese both make an appearance in our Coconut Cream Frosting, which gets a double-dose of flavor from cream of coconut and coconut extract. Once you've baked your cake layers, ensure that they cool completely before attempting any assembly or decoration.
Now it's time to choose your filling. We've given you three options: Tart lemon curd, whipped chocolate ganache, or cranberry filling. All of these flavors pair beautifully with the subtle coconut cake—there's no way to go wrong. Top your cake with Peace Dove Cookies and you'll have a very special, very impressive holiday dessert to share with family and friends.