Why You’ll Love This Cloud-Soft Coconut Cream Cake
If you have been searching for a cake that embodies the texture of a cumulus cloud while delivering a triple-threat of coconut flavor, your search ends here. This isn’t just another vanilla cake with coconut flakes thrown on top. This is a meticulously engineered masterpiece designed for the ultimate coconut lover.
Table of Contents
Here is why this recipe is about to become a permanent fixture in your baking repertoire:
- Triple Coconut Infusion: We utilize full-fat canned coconut milk, pure coconut extract, and sweetened shredded coconut to ensure the flavor profile is robust, not faint or artificial.
- The “Cloud” Texture: By using cake flour and a reverse-creaming method (or careful folding of egg whites), we achieve a crumb that is impossibly tender and white, melting on the tongue instantly.
- Stable yet Creamy Frosting: The frosting is a hybrid of cream cheese and whipped coconut cream, offering a tangy richness that isn’t overly sweet, balancing the sugary coconut flakes perfectly.
- Stunning Visuals: With its snow-white appearance and fluffy exterior, this cake is a showstopper for winter holidays, Easter brunches, or elegant bridal showers.
Whether you are a seasoned baker or a novice looking to impress, this recipe offers high-reward results with straightforward techniques.
Ingredients
To achieve that bakery-style crumb and flavor, specific ingredients are non-negotiable.
For the Coconut Cake Layers
- Cake Flour: (3 cups / 345g) Low protein content is crucial here to prevent gluten formation, ensuring the cake remains soft rather than chewy.
- Baking Powder: (1 tbsp) The primary leavening agent for lift.
- Salt: (1/2 tsp) Essential to balance the sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter: (1 cup / 226g) Softened to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar: (2 cups / 400g) For sweetness and moisture.
- Egg Whites: (5 large) Using only whites keeps the cake pristine white and fluffy.
- Canned Coconut Milk: (1 cup / 240ml) You want the full-fat, unsweetened version found in the Asian food aisle, not the carton milk found in the dairy fridge. Shake well before opening.
- Coconut Extract: (1 tsp) To punch up the aroma.
- Vanilla Extract: (1 tsp) Adds depth.
For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese: (8 oz / 225g) Full fat, block style, softened.
- Unsalted Butter: (1/2 cup / 113g) Softened.
- Powdered Sugar: (4 cups / 480g) Sifted to avoid lumps.
- Coconut Cream: (2 tbsp) The thick cream skimmed from the top of a chilled can of coconut milk.
- Salt: (Pinch) To cut the sugar.
Assembly & Garnish
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut: (2 cups) For coating the exterior.
- Simple Syrup (Optional): Equal parts sugar, water, and a splash of coconut rum (Malibu) for brushing the layers.
Instructions
Follow these steps carefully to ensure your cake rises evenly and stays moist.
1. Prep and Sift
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with butter, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and dust the sides with flour. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. This aeration is the first step toward a “cloud” texture.
2. Cream Butter and Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for about 3-5 minutes. The mixture should look pale, almost white, and very fluffy. Scrape down the bowl halfway through.
3. Add Egg Whites and Extracts
Reduce the mixer speed to medium. Add the egg whites one at a time, allowing each to incorporate fully before adding the next. Stir in the coconut extract and vanilla extract. The mixture may look slightly curdled; this is normal.4. Alternate Dry and Wet Ingredients
Turn the mixer to low speed. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the coconut milk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour (Flour -> Milk -> Flour -> Milk -> Flour). Mix only until the flour streaks disappear. Do not overmix, or the cake will become dense and tough.
5. Bake
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans (a kitchen scale helps here). Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The tops should be pale, not browned.
6. Cool
Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. They must be room temperature before frosting.
7. Make the Frosting
Clean your mixer bowl. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy (no lumps). Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed. Once incorporated, increase to high speed and whip for 3 minutes. Add the coconut cream and salt, whipping for another minute until fluffy.
8. Assemble
Level the tops of your cake layers with a serrated knife if they domed. Place the first layer on a cake stand. Spread a thick layer of frosting on top. Repeat with the second and third layers.
9. Frost and Garnish
Apply a crumb coat (thin layer of frosting) to the top and sides to trap crumbs. Chill for 20 minutes. Apply the remaining frosting generously over the entire cake. Immediately press the sweetened shredded coconut into the sides and top of the cake until fully covered.
10. Serve
Slice gently with a sharp knife. For the best texture, serve at room temperature.
Expert Tips for Success
- Room Temperature Ingredients: This is the golden rule of baking. Cold eggs or butter will break the emulsion of the batter, resulting in a greasy or dense cake. Set ingredients out 1 hour before baking.
- Shaking the Coconut Milk: Canned coconut milk separates into water and solid fat. Shake the can vigorously before opening to emulsify it, ensuring you get the richness of the fat in your batter.
- Toasting the Garnish: For a nuttier flavor and a textural contrast, you can toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown before pressing it into the frosting.
- Avoid Over-baking: White cakes dry out faster than chocolate cakes. Check the cake at the 23-minute mark.
Variations
- Piña Colada Cake: Spread a thin layer of pineapple jam or crushed pineapple (drained well) between the layers along with the frosting.
- Lime-Coconut: Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lime zest to the cake batter and 1 teaspoon to the frosting for a zesty tropical twist.
- Coconut Cupcakes: This batter makes approximately 24 standard cupcakes. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use All-Purpose flour instead of Cake Flour? A: You can, but the texture won’t be as “cloud-soft.” If you must, remove 2 tablespoons of AP flour per cup and replace it with cornstarch to mimic the lower protein content of cake flour.
Q: Can I make this cake ahead of time? A: Yes! The cake layers can be baked, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 1 month. Assemble the cake the day of serving for the freshest taste, though the frosted cake keeps well in the fridge for 3 days.
Q: Why did my cake sink in the middle? A: This usually happens if the oven door was opened too early during baking, releasing heat, or if the baking powder was expired.
Cloud-Soft Coconut Cream Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk dry ingredients with egg yolks, oil, and coconut milk until smooth.
- Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and remaining sugar to stiff peaks; fold into batter.
- Bake in ungreased 9-inch pans at 350°F for 35 minutes; invert to cool.
- Cook coconut milk, cornstarch, and yolks into a thick custard; chill completely.
- Layer cake with custard, frost with whipped cream, and coat in toasted coconut.
Notes
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