Lemon Coconut Cake
Total Time
4 hours
Prep Time
35 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4.5 out of 5 stars
(32)
Ingredients
serves 12-14
- 3 cups (315g) sifted cake flour (spooned & leveled)*
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canned coconut milk, at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
- 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut (about 2 loosely packed cups)
- 1 and 1/2 cups homemade lemon curd (full recipe)
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) coconut milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- topping: toasted (or not!) sweetened shredded coconut and lemon slices for garnish
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Preparation
Chef’s notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions:
The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Frosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Flour:
Do not replace the cake flour with all-purpose flour. Your cake will be dense, solid, and heavy. In a pinch, you can use this homemade cake flour substitute which is a careful ratio of all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
Milk:
This recipe has been tested with equal parts coconut milk and buttermilk. I recommend using full fat canned coconut milk, the kind you use for cooking. If you can’t get your hands on canned coconut milk, you can use 1 cup of buttermilk instead. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed.