South Carolina Coconut Cake
intro
A moist, fluffy layered South Carolina-style cake brimming with sweet coconut, frosted with tangy cream cheese icing and coated in shredded coconut for a classic celebratory treat.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and pans
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with butter, line the bottom of each with a circle of parchment paper, and lightly dust the sides with flour to prevent sticking. Set prepared pans aside.
Mix cake batter
In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup (226g) softened room-temperature butter and 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition, then stir in 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Alternate adding dry ingredients and whole milk to the butter mixture in 3 equal batches, mixing on low speed just until no dry flour streaks remain, then fold in 1 cup (80g) shredded coconut. Do not overmix to avoid a dense cake.
Bake cake layers
Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula for even rising. Bake on the middle oven rack for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out with 1-2 moist crumbs attached (no wet batter). Remove pans from the oven and let layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature (about 1 hour) before frosting.
Make cream cheese frosting
In a large clean mixing bowl, beat 16oz (452g) softened room-temperature cream cheese and ½ cup (113g) softened room-temperature butter on medium speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth, with no visible lumps. Reduce mixer speed to low, gradually add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing until fully incorporated, then stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract. Turn mixer to medium-high speed and beat for 1 minute until light and fluffy; do not overbeat, as this will create a runny frosting that will not hold its shape.
Assemble stacked layers
Place one fully cooled cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread ¾ cup of the frosting evenly across the top of the layer, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edge to prevent oozing when stacked. Sprinkle ½ cup (40g) shredded coconut over the frosted surface, then place the second cake layer directly on top. Repeat the frosting and coconut sprinkle step for the second layer, then top with the third cake layer, pressing gently to secure the even stack.
Frost and coat cake
Use an offset spatula to spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the stacked cake, creating a smooth, even surface. Take the remaining 2 cups (160g) shredded coconut and press it gently into the frosting on the top and sides of the cake, covering every frosted surface completely for the classic textured coconut finish. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing to allow the frosting to set.
Tips
2.Never frost warm or even slightly warm cake layers, as residual heat will melt the cream cheese frosting and cause it to slide off the cake; chill layers in the fridge for 20 minutes if they feel warm to the touch before assembling.
3.For a deeper, nuttier coconut flavor, toast ½ cup of shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes until light golden, let cool completely, then sprinkle over the top of the finished cake for added texture and flavor contrast.
OMG y’all, I made this for my extended family’s Sunday dinner after church last weekend and it was GONE in 10 minutes flat! I was a little nervous about the 7-minute frosting because I’ve messed that up before, but the instructions were so clear it came out perfectly fluffy. The fresh coconut makes such a huge difference vs the sweetened shredded stuff in the bag—my grandma even asked for the recipe, which is the highest possible praise if you know how stubborn she is about her own cake recipes! 10/10 will be making this for every potluck from now on.
Made this for my kid’s 4th grade class bake sale and we sold every single slice in the first 20 minutes! Multiple parents tracked me down to ask for the recipe, I felt like a celebrity. The only thing I did differently was use a dairy-free butter substitute for the frosting because one of my kids has a milk allergy, and it still turned out SO good. Will absolutely add this to our regular rotation for family gatherings.
Wait, has anyone tried making this gluten free? I have celiac and I’ve been craving a good coconut cake forever, but I’m nervous about swapping the all purpose flour for a GF blend and messing up the texture. The cook time is a little long for a weeknight but I’m ready to block off a Saturday to make it if the GF swap works!
I’m not usually a big cake guy, I’m more of a pecan pie or peach cobbler person, but my wife begged me to make this for our anniversary so I gave it a shot. Let me tell you—this thing is a game changer. The cake layers are so moist, the frosting is light not cloyingly sweet, and all that toasted coconut on the outside adds the perfect nutty crunch. I even bought a little cake stand to display it, which is very out of character for me. 10/10, even a savory guy like me can nail this with the step-by-step instructions.
Made this for a work potluck yesterday and got so many compliments! I was worried the cook time would be too intense between my day job and evening classes, but I baked the layers the night before, wrapped them in plastic, and stored them in the fridge, then frosted it the morning of. Worked like a charm! Only tiny complaint: I wish the recipe noted how much coconut you need total for the coating and the layers, I had to run to the bodega mid-bake for an extra bag. Otherwise perfect!
I made this for my grandma’s 80th birthday party this past weekend—coconut cake is her absolute favorite, and she said this was better than the one her own mom used to make! I did toast half the coconut for the outside like the recipe suggested and it added such a nice depth of flavor, I don’t think I’ll ever make a coconut cake without toasting some of it now. My only mishap was my cat jumped on the counter while I was frosting and left a little paw print in the side, but everyone thought it was a cute touch. Worth every minute of the 2 hour cook time, no regrets.
Full transparency: I burned the first batch of cake layers because I got sucked into a show on Netflix and forgot they were in the oven. But the recipe was so good I ran to the store for more ingredients that same night to redo it! The cream cheese and coconut combo in the frosting is insane, I could eat it by the spoonful. My kids loved helping me press the coconut onto the sides of the cake, even if half of it ended up on the floor. Already have a request to make it for my son’s soccer team end-of-season party next month.
How far in advance can I make this cake? I’m hosting Easter dinner next weekend and I’m trying to get as much prep done ahead of time as possible so I don’t stress the day of. I’ve had coconut cakes get dried out in the fridge before when I make them too early, so I’m curious what the sweet spot is here. It looks so good I don’t want to mess it up!
This cake is SO good, I brought it to my friend’s potluck in LA last weekend and people were going back for thirds! I did have a little trouble with the 7-minute frosting though—my first attempt got grainy because I didn’t let the sugar fully dissolve before whipping it, so I had to start over. The second time I took it slow and kept the double boiler on low, and it came out like a cloud. Pro tip for anyone else who’s a dummy like me: don’t rush the frosting step!