Old Fashioned Coconut Cake

This coconut cake is filled with a tangy sour cream-sugar-coconut mixture and frosted with a Swiss meringue buttercream for a rich, delicious flavor!

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 631 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 3 cups cake flour
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, or as desired
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.75 cup white sugar
• 0.125 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1.5 cups unsalted butter
• 0.5 cup butter, room temperature
• 0.5 cup margarine, room temperature

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.

Step 2

For the cake, beat butter and margarine together with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.

Step 3

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Step 4

Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternating with coconut milk and vanilla extract, beating after each addition until smooth. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes more.

Step 6

For the filling, stir sour cream, sugar, coconut, and milk together in a bowl until well combined.

Step 7

Invert one cake onto a plate. Poke holes all over cake about 1-inch apart using the handle of a wooden spoon. Spread 1/2 of the filling on cake. Top with second cake layer, poke holes in cake, and spread with remaining 1/2 of filling. Top with last cake layer, and poke holes.

Step 8

For the buttercream, combine sugar and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Heat the pot over boiling water, whisking until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 9

Transfer sugar-egg mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk until soft peaks form. Switch to the paddle attachment. Whisk in vanilla extract and salt. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Continue to whisk until meringue becomes thick. Spread onto cake. Decorate with coconut as desired.