I love a good Coconut Cake but since it’s not one of my wife’s favorites, I always use Easter as an excuse to make one of my all-time favorite cakes.
At first glance, it might look like some serious skills to make this cake but trust me this cake was not hard to make. I’m not a baker by trade, I bake because I enjoy it. Baking is therapeutic for me, and I love eating the results!
After the first slice of my coconut layer cake, it was a “stop me before I eat too much” moment. The cake layers with a moist crumb and mascarpone frosting was almost too good. I had thought about making a coconut cream cheese frosting, but the mascarpone made a lighter version and didn’t take away from the coconut.
What Ingredients do I need to make a Coconut Cake?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Coconut Cake. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How do I make a coconut cake?
Let’s start with a disclaimer, I love coconut but I also know some people don’t so I make a compromise with my coconut cake making a yellow cake that includes coconut. You can, of course, make a few adjustments(which I’ve included in the recipe) and have a more coconut flavor in the cake as well as the frosting.
- add the butter, sugar, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl
- cream the butter mixture until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes
- add the eggs in one at a time to the butter mixture
- beat well after each addition (make sure to scrape down the bowl between each step)
- add one-third of the flour to the wet ingredients.
- Mix together just enough to combine.
- add half the milk, and mix just enough to incorporate.
- repeat the process until you’ve added the last third of the flour (scrape down the bowl frequently)
*If you’d like more coconut flavor in the cake, substitute coconut milk for the milk.
- pour the batter into greased and floured or parchment lined 9-inch cake pans and smooth out the batter.
- bake for 25 – 30 minutes in a 350-degree preheated oven on the middle rack (or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan).
- allow the layers to cool on wire racks (in the pan) for 10 minutes, then turn out the cakes and continue cooling on wire racks until completely cooled.
How do I make mascarpone frosting?
- add the mascarpone and butter to a mixing bowl.
- whip until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes)
- slowly add the 10 x sugar, one-third at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
- add the vanilla extract and mix until fully blended
*If you’d like more coconut flavor in the frosting, substitute half of the vanilla (or all the vanilla) with coconut extract.
Can I use cream cheese instead of mascarpone to make the frosting?
Yes, you can, and it will be every bit as delicious. I just prefer the lighter flavor of mascarpone. You can even use half cream cheese and half mascarpone.
How do I assemble and decorate a Coconut Cake for Easter?
- place the first layer on a cake stand or plate.
- spread one cup of frosting on top of the first layer.
- place the second layer on top of the frosted first layer and spread a small amount of frosting over the entire cake, making a light coating. This is your crumb coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, then apply frosting to the entire cake with an even coat.
- add the remaining frosting into a pastry bag, and using the star tip, make little flour shapes by squeezing out the frosting and pulling up. Go around the top of the cake with large flowers and around the bottom of the cake with smaller flowers
- Place green coconut on the top of the cake inside the circle of flowers.
- Place candy robin eggs on top and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving
*You could also use this recipe to make a sheet cake and have more room to decorate on top of the cake.
This was a delicious cake, and it’s a lot easier to decorate than you think!
These are the kitchen tools I recommend for making my Easter Cake.
Recipe FAQ’s:
Adding extra eggs or yolks will ensure that your cake comes out extra moist, light, and rich.
When someone is talking about a Vanilla Cake, they could be talking about either a white cake or a yellow cake. If the cake batter contains egg yolks, then it’s a yellow cake. If it only contains egg whites, it’s a white cake.
Yes, you can. Coconut milk is a 1:1 substitute as long as you don’t mind the coconut flavor. Cream of coconut is not the same thing and will not work with this recipe.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love!
My Coconut Easter Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 oz butter (1 ½ sticks or 12 tablespoons)-room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs -room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks -room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup milk -room temperature
Mascarpone frosting
- 12 oz mascarpone -room temperature
- 6 oz butter (1 ½ sticks) -room temperature
- 4 teaspoon vanilla -you can replace two teaspoons of vanilla extract with two teaspoons of coconut extract for more coconut flavor.
- 6 cups powdered sugar
Coconut
- 4 ounces flake coconut I used sweetened but unsweeted can be used.
- 3-4 drops green food coloring -enough to get the color green you want
- 12 ounces your favorite robin egg candy
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and baking powder until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes
- add the eggs in one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. (make sure to scrape down the bowl between each step)
- Add ⅓ of the flour, then half the milk, and repeat the process until you’ve added the last third of the flour. (scrape down the bowl frequently)
- Pour the batter into greased and floured or parchment lined 9 inch baking pans and smooth out batter.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Allow to cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, then turn out the cakes and continue cooling on wire racks until completely cooled.
