My Mom’s Coconut Cake Recipe
THE VERY BEST COCONUT CAKE
My family loves my mom’s amazing coconut cake recipe! It’s a staple in our house every holiday season. This cake recipe is super easy to make, but it’s important to let the cake sit in the fridge for 2 days before slicing. The coconut flavor really enhances over time.
My family loves my mom’s amazing coconut cake recipe! It’s a staple in our house every holiday season. This cake recipe is super easy to make, but it’s important to let the cake sit in the fridge for 2 days before slicing. The coconut flavor really enhances over time.
THE STORY BEHIND THIS COCONUT CAKE
This coconut cake is a very famous recipe in my family. My mom has been making this coconut cake for the holidays since the early 2000’s. She got this recipe from a patient she was caring for at the hospital, and when she finally sent me the recipe in 2016 I felt that the torch has been passed on. I’ve made this coconut cake quite a few times over the years and it’s always a HUGE hit. Even people who claim not to like coconut say this cake is delicious.
I even submitted this coconut cake recipe to Pinterest’s Golden Recipe contest, and won the top award! So, I’m sharing this recipe with you here because I hope that you and your family will make it and love it too.
HOW TO MAKE MY MOM’S FAMOUS COCONUT CAKE
Unlike most recipes on my website, this one is made with boxed cake mix and other common packaged ingredients that we all know and love in our grocery stores. It’s ok to live a little sometimes :)
INGREDIENTS
Golden butter cake mix (like Duncan Hines)
Butter
Water
Eggs
Granulated sugar
Sour cream
Shredded coconut, unsweetened
Coconut milk
Cool Whip
DIRECTIONS
Beat the cake mix, butter, water, and eggs for 4 minutes, until batter is smooth.
Grease two 8” or 9” cake pans, and divide the batter between the pans.
Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
Cool cakes completely, then slice in half.
In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, sour cream and shredded coconut.
Reserve 1 cup of mixture for frosting.
Stack cake layers, brushing each layer liberally with coconut milk and 1/3 of the filling mixture.
Combine the reserved cup of filling mixture with the Cool Whip.
Spread on top and sides of cake.
Optional: Sprinkle with additional shredded coconut.
Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days before serving.
DO I REALLY HAVE TO REFRIGERATE THE CAKE FOR 2 DAYS?
I’ll be honest with you… YES. I mean, no, you don’t HAVE to refrigerate this cake for 2-3 days before you eat it. This cake will taste delicious the second you finish making it, but something magical does happen when you let it sit in the fridge for a bit. The flavors just come together in a crazy way that you just have to taste to believe.
So, I strongly urge you to have patience! Trust the process and refrigerate this coconut cake for a few days before diving in. Just trust me :)
The Very Best Coconut Cake
Ingredients
- 1 golden butter cake mix (like Duncan Hines)
- 8 tbsp butter
- 2/3 c water
- 2 eggs
- 1 c granulated sugar
- 16 oz sour cream
- 12 oz shredded coconut, unsweetened, plus more for topping
- 1/2 c coconut milk
- 1 1/2 c Cool Whip
Instructions
- Beat the cake mix, butter, water, and eggs for 4 minutes, until batter is smooth.
- Grease two 8” or 9” cake pans, and divide the batter between the pans.
- Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
- Cool cakes completely, then slice in half.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, sour cream and shredded coconut.
- Reserve 1 cup of mixture for frosting.
- Stack cake layers, brushing each layer liberally with coconut milk and 1/3 of the filling mixture.
- Combine the reserved cup of filling mixture with the Cool Whip.
- Spread on top and sides of cake.
- Optional: Sprinkle with additional shredded coconut.
- Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days before serving.
I started salt n sprinkles to show that making good food is both fun and easy to do. My recipes are mostly plant-based, and always delicious. I know you'll find just what you're looking for!