Just imagine how sweet your home will smell with this creamy coconut cake baking in the oven. Cream cheese frosting sprinkled with shredded coconut makes this the perfect spring dessert (and it makes a pretty good breakfast the next day, too).
Creamy Coconut Cake
Makes 1 9×9 pan
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 30–35 minutes
CAKE BATTER
- 2 cups flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons soft butter
- 1/3 cup light olive oil suitable for baking
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded coconut
ICING
- 1 8-ounce package cream
cheese, softened - 3 cups powdered confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- Cream to thin icing, if needed
- 15 coconut cream candies (Raffaello brand works nicely)
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk. In a separate bowl, cream butter, oil, vanilla bean, and sugar 2–3 minutes on low speed. Add eggs one at a time. Add dry ingredients to the bowl, and fold extracts and sour cream into the batter. Do not overmix. Fold coconut in last. Spread batter into a generously buttered pan for baking. Bake 30–35 minutes or until cake has risen, no longer wobbles in the center, and is golden. Cool completely before icing.
FROSTING
To prepare the icing, mix cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, butter, and extract until smooth and creamy. Add a splash of cream to thin, if necessary. Add cream in teaspoon increments, as it can get thin very quickly. Spread frosting over top of the cake, and decorate with coconut cream candies and sprinkled shredded coconut. Enjoy!
