This Coconut Layer Cake is one of the first things I baked from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey's Home Kitchen
It is a book full of good recipes, so I had a hard time deciding what to make first.
Like a lot of cakes in the book, this one is made with two kinds of flour – self-rising and all purpose. I'm not exactly sure why the cookbook calls for a combination of all-purpose and self-rising, but I think self-rising flour is made with a softer wheat, so it might be their way of approximating the type of flour they use in their bakery. I normally don’t keep both types around, but I found some self-rising in the bottom of the deep freeze and was good to go.
Magnolia Coconut Layer Cake Recipe Review
The cake was very moist, tight crumbed and flavorful. The coconut filling was tasty, but not too rich. The frosting was an Italian meringue style frosting which is the kind that's made with whipped egg whites and a hot sugar syrup. If you've never made it, it can be a little intimidating, but Magnolia cookbook’s directions were so well-written that I had no problems and think I’d use their icing again on other things.
The complete coconut layer cake recipe is in the book and posted on a few other sites. My version is actually quite different because I halved the recipe and baked it in two 8 inch round pans. So this is a smaller size cake, but for a weeknight cake it is just right. I’ve typed up my adapted version. Halving the cake and filling worked perfectly. As for the frosting, I made the full batch and had some left over.
Magnolia Bakery Coconut Layer Cake
Cake
½ cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
1 cup sugar (200 grams)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cups self-rising flour (100 grams)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (80 grams)
½ cup milk, room temperature (120 grams)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
3 ounces milk (84 grams)
¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ of a 7 oz pkg sweetened shredded coconut , plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
3 egg whites
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup cold water
1 ½ cups sugar (150 grams)
¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment. Grease again and dust with flour.
Beat the butter until creamy, then gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla, beating well after each addition. Divide the batter among the cake pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
Filling
In a medium-size saucepan (I used a heavy duty All-Clad pan), whisk the milk with the sugar and the flour until thoroughly combined. Turn heat to medium-high and cook and whisk constantly over medium-high heat (about 5 minutes) until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the coconut. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover and cool to room temperature.
Spread filling between the two layers of cake. Prepare frosting.
Frosting
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the egg whites and the vanilla extract and set aside. In a medium-size saucepan over high heat, combine the water with the sugar and the cream of tartar. As mixture begins to bubble at edges, stir once to make sure the sugar is dissolved completely, then let come to a rolling boll (about 2 to 3 minutes) and remove immediately from heat.
In a medium-size bowl, on the medium-high speed of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and the vanilla extract with the whisk attachment until foamy, about 1 minute.
Without turning off mixer, pour the sugar syrup into the beaten egg whites in a thin, steady stream. Continue beating constantly, on medium-high speed, for about 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form but frosting is still creamy. Frost top and sides of cake immediately. Generously sprinkle top with shredded coconut.
SHAZ says
OMG...The cake is moist and old fashion...like your gran would make, the frosting is perfect....
one slice at the bakery feeds 4....
Amber G. says
This looks like a delicious recipe. I have tried to make coconut cake before but it failed to have full flavor. I would like to try this recipe out to get the full coconut experience.
Pam says
Your cake looks fabulous; very delicious, I'm sure! I love coconut and am always on the lookout for a great coconut cake recipe ~ and I have found one! That cookbook is a must also! Thanks for the recipe!
DessertObsessed says
I love coconut cake! But i hate it when its too dense and chewy. This sounds fluffy and great!
Marie says
I made coconut cake last Sunday for my mom's birthday. I used this recipe: http://www.joyofbaking.com/CoconutCake.html. My dental hygenist had given it to me more than a year ago. I've been wanting to try it for a long time. I made it in 3 layer pans. It was outstanding! My lemon curd could have been just a little thicker; but the cake was wonderful and moist. it was a lot of work; but worth it.
Dolce says
I looked at the book the other day at the bookstore, but I was searching for Magnolia's sugar cookie. This is the one I love...and the recipe is not in the book! Damned!
Louise says
Gorgeous Anna, simply sinful. I absolutely adore Coconut Layer Cake.
Thank you so much for sharing. It sure would make a wonderful cake for Easter.
Debbie says
Anna that cake looks fantastic! Thanks for posting the recipe. I may try this for our Easter dessert!!!!
Amanda says
ooooooo yummy! I bet that was fabulous! I'm the only one here who appreciates coconut :-/ Maybe I could scale this down or just share with the neighbors ;0)
Jennie says
Hello Anna!
So funny that you posted a coconut cake today! Yesterday at lunch a friend was raving about one she had while on vacation in FL. It made me hungry for coconut!! The coconut M&M's didn't settle the craving!
I may need to make this tomorrow.
THANKS!! 🙂
Katherine Morgan says
My goodness, it looks wonderful!
Cheryl says
one of the best recipes yet!
Barbara says
That's a 7 minute frosting!!
OK. You sold me! Anything with that frosting (hardly anyone makes it anymore) is tops with me. And coconut?? Oh yeah!
Jennifer says
Mmm... I wish I wasn't the only coconut lover in my family! That looks delicious. I love the merignue type frosting. mmm....
Suzy says
I asked my mom to make me a Paula Deen coconut cake for my birthday, and instead she got distracted when researching self-rising flour and found a different recipe. So she made me this dense, lemon curd, 7-minute frosting thing with coconut added as an afterthought that no one in the family would eat more than one piece of. It was just not good. Obviously I will be making my own cake from now on, and this may be it! Looks like just what I wanted!
Mackenzie@The Caramel Cookie says
That looks SO delicious, I love coconut!
Katrina says
Mmm, so far the boys aren't big on coconut, but I love it. We're posting coconut tea cake for TWD tomorrow. I made little mini bundts. They were good.
The picture of your whole cake with two berries on top look like eyes! 😉
shelly (cookies and cups) says
That cake looks amazing. I want this cookbook too 🙂
Anna says
Louise, good thing you mentioned shelf life. One note in the book says "Tastes best the day it's made" or something like that. We liked it the first day, but it was also good on Day 2. I think today will be its last day.
Louise says
Coconut cake is probably my favorite too. I'll have to try this recipe and I have the Magnolia books. I've been hooked on Ina Garten's coconut cake, but I replace some butter and milk with coconut milk. I also love Italian meringue style frosting so the Magnolia cake is very appealing. Please send a piece of cake and I'll write about it's shelf life. 🙂