This ultra moist coconut cake is layered with raspberry filling and creamy coconut cream cheese frosting, and then coated in a thick layer of shredded coconut! Make it a showstopper by decorating with edible flowers or fresh raspberries. A must try for raspberry coconut lovers!

My Famous Coconut Cake Recipe

If you know me, you know that I absolutely love coconut cake! And with summer in the air, I wanted to share something light, pretty, and perfect for the new season. Enter this stunning coconut snowball cake!

The cake layers are moist and tender, and you can 100% taste the coconut flavor… but the cake doesn’t taste like tan lotion! Similar to my Tom Cruise coconut cake, it has just the right amount of coconut flavor.

I had some fresh flowers from my garden, so I topped the cake with a few massive blooms. But if flowers on dessert isn’t your thing, leave it plain! Or top with a mountain of fresh raspberries!

Coconut Cake Ingredients: Get the Best Coconut Flavor

• All-Purpose Flour: Measure your flour by using a digital kitchen scale. Or by lightly scooping it into the measuring cup. This is the most important of the dry ingredients to measure right!
• Baking Powder: Helps the cake batter rise in the oven, make sure the baking powder is fresh.
• Baking Soda: Helps the cake batter spread evenly in the cake pans, make sure the baking soda is fresh.
• Salt: Enhances the flavors in this coconut cake recipe, and helps balance sweetness.
• Butter: I always suggest using unsalted butter, but in a pinch, use salted butter and omit the salt called for.
• Sugar: For best results, use granulated sugar and don’t reduce the amount called for. Using brown sugar will work, but will alter the color of the cake batter.
• Vanilla Extract: For the best rich flavor, use pure vanilla extract.
• Coconut Extract: Just a small amount enhances the coconut flavor.
• Almond Extract: Complements the coconut flavor, but you can omit it.
• Egg Whites: Don’t use whole eggs here, you only want the whites. Make sure to beat the egg whites until frothy. This helps the cake batter puff up in the oven.
• Coconut Milk: I like using full-fat canned coconut milk. I don’t suggest using regular milk or other nut milks, as they won’t add coconut flavor.
• Sour Cream: In a pinch, sub with coconut yogurt or plain full-fat Greek yogurt.
• Coconut Oil: I suggest using unrefined coconut oil for the best coconut flavor.
• Shredded Coconut: For the cake, I suggest using finely shredded unsweetened coconut. Do not add more than called for, or it’ll dry out the cake batter.

Ingredients for the Frosting Recipe

• Butter: I always suggest using unsalted butter, but in a pinch, use salted butter and omit the salt called for.
• Cream Cheese: Use brick-style full-fat cream cheese, such as Philadelphia brand.
• Vanilla Extract: For the best rich flavor, use pure vanilla extract.
• Salt: Enhances the flavors in this coconut cake frosting recipe, and helps balance sweetness.
• Coconut Extract: Just a small amount enhances the coconut flavor.
• Coconut Milk: I like using full-fat canned coconut milk. I don’t suggest using regular milk or other nut milks, as they won’t add coconut flavor.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: Thickens the frosting recipe and helps sweeten it. I suggest sifting the confectioners’ sugar before use, so your frosting recipe is clump free.
• Raspberry Preserves: My secret ingredient to this coconut cake, this is spread between the cake layers.
• Shredded Coconut: I love pressing coconut flakes on the sides of the cake. This adds great flavor and texture to the cake!

Unsweetened Coconut VS Sweetened Shredded Coconut

• Unsweetened coconut comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Why I like using it in cake recipes is that it adds coconut flavor, without adding sweetness.
• I suggest using finely shredded unsweetened coconut for the cake batter. And large coconut flakes for the sides of the cake. The large coconut flakes don’t work great in the cake batter because they make create air pockets and bake up pretty chewy.
• This coconut cake recipe is already sweet, so it doesn’t need the added sweetness of sweetened shredded coconut.
• That being said, in a pinch, you can use sweetened shredded coconut. But it will make this coconut cake recipe much sweeter.

