Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant 25 Coconut Cake Recipes For The Perfect Ending To Any Meal Layer cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, and more. By Kimberly Holland Kimberly Holland Kimberly Holland is a writer and editor with 15 years of experience in food, lifestyle, health, and nutrition content. She has been published in Southern Living, Real Simple, Allrecipes, EatingWell, Cooking Light, and other publications. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 21, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Coconut is a magical ingredient when it comes to baking, which is why you'll find it in so many Southern desserts. The dried shredded fruit makes a delightfully crunchy, subtly sweet topping, but it can also add moisture to a cake when baked in a batter. And then there's coconut oil, milk, extract, and cream—all of which add can layers of flavor to baked goods. We've gathered our very best coconut cake recipes so you can find the perfect one for you. If you're looking for a low-effort dessert that packs a big coconut punch, try our Pineapple Sunshine Cake or Key Lime-Coconut Icebox Cake. For birthdays and other special occasions, an impressive layer cake might be in order, like Mama's German Chocolate Cake, Lemon-Coconut Cake, or Coconut Chiffon Cake. Or, If you prefer your coconut as a single-serve delight, whip up a batch of Coconut-Lime Cupcakes. However you crack it, you can't go wrong with a good coconut cake. Browse these recipes to find the one that's just right for you. 01 of 25 Coconut-Lime Cupcakes Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Lime and coconut are a terrific flavor combination, as you'll see in these tender cupcakes topped with a cream cheese frosting made with coconut milk. Get The Recipe 02 of 25 Oatmeal Cake Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely This homey cake from reader Pat Ynesta is wonderful served right out of the pan with a cup of coffee or tea. You'll love the buttery topping made with coconut, nuts, and brown sugar. Get The Recipe 03 of 25 Caramel Italian Cream Cake Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns; Prop Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell Large flakes of toasted coconut give this cake a dramatic look. But the inside is even more special: layers of vanilla cake filled with pecans and coconut and an incredible caramel frosting. Get The Recipe 04 of 25 Pineapple Sunshine Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas As the name suggests, a slice of this poke cake will make anyone's day. Coconut flakes and whipped coconut topping (found in the freezer aisle) makes an easy and delicious finishing touch. Get The Recipe 05 of 25 Key Lime-Coconut Icebox Cake Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley This is one of the prettiest—and best tasting icebox cakes we've ever had. Coconut extract and shredded coconut pair wonderfully with the Key lime whipped cream. Get The Recipe 06 of 25 Classic Coconut Cake Southern Living Coconut filling helps enhance this cake's flavoring. The frozen flaky coconut, coconut shavings, and whipped cream frosting with coconut extract make this cake unlike any other. If you still crave more coconut, add some flakes as a garnish. Get The Recipe 07 of 25 Lemon-Coconut Cake Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn This lovely dessert slices so beautifully to reveal layers of tender coconut cake, lemon curd, and cream cheese frosting. Get The Recipe 08 of 25 Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Your guests will never realize this gorgeous and delicious dessert is dairy-and gluten-free. This cake is layered with crisp meringues and coconut cream, making it a delightful but flourless dessert. Use canned coconut cream, not coconut milk, for the best results. Get The Recipe 09 of 25 Four-Layer Coconut Cake Photo: Jennifer Davick Purchase coconut shavings in bulk from your local health food store or in the dried fruit section of the supermarket. Allow time to completely cool the layers before adding any coconut filling. The coconut filling comes together with only six ingredients. Get The Recipe 10 of 25 Carrot Cake Muffins Micah A. Leal Who says you can't have carrot cake for breakfast? These tender muffins are filled with shredded coconut, raisins, and spices. Get The Recipe 11 of 25 Ambrosia Cheesecake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Giulietta Pinna; Food Styling: Ali Ramee Make this cheesecake up to four days in advance. Prepare the cream cheese and coconut filling and pour it into the graham cracker crust. Wait until you are ready to serve to add the assorted citrus toppings. Get The Recipe 12 of 25 Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Swap out your