Orange Coconut Cake

Orange and Coconut are the perfect pair in this light and luscious Orange Coconut Cake. It the perfect dessert for spring and summer!

Shredded coconut is folded into our homemade orange cake batter and baked into fluffy, moist layers that have the perfect balance of citrus and sweet coconut flavor.

We paired the orange coconut cake layers with a light whipped coconut cream cheese filling and frosting, and then covered the entire cake with a layer of shredded coconut.

This flavor combination is heavenly. We hope that you enjoy the recipe!

How to Make Orange Coconut Cake

This orange coconut cake is based in part on our scratch Orange Vanilla Bean Cake recipe, but with a few changes including the addition of shredded coconut and coconut extract. It is so flavorful!

You can find the full, printable cake recipe further down in this post, but here is a quick look at our steps.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, grease and flour three 8 inch x 2 inch round cake pans. I also like to line my pans with circles of parchment or wax paper.
2. Combine Flour, Leavening and Zest: In a medium sized bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Whisk to blend for 30 seconds. Set aside.
3. Sour Cream Mixture: In another bowl or measuring cup, combine the sour cream, milk, orange juice concentrate (thawed), coconut extract, and orange extract.
4. Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of your mixer, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until fluffy and lightened in color.
5. Eggs: Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
6. Alternating Additions of Dry and Wet Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2 of wet). Add the drops of coloring gel at this time also if you are tinting the batter.
7. Careful not to Over-mix: Slightly increase speed and mix batter just until combined, do not mix above medium speed or over-mix.
8. Shredded Coconut: Fold in the shredded sweetened coconut.

Fill the Pans: Divide the orange coconut cake batter between the three prepared 8 inch round cake pans. The batter is pretty thick.

Bake at 325 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.

**Check on your cakes as you approach the end time, bake times may vary. Let the cakes cool 5-10 minutes, then flip them out.

Delicious Coconut Fillings and Frostings

There are several filling and frosting options that would be delicious with this Orange Coconut Cake. Because orange is the predominant flavor with the cake layers, we decided to go with a coconut filling and frosting.

You could use a coconut buttercream (our classic vanilla buttercream with 1-2 teaspoons coconut extract added), a filling of coconut whipped cream (our sweetened whipped cream with coconut extract to taste), seven minute frosting with coconut extract to taste, the coconut pastry cream filling from our coconut cream cake, and more!

Today we decided to go with one of our favorites- Whipped Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (also known as Coconut Chantilly Cream- it is similar to the cream from our Berry Chantilly Cake).

This flavorful, soft filling and frosting has the lightness of freshly whipped cream but with a bit more stability from the cream cheese in the recipe.

We love the combination of the sweetened cream and coconut flavor with the light tanginess from the cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

To prepare the recipe, combine the slightly softened cream cheese with confectioners sugar, coconut extract, and vanilla extract.

In another chilled bowl, and using chilled beaters if using a hand mixer or a chilled whisk attachment if using a stand mixer, whip up your heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

Then fold the cream cheese mixture gently into the whipped cream mixture. That's it! You're going to want to dive right into the bowl- it is so delicious.

Assembling the Orange Coconut Cake

Now it's time to put our Orange Coconut Cake together!

Place the first cake layer on the cake plate or pedestal. Spread with a layer of frosting. (You don't need to take the filling all the way to the edge of the layer, as it will slightly push out when the other layers are stacked.)

*Optional: You can add a sprinkling of shredded coconut over the top of the filling if you'd like- this is optional as there is already coconut in the batter and on the outside of the cake.

Add the second orange coconut cake layer and spread with filling, followed by the third cake layer. Fill in any gaps between the cake layers with coconut frosting and then crumb coat the cake (thin coat).

Once you've spread on the frosting, you can remove the excess with an offset spatula or bench scraper.

I always chill my cakes after crumb coating to firm everything back up again. This is a softer frosting and so you may find this helpful.

I freeze my filled, crumb coated cakes for about 10-15 minutes before applying the final coat of frosting (you could refrigerate for a bit longer instead of freezing if you'd rather). You can refrigerate the bowl of frosting during this time also.

Apply the final layer of frosting, press sweetened coconut all over the outside, and it's finished! I topped mine with a bit of orange zest and a thin, round orange slice which I twisted so that it would slightly stand up.

What is the Difference between Sweetened Coconut and Unsweetened?

We like to use sweetened coconut in our cake recipes because it not only adds a nice sweetness, but it is also moister and softer than from-the-bag unsweetened shredded coconut.

We use Bakers Angel Flake Coconut most often but there are many options.

Thawed, frozen coconut is a good alternative as well. Even though it is usually not sweetened, it has a softer texture than unsweetened, bagged coconut and is close in texture to freshly grated coconut.

More Cakes to Share!

In addition to today's cake, we also have a great Orange Coconut Pound Cake. We have many more cakes with coconut. Here are a few more favorites!

• Coconut Cream Cake
• Almond Joy Cake
• Chocolate Coconut Cake
• Pineapple Coconut Cake
• Lemon Coconut Cake
• Italian Cream Cake
• White Chocolate Coconut Cake

Thanks so much for stopping by today! We hope that you enjoy this moist Orange Coconut Cake. Don't miss our full collection of cake recipes and cake decorating tutorials!