Make the Cake Batter

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees before you begin baking! This way your oven has plenty of time to come to temperature.
• Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature! This means the egg whites, butter, and sour cream.
• Properly prepare your cake pans! You’ll want to generously spray the tops and sides with nonstick baking spray, and line the bottom with a parchment paper round. This ensures you won’t have to battle to get your cakes out of the pans.
• You’ll need a stand mixer or electric hand mixer for this recipe!
• Beat the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy! This takes about 3 minutes, so be patient. And use a rubber spatula to scrape the butter mixture off the sides and bottom of the bowl every 30 seconds or so.
• Don’t over mix once you add in the flour mixture! This is what causes dry cake! Instead, beat on low, and mix until the ingredients are just combined!
• Scrape your batter in the prepared pans and bake for about 20 minutes! If you’re only making two layers, then your cakes could take anywhere between 28 and 30 minutes. It’s ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes in the pans, on a cooling rack, for 20 minutes, then remove and cool completely before frosting!
• If your frosting seems too thin, add a little more powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. But ONLY do this is necessary, because it will make your frosting very sweet.

This coconut cake recipe is perfect for a bridal shower, birthday party, or even a small backyard wedding! The flavors and textures are divine, and the cake is also a total showstopper.

Just be sure you keep it out of direct sunlight and heat, because the cream cheese frosting WILL melt after a while. I speak from experience lol! Thankfully this cake will keep well, stored in the fridge, for up to 24 hours!

Raspberry Swirl Coconut Snowball Cake

Ashley Manila

This ultra moist coconut cake is layered with raspberry filling and creamy coconut cream cheese frosting, and then coated in a thick layer of shredded coconut! Make it a showstopper by decorating with edible flowers or fresh raspberries. A must try for raspberry coconut lovers!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Inactive Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 1 Cake

Ingredients

 

For the Coconut Cake:

• 2 and 1/2 cups (310 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon (13 grams) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 grams) salt
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 cups (298 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 6 large egg whites, lightly beaten until foamy on top
• 1 cup (227 grams) canned coconut milk
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (67 grams) unrefined coconut oil, liquified
• 1 cup (54 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut

For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 3 Tablespoons canned coconut milk
• 4 and 1/2 cups (510 grams) confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
• 2 cups (108 grams) shredded coconut, for decorating

Instructions

 

For the Coconut Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously grease the bottom and sides of three 9-inch round cake pans; line with parchment paper rounds and set aside until needed. 
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
• Gradually add in the sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat on high speed for 2 minutes. or until light and fluffy. 
• Beat in the vanilla extract, coconut extract, and almond extract. 
• Reduce the speed to low and add in the beaten egg whites, in three additions, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently.
• In a spouted measuring cup, combine the coconut milk and sour cream. Mix until evenly combined.
• On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the coconut milk/sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, and mixing until just combined.
•  Add in the oil and beat until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the coconut, mixing just until combined. 
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. It should be around 510 grams of batter per pan. 
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes in the pans places on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then invert the cake layers onto cooling racks and cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until completely smooth; about 2 minutes. 
• Beat in the vanilla, salt, coconut extract, and coconut milk. 
• Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar, adding 1/4 cup at a time, and beating well before adding the next addition.  
• Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes, or until super fluffy. 

Assembly:

• Using a long, serrated knife, trim any domed part off the top of each cake layer. If there’s no dome, simply skip this step. 
• Place one cake layer on a large plate or cake stand. Spread 1 cup of the frosting on top of the cake, covering it completely. Then spread a 1/4 cup of raspberry preserves on top of the frosting.
• Top with another cake layer, and repeat the layering process, ending with the last cake layer on top. Spread all remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. 
• Using your hands, gently press shredded coconut around the sides of the cake. Then generously sprinkle any remaining coconut on top of the cake. 
• Allow the cake to set for 30 minutes before slicing. Then slice and serve. 

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