Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350\u00b0F.<\/p>\nCombine the dry ingredients:<\/strong> Add 2 \u00bc\u00a0cups all-purpose flour, 2 \u00bd\u00a0tsp baking powder, and \u00bd\u00a0tsp salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.<\/p>\nCombine the wet ingredients:<\/strong> In a second large mixing bowl, add 1 \u00bd\u00a0cups granulated sugar, 6 Tbsp softened butter, and \u00bc\u00a0cup cooking oil. Use a hand mixer to blend them together until well combined. Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add 3\u00a0large, room-temperature eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, \u00be tsp coconut extract, and 1\u00a0cup\u00a0unsweetened canned coconut milk. Blend until smooth.<\/p>\nMake the cake batter: <\/strong>Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (I don\u2019t usually do this when making cakes, but it makes all the difference in creating a lighter crumb in this homemade coconut cake). Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.<\/p>\nCarefully fold \u00bd cup of sweetened coconut flakes into the batter.<\/p>\nBake the cakes:<\/strong> Grease the bottom and sides of two 8-inch cake pans with butter, and line the bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper. Evenly divide the cake batter between each pan. I usually eyeball it, but you can also use a dry measuring cup.<\/p>\nBake the cakes in the preheated oven for 28-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and puffed in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool fully.<\/p>\nMake the frosting: <\/strong>Add 8\u00a0oz. softened cream cheese and 6 Tbsp of softened butter to a medium-sized mixing bowl and blend with the hand mixer until smooth. Now add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, along with 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of coconut extract. <\/p>\nUse the hand mixer after each cup of powdered sugar is added and blend until smooth. You need 3 cups of powdered sugar in total.<\/p>\nFrost the cakes: <\/strong>Once the cakes are cooled (how long this will take will depend on the temperature of your kitchen), slice off the domed tops of both cakes with a serrated knife. Be careful not to slice too much of the cake off. We only want to remove the dome to create an even surface for layering the cakes.<\/p>\nTake one of the cakes and place it onto a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about 1 cup of the frosting over the top of the cake. I like to start at the center and then work my way out. The frosting should be about \u00bc inch deep to create a defined layer when you slice into your homemade coconut cake.<\/p>\nTop the second cake with the frosting and spread another cup of frosting on top. It\u2019s okay if some of the frosting runs over the sides and edges of the cake!<\/p>\nFrost the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting, spreading any leftovers onto the top. <\/p>\nAdd the coconut: <\/strong>Use your hands to gently press 1 \u00bd\u00a0cups of sweetened coconut flakes into the top and sides of the cake.<\/p>\nServe: <\/strong>Make sure all the frosting is covered with coconut flakes before slicing it into 10 slices. Enjoy!<\/p>\n\n
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\nDon\u2019t overmix the batter.<\/strong> I might say this in just about every cake recipe I write, but it\u2019s important! Overmixing can make your cake dense and tough. Once you\u2019ve added the dry ingredients to the wet, mix just until everything is incorporated. No need to keep mixing.<\/li>\nMake sure your ingredients are at room temperature before starting. <\/strong>This includes eggs, butter, and milk. Room-temperature ingredients combine more easily and create a smoother batter.<\/li>\n
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<\/div>\n![\"Overhead](\"https:\/\/www.budgetbytes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Coconut_Cake_V1.jpg\")
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