Frosting
- mix together mascarpone and butter and whip until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes)
- Slowly add the 10 x sugar, one third at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
- Add vanilla and mix until fully blended
Assembly
- Place the first layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread one cup of frosting on the first layer. Add the second layer on top of the frosted first layer.
- Spread a small amount of frosting over the entire cake making a light coating, this is your crumb coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes then apply frosting to the entire cake with an even coat.
- Place frosting into a pastry bag, and using the star tip make little flour shapes by squeezing out the frosting and pulling up. Go around the top of the cake with large flowers, and around the bottom of the cake with smaller flowers
- mix 4 or 5 drops of green food coloring to the coconut (or more if you want it darker) and mix until all the coconut is the same shade of green
- Place green coconut on the top of the cake inside of the circle of flowers.
- Place candy robin eggs on top and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Foodiewife
I am a HUGE fan of KAF. My pantry is loaded with the baking tools and ingredients. LOVE their parchment circles, and I don’t know what I’d do without my offset spatulas. I think you made a very nice cake, thank you very much. I just received the same DVD and am looking forward to watching it. By the way, baking because you enjoy it is what counts. I’ve seen your pumpkin crunch cake. It’s beautiful!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Debby! I do love to bake and King Arthur has always been the flour I turn to. You’re going to love the DVD, especially the blooper reel!
hani@hanielas
HELLO!
I found you via King Arthur Flour and raced as soon as I spotted mascarpone..I love. What delicious flavor combo and I love how festive your cake is for Easter.
Chef Dennis
Thanks so much for stopping by, I Love KAF, and they motivated me to make my first real decorated cake, I’m glad you liked it!
Swathi
Delicious coconut cake, I love anything with coconut, I am debating whether to make cookie or cake, Looks like I will go for this cake, Very beautiful cake Chef. By the way love that parchment circles.
Chef Dennis
Thanks Swathi! It did turn out pretty good, and it was delicious!
Joan / My Cookie Clinic
Chef Dennis: I think you’re too hard on yourself. I would love to have a taste. It is beautifully decorated and would look stunning on any Easter table. Have a lovely holiday. P.S. The Au Gratin Potatoes seem to have turned out fine. Thanks again for the advise.
Chef Dennis
Thanks Joan, I think after watching the video I expected more from my cake. It does taste really good and that’s the important thing!
Laura Dembowski
Nothing says Easter better than coconut cake! This one looks so yummy! it would be a huge hit at Easter dinner with the pretty decorations on top!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Laura, not being a professional baker, I’ve always hid imperfections with decorations, the coconut did a great job of hiding my not real even top!
Jane
What a beautiful cake for Easter, Chef Dennis! I am not at all surprised that King Arthur contacted you, because you are one of the most down to earth, appealing, and entertaining professional chefs in the blogosphere. Hope you have a lovely Easter weekend!
Chef Dennis
Thank You Jane, what a nice thing to say. Happy Easter to you and your family!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Beautifully done, I love the mascarpone frosting!
Chef Dennis
Mascarpone really gave took that frosting to the next level, so creamy! thank Laura
Abbe@This is How I Cook
You may not think it perfect but I sure do! And very easy on the eyes!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Abbe, after watching the cake video, I was probably overly critical of myself, it was very tasty!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Betty Ann! Happy Easter to you and your family!
Betty Ann @Mango_Queen
Oh my gosh, what a divine Easter cake. I wish you lived closer ~ I’d buy this for you right now! Thanks for sharing such a festive and beautiful cake. Have a great Easter weekend, Chef Dennis!
Barbara
Mascarpone icing? I gotta try that. Supreme decadence.
Chef Dennis
It really does make a richer frosting, and so creamy! It’s basically a cream cheese frosting just switching to Mascarpone. Thanks for stopping by!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
This is such a gorgeous, festive cake Dennis! You did a beautiful job!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Georgia, I really need to start working on my decorating skills, those simple flowers really added a lot to the cake!
RavieNomNoms
Chef!! This looks phenomenal!!! So good! I just love Easter, it is always the start of new things!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Raven, and I feel the same way. Easter signals the end of winter and the beginning of better days!
anne
how fun and i think it looks beautiful! happy easter, anne
Chef Dennis
Thank you Anne, and Happy Easter to you!
Vicki Sinclair
Nice! That cake was so soft and fluffy. It turned out so well I will be using the recipe for Easter cupcakes next year, Thanks for sharing!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Vicki, even though I didn’t get the batter exactly right, it still came out really well, with excellent flavor and a good crumb. It should make outstanding cupcakes! You probably won’t need that much frosting though.