Perfect Coconut Sheet Cake Recipe

This Perfect Coconut Sheet Cake Recipe creates a light fluffy coconutty cake, paired with a equally fluffy coconut buttercream and topped with toasted coconut for a coconut cake that is out of this world and oh so easy to make!

Has anyone ever put words in your mouth? You know, say that you said something that you didn’t say? I’m sure we’ve all had this happen out of misunderstanding or blatant slander. It stinks, especially when you have no recourse to correct the lie and state the truth.

This isn’t a sermonette or anything. It’s a regular recipe post. I am sharing a coconut cake recipe. A most fabulous coconut cake recipe, if I do say so myself. It’s just that I find myself from time to time down a rabbit trail reading about the story behind different foods or food-related topics. As I sat down to write about this cake the phrase, “Let them eat cake” kept popping into my head. All I really knew was that the expression was negatively associated with Marie-Antoinette. I was curious as to the full history surrounding this infamous quote.

After a little light reading (get more of the nitty gritty from Britannica), I learned that while Marie-Antoinette very much enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, she was a bit more compassionate towards the less-fortunate than rumors have led us to believe. It seems (if anything on the internets is true) that the quote was attributed to “a great princess” by the French philosopher and author, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Based on when it was mentioned in Rousseau’s Confessions, Marie-Antoinette would have only been 10 years of age, still in Austria, not yet living in France. It could possibly have been referring to Marie-Therese instead. How’s that for “putting words in her mouth?” If that is true, how sad for Marie-Antoinette, with no chance to correct the rumor and to be forever associated with such a callous remark. Just pitiful, really.

Moving right along. Enough history. Let’s talk about putting cake in our mouths! Specifically, this perfectly pleasing Coconut Sheet Cake. We all know cake is good. And many of us know that coconut is good too. When you combine the two? Magic happens!

This light and fluffy Coconut Sheet Cake is paired with an even fluffier coconut buttercream frosting. Toasted coconut flakes top it all off for a bit of crunch, which is a nice play of texture next to the buttery buttercream. Made in a 9×13-inch baking pan, this cake is easy to prepare and so perfect for traveling to potlucks or picnics, if it lasts that long. If you’re a coconut fan, I think you’ll very much enjoy this delicious cake. I think Marie-Antoinette would have too!

Ingredients for Coconut Sheet Cake

Cake Ingredients:

• unsweetened coconut flakes, divided
• buttermilk
• cake flour
• baking powder
• kosher salt
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• coconut extract

Frosting Ingredients:

• butter
• milk or coconut milk
• vanilla extract
• coconut extract
• confectioners’ sugar

How to Make Coconut Sheet Cake

1. Begin with basic cake prep by preheating the oven to 350-degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. Next toast coconut flakes until slightly golden.
3. Stir 1/4 cup of the toasted coconut flakes into buttermilk and set aside.
4. Next combine the dry ingredients by whisking together cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
5. Combine the wet ingredients. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar for two minutes on medium speed, scraping down bowl at least once. Add eggs and beat for another two minutes, scraping down bowl at least once. Beat in vanilla and coconut extract until smooth. Take time to scrape down the mixing bowl. Don’t skip it.
6. To finish the batter, alternate adding the dry flour mixture and buttermilk/coconut flake mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed. Mix everything until just combined.
7. Next, spread the batter evenly into the prepared 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. It should take about 30 minutes. Allow the cake to completely cool before frosting.
8. To make the frosting, beat together butter, milk (or coconut milk), vanilla extract, coconut extract and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add more milk or confectioners’ sugar as needed to achieve preferred consistency.
9. Finish by frosting the cooled cake. Then top with the remaining toasted coconut flakes.

A couple of coconut sheet cake baking tips:

• Be sure not to skip the toasting of the coconut. It accentuates the coconut flavor and adds a bit more crunch too.
• I recommend using cake flour for this cake. Cake flour lends a light and fluffy texture which is so delightful for this cake.

More Delicious Cake Recipes:

• Easy Strawberry Upside Down Cake Recipe 
• Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe 
• Carrot Cake Recipe 
• Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake 
• Southern Sweet Potato Cake Recipe 
• Blood Orange Thyme Upside Down Cake Recipe

Perfect Coconut Sheet Cake Recipe

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Perfect Coconut Sheet Cake

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

This Perfect Coconut Sheet Cake is a light fluffy coconutty cake, paired with a equally fluffy coconut buttercream and topped with toasted coconut.

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Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, divided
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour*
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract

For the frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk or coconut milk**
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease and flour, or coat well with baking spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. Toast coconut flakes until slightly golden.
3. Stir 1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes into buttermilk; set aside.
4. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping down bowl at least once. Add eggs and beat for another 2 minutes, scraping down bowl at least once. Beat in vanilla and coconut extract until smooth.
6. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk/coconut flake mixture into the butter/sugar mixture, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed; mix until just combined.
7. Spread batter evenly into prepared 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake until wood toothpick or cake tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Allow cake to cool.
8. For the frosting: Beat all frosting ingredients until smooth. Add more milk/coconut milk or confectioners’ sugar as needed to achieve desired consistency.
9. Frost cake and top with remaining toasted coconut flakes.

Notes

*If this cake is baked with all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, it will not be as light and fluffy.

**If using coconut milk, refrigerated coconut milk in a carton or the liquid from canned coconut milk may be used.

Did you make this recipe?

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Originally published May 19, 2016.

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