Last updated on January 24th, 2024.
If you’re a fan of coconut and love indulging in homemade baked goods, then this Coconut Loaf Cake recipe is tailor-made for you. This delightful treat is easy to make and promises to transport you to a tropical paradise with every bite. This beautiful golden brown coconut pound cake is a tropical flavors fan’s dream come true.
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This is one of the first cakes I have ever developed. At the time, I wanted to see if I could get an intense coconut flavor without any artificial flavoring. I was convinced I had made a groundbreaking discovery in the culinary world by replacing one ingredient with another. All I did was replace some of the butter with coconut oil and some of the sour cream with coconut milk and add a generous serving of shredded coconut flakes. Thankfully, since then, more humble me is no longer waiting for my James Beard award, but I still believe that this is no simple loaf cake. It is a delicious and fluffy cake with the most tender crumb. (no coconut extract needed!)
For the coconut lovers out there, here are some more coconut recipes. Then check out my Coconut Scones recipe, this Coconut Banana Muffins recipe, and these Coconut Cupcakes.
Ingredients
The complete list, including measurements, is below on the recipe card.
- Unsalted Butter, soften.
- Coconut Oil. At room temperature.
- Sugar
- Large Eggs at room temperature
- All-purpose flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Sour cream. At room temperature.
- Coconut milk
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
How to Make Coconut Loaf Cake
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix coconut milk, sour cream, and vanilla in a large measuring cup.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and beat the sugar, butter, and coconut oil until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the wet mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
- Fold in the shredded coconut flakes.
- Fill your pans with the cake batter, sprinkle the top of the cake with some more flakes, and bake.
Tips for the Perfect Coconut Loaf Cake
- For the best results, make sure to use room-temperature ingredients. For more information, check out my tips on how to bake the perfect pound cake.
- The coconut butter needs to be at room temperature for it to blend with the butter and sugar properly. If it is too warm, it will become liquid. To prevent that, just store it at room temperature.
- Make this cake using a stand mixer or an electric mixer and a large mixing bowl.
- Adjust the sweetness by choosing sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut. Or, Use toasted coconut for a deeper, richer flavor.
- Feel free to glaze the cooled cake with coconut glaze by mixing one cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk.
- Add lemon zest or lime zest to the sugar for a lemony cake. Or, add one cup of white chocolate chips to the batter.
- You can bake this recipe using two eight, or nine-inch loaf pans.
Storing Your Coconut Loaf Cake
Store the cake at room temperature for up to five days. To freeze, wrap the cake with plastic wrap (or aluminum foil), place it in a plastic bag, and freeze for up to eight months. When ready, unwrap it and allow it to defrost at room temperature.
FAQs
Feel free to replace up to half a cup (60g) of the flour with coconut flour.
A loaf cake is baked in a loaf or rectangle cake.
I baked this cake in a bundt pan in the past but found that the cake was too dense and unpleasant, so I recommend sticking to the loaf pans.
More Cakes Recipes You Might Enjoy
Almond Cake, Date Cake, Chocolate Gin Cake
Don’t forget to leave a comment and tag me on Instagram when you make one of my recipes.
Triple Coconut Cake Recipe
Soft, tender and fluffy triple coconut cake. This cake is all about the coconut flavor and texture.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, soften (180g/6oz)
- 1/3 Cup Coconut Oil, solid at room temperature (85 g / 3 oz)
- 1 Cup Sugar (200 g / 7 oz)
- 4 Large Eggs
- 3 1/3 Cups AP Flour (400 g / 14 oz)
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 Cup Sour cream, full fat (120ml)
- 1/2 Cup Coconut milk, full fat (120ml)
- 1 TBS Vanilla paste (vanilla extract is ok)
- 1 Cup Unsweetened shredded coconut + 2 TBS to sprinkle on top (optional) (60 g / 2 oz)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F and line two 8"x3" loaf pans with parchment paper. Set aside
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In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to combine. Set aside.
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In a large measuring cup, place the sour cream, coconut milk and vanilla paste and mix to combine. Set aside.
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In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, coconut oil, and sugar and beat on medium until you have a fluffy mix. 4-5 minutes.
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Lower the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, waiting for each egg to fully incorporate before adding the second. Scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.
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With the mixer on low-medium, add the flour in three additions, alternating with the liquid mix in two additions. Starting and finishing with the dry mix.
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Once you add the last part of the flour, turn the mixer off, and with a rubber spatula, mix in the shredded coconut and any dry flour
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Divide the batter between the two pans, sprinkle with extra shredded coconut, and bake on the middle rack for 45-55 minutes are until a tooth pick comes our clean from the middle of the cake.
Recipe Notes
- For the best results, make sure to use room-temperature ingredients.
- The coconut butter must be at room temperature to properly blend with the butter and sugar. If it is too warm, it will become liquid. To prevent that, store it at room temperature.
- Adjust the sweetness by choosing sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut. Or, Use toasted coconut for a deeper, richer flavor.
- Feel free to glaze the cooled cake with coconut glaze by mixing one cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk.
- Add lemon zest or lime zest to the sugar for a lemony cake. Or, add one cup of white chocolate chips to the batter.
- You can bake this recipe using two eight, or nine-inch loaf pans.
Hi… Is there a substitute for coconut oil?
Thanks
You can replace it with more butter.
Help! Cake came out a bit dry! Used 2 8” round pans. Only had salted butter on hand. What did I do wrong??
You may have over baked it. The recipe baking time is for loaf pans which is longer than round pans. Just soak it with some simple syrup.
Makes sense, thanks for the quick response!
This coconut cake is SO DELIGHTFUL. Moist and flavorful and a breeze to make! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Thank you so much Kelli!
Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Does this cake freeze well? I’m excited to try this recipe, but don’t need two loaves of deliciousness laying around.
yes, absolutely. Wrap the cake in aluminum foil then place it in a freezable bag and freeze. When you want to serve, remove from the freezer and unwrap, allow to cool to room temperature before eating.
Hi! May use oatmeal flour instead of AP flour?
Hi Millie,
I would not replace the ap flour. If you want you can replace no moer than 1/4 of the amount, but the full amount will not be able to create elasticity that that can carry the batter.
I do not have a stand mixer, just a basic hand mixer. Any modifications I need to make?
No, you can use a hand mixer, add the flour by hand.