usual carrot cake with a lightly spiced, coconut-sweet version. A sheet cake feeds a crowd and travels better than a layered cake. Plus, coconut and carrot cake together is better. Get The Recipe 13 of 25 Coconut Pound Cake Antonis Achilleos Coconut pound cake sounds delicious enough, but this recipe packs two secret Southern ingredients that take this cake over the top—pecans and bourbon. This recipe serves about 12 people. Get The Recipe 14 of 25 Banana Coconut Cobbler Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Like a cross between banana pudding and a cakey cobbler, this inventive dessert is flavored with coconut milk, lime, and cardamom. Get The Recipe 15 of 25 Japanese Fruitcake with Lemon-Coconut Frosting Hector Manuel Sanchez This spiced cake is a holiday favorite for many families. Unlike some less-than-appetizing fruitcakes that might come to mind, this one only contains raisins—no strange dried fruits. Paired with the Lemon-Coconut frosting, this is a dessert you'll want to serve on every holiday. Get The Recipe 16 of 25 The Lane Cake Jennifer Davick Topped with Peach Schnapps-infused frosting, this cake is an unforgettable layered classic. It uses all the favorite Southern flavors: toasted pecans, coconut flakes, and dried peaches. The meringue frosting brings it all together. Get The Recipe 17 of 25 Triple-Coconut Poke Snack Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke This poke cake is perfect for coconut lovers. The cake gets its flavor from coconut milk, sweetened condensed coconut milk, and coconut chips. Enjoy it for breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert. Get The Recipe 18 of 25 Coconut Cream Cake Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller The nostalgia of coconut cream pie meets the fanfare of a layer cake in one delicious dessert. To complete this cake's beautiful exterior, look for packaged coconut shavings in the natural foods section of your grocery store. Coconut shavings are the perfect garnish on top of the Fluffy Coconut Frosting. Get The Recipe 19 of 25 Ambrosia Cupcakes Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Giulietta Pinna; Food Styling: Ali Ramee Coconut oil and milk, and shredded coconut make this dessert a coconut triple threat. Add an orange-marshmallow frosting and a cherry on top and you've got a treat that everyone is sure to love. Get The Recipe 20 of 25 Coconut Chiffon Cake Hector Sanchez This classic cake, covered in meringue swirls, is as beautiful as it is delicious. The thick and rich filling is mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and a grated coconut blend. Paired with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, this cake is something you need to try for your next event. Get The Recipe 21 of 25 Mama's German Chocolate Cake Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett Coconut plays a starring role in German Chocolate Cake, and this version is as decadent as they come. The coconut frosting is very thick, so press it into the sides of the cake instead of spreading it, which can tear the delicate crumb. Get The Recipe 22 of 25 Louisiana Crunch Cake Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer If you've never tasted this regional dessert, now's the time. The cake is flavored with vanilla and coconut and has a generous topping of toasted shredded coconut, hence the dessert's fun name. Get The Recipe 23 of 25 Ambrosia Trifle ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: GIULIETTA PINNA; FOOD STYLING: ALI RAMEE While a trifle isn't exactly a cake recipe, we couldn't leave this magnificent dessert off of this list. The star of the dish is coconut pastry cream, which brings together angel food cake, citrus, and an Italian meringue topping. Get The Recipe 24 of 25 Coconut-Almond Cream Cake Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen Brooks Hamaker, from New Orleans, makes this cake with the precision of a skilled baker who has made his masterpiece many times. If the tops of the layers are a little rounded, he recommends leveling them with a serrated knife. "This is a tall cake," he says, "and it needs to be level if you want your friends to admire your work before they devour the cake—as they absolutely will." Get The Recipe 25 of 25 Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Vanessa McNeil Rocchio These delectable Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting start with a store-bought cake mix. It's a favorite dessert for any gathering. Make an impression by making birds' nests with malted milk balls and edible paper as a garnish for these cupcakes. Get The Recipe For more coconut desserts, check out 28 Coconut Dessert Recipes That'll Transport You Right to the Tropics. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit