Coconut Sheet Cake
Coconut sheet cake is a moist, sweet and easy dessert for any occasion. This semi homemade treat gets finished off with fluffy coconut cream cheese icing to make a decadent coconut dessert that everyone will love.
If you love coconut cake as much as I do then you’re going to love this easy recipe. If you don’t consider yourself a coconut cake fan I promise you after you try this cake you’ll change your mind.
This recipe is adapted from our Coconut Layer Cake which is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. The doctored cake mix recipe lends itself well to being made into a sheet cake that you can more easily make and serve at get togethers and parties.
Or, if you prefer, you can make this Coconut Cupcake recipe. It’s another great way to serve and enjoy the unique flavor of coconut whenever you want.
This sheet cake is moist and feels very light. You can deck it out with candles for a birthday cake, pipe on the icing for a fancy design, or just serve as is to the coconut lovers in your life.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you need for the cake:
- White cake mix – You can use your preferred brand for this.
- Sour cream – We use regular sour cream since it works best for adding moisture to the cake.
- Vegetable oil – Another light oil would also work.
- Eggs – Make sure they are at room temperature.
- Cream of coconut – You need to use cream of coconut, not coconut cream. It is often found in the mixed drinks section. Our favorite brand is Coco López. Use the leftovers to make these awesome Pina Colada Cake Bites or Pina Colada Tropical Fruit Salad.
For the frosting, you’ll need:
- Cream cheese – This makes the base of the frosting and should be brought up to room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Provides the sweetness to the frosting. Do not use granulated sugar.
- Coconut extract – This gives the frosting a coconut flavor. If you can’t find it at your local store, you can get it here.
- Milk – We recommend whole milk for the recipe.
- Fresh frozen coconut or sweetened shredded coconut – You can find these in the frozen food and baking aisles respectively. In my opinion the special thing about this recipe is the use of fresh (frozen) coconut but I know it isn’t always easy to find. Sweetened shredded coconut works as well and gives it a delicious coconut flavor but changes the texture since the dried coconut is chewier.
Instructions
Follow these steps for best results.
Step 1 – Mix the batter. To start, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
As it heats, use your mixer to combine the cake mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and cream of coconut. You can use either a stand or hand mixer.
Step 2 – Prep the pan and bake. Prepare a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan (this one is my personal favorite!) by greasing with a bit of butter and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Next, pour the cake batter into the pan.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes at 350°F or until you can put a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
Finally, remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Step 3 – Prep the frosting. As the cake cools, you can make the cream cheese frosting. Clean the bowl of your mixer and then whisk the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar on low speed. You should use the whisk attachment for your mixer for this.
After it is combined, add the coconut extract and continue mixing. Finally, if the frosting still feels a little stiff you can add the milk. Note: This may not be necessary! You’ll need to make a judgement call on the consistency of your frosting. you want it to be easily spreadable but not runny. If you add the milk do it 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing well in between each teaspoon, until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Step 4 – Frost the cake. When the cake has completely cooled, use a spatula or knife to frost the cake. Sprinkle the top with the coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy!
Cream of Coconut vs. Coconut Cream
Cream of coconut and coconut cream are not interchangeable!
Cream of coconut is coconut cream that has been sweetened, similar to sweetened condensed milk. It is most often used in cocktails and has a super intense and sweet coconut flavor.
Coconut cream is not sweetened and comes from the cream that rises to the top of coconut milk. You can make your own by simmering four parts shredded coconut in one part water. Since it is not sweetened, it will not work in this recipe.
This recipe calls for cream of coconut. You can find cream of coconut with the other drink mixers at the grocery store. The most common brand is Coco Lopez.
Types of Coconut You Can Use
You can use different types of fresh coconut. You can typically find it in the freezer section near the frozen fruit at the grocery store. Or you can find sweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes in the baking aisle.
For added flavor, you can toast the shredded or flaked coconut by spreading it on a sheet pan and toasting at 350 degrees in your oven until lightly browned. You’ll need to check it every 1 to 2 minutes to ensure it doesn’t burn! Let the toasted coconut cool completely before adding it to the cake.
How to Store It
Safe to store at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. It is safe to store because the amount of milk to sugar ratio is so high, so it does not need to be refrigerated. We recommend placing in an airtight container if you have one.
Freeze cake by assembling the cake, frosting it, and adding the coconut on the outside. Once fully covered, wrap it with two layers of plastic wrap to seal in the freshness. Cover it with a layer or two of aluminum foil to insulate the cake and keep it from getting freezer burn. Finally place the cake in the freezer until you are ready to use.
Remove the cake at least 4 hours before you are ready to serve to give it time to thaw.
Looking for More Cake Recipes?
- Pistachio Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Strawberry Angel Food Cake
- Hummingbird Cake
- Sock it to Me Cake
- Yellow Butter Cake Recipe
- More cake recipes…
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Coconut Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 15.25 ounces box White cake mix
- 8 ounces Sour cream
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 3 large Eggs
- 7.5 ounces Cream of coconut such as Coco López
- 1 tablespoon Coconut extract
Frosting:
- 8 ounces Cream cheese, room temperature
- 16 ounces Powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon Coconut extract
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk
- 2 cups Fresh frozen coconut or sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of your mixer combine the cake mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, coconut extract, and cream of coconut.
- Mix ingredients together with the paddle attachment on medium speed until completely combined and smooth.
- Prepare a 9×13 inch metal baking pan by greasing with a bit of butter and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Pour the cake batter into the 9×13 inch pan.
- Place in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350°F or until you can put a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- While the cake cools make the cream cheese frosting. In the clean bowl of your mixer add the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar. Using the whisk attachment mix together on low speed until well combined.
- Add the coconut extract and continue mixing.
- If needed, add the milk 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing well in between each teaspoon, until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency. See note below.
- Once the cake is completely cooked use a knife or a spatula to frost the cake and then top with the shredded coconut.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Can I substitute coconut oil for the vegetable oil?
Yes you can substitute vegetable oil for coconut oil in a 1:1 ratio.
Thought so, but wanted to be sure! Thanks!
When was I supposed to add the coconut extract to the cake mix?
Hi Hannah, it goes into the cake batter with the other ingredients. I see the error in the written instructions and I’ve corrected it. Thanks, for letting me know! While it’s a nice addition it isn’t required, in fact the original recipe for my grandma’s two layer cake didn’t use it at all so no worries if you left it out. The coconut flavor really comes from the cream of coconut and the coconut in the frosting.