This mouthwatering coconut strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries tastes every bit as amazing as it looks. The ingredients are easy to get and the instructions are simple enough for even a beginner home baker to follow.
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If you’re looking for a strawberry cake recipe that looks impressive but doesn’t require expert baking knowledge, look no further. You only have to make the batter, bake the cake, then spread a cream cheese frosting over it.
Next comes the fun part! You get to press coconut flakes on the sides and arrange sliced strawberries on top. Once this cake is beautifully decorated with fresh strawberries and sweetened shredded coconut, two flavors that pair together harmoniously, it will look just as impressive as anything you’d see in a bakery window.
This fruity cake would make a nice centerpiece on the dinner table. So if you have a glut of strawberries you’ve grown yourself, bought, or been given, consider making this easy dessert with them. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how simple it is to make.
And when I'm craving coconut-flavored desserts, I often turn to my French coconut pie recipe or this delicious coconut poke cake which always receives so many compliments!
Main Ingredients
Typical cake-making ingredients are used to make this recipe, including eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar, and butter. The cream cheese frosting is delicately flavored with vanilla, and then fresh strawberries and shredded coconut decorate the finished cake. The key ingredients you will need are these:
- Strawberries: To add a fresh, fruity taste and to decorate with.
- Cake flour: To achieve a perfect consistency.
- Shredded coconut: This adds an exotic flavor and goes so well with the strawberries.
- Coconut milk: To enhance the coconut flavor and add moisture to the batter.
- Cream cheese: To make a rich and creamy frosting.
- Vanilla extract: To delicately flavor the cream cheese frosting.
- Confectioner’s sugar: For the right balance of sweetness.
Instructions Overview
Don’t be overwhelmed by the look of this gorgeous cake, because it’s easy to make if you do it in stages. First, you need to sift flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into one bowl, and add coconut milk and whole milk to another bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar, then add vanilla and eggs and beat some more. The flour mixture and milk mixture are added a little at a time and then the shredded coconut is mixed in. Now the batter is complete, it is divided between 2 greased tins and baked in the oven.
For the frosting, you need to beat cream cheese, vanilla, and butter, before adding in confectioner’s (powdered) sugar. The frosting is used to sandwich the two cakes together when they’re cool, and also to decorate the outside. Decorate the sides with toasted shredded coconut and the top with sliced strawberries, and your fruity layer cake is all ready to enjoy!
Common Questions
Strawberry shortcake is comprised of a crisp biscuit topped with whipped cream and strawberries. Strawberry cake is any type of cake with strawberries, such as this coconut strawberry cake.
The key to keeping coconut strawberry cake from becoming soggy is largely about when you serve it. A cake which is baked and served on the same day won't have time to get soggy. However, just because you won't eat the whole thing immediately doesn't mean it will get a soggy texture. First, ensure the layers are completely cool before adding frosting and berries. Another method is to add a thin layer of jam or jelly before adding the frosting.
Philadelphia cream cheese has 33% milkfat while Neufchatel is only 23% milkfat and it's moister. Despite these differences, you can use either of these for the frosting and expect a delicious coconut strawberry cake either way!
Pure vanilla extract is made with vanilla beans and 35% minimum alcohol. Synthetic or artificial vanilla essence hasn't been anywhere near a vanilla bean and is instead made from artificial flavors and chemicals. It goes without saying that getting the real thing is always recommended!
It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days when it starts to dry out. If you aren’t eating it within a day of making it, it’s best to keep it in a covered container.
Let the cakes cool down after you take them out of the oven, then wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. It isn’t recommended to decorate it first, because the strawberries will thaw with a mushy texture and not look so good.
This cake is impressive enough to be a table centerpiece, so consider it for a tea party or any event where you have a buffet table.
This would work just as well in this coconut strawberry cake as the sweetened kind, so if you don’t have a very sweet tooth, you might like to make the switch.
Chopnotch Tips
- If you don’t have cake flour, you can use all-purpose flour. Replace 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour in every cup with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and mix well.
- Any kind of soft cheese works for the frosting, and you can use reduced-fat or whole. Neufchatel and Philadelphia always work well in frosting recipes.
- Make absolutely certain the cakes are completely cool before frosting them together. You don’t want the frosting to melt or it won’t look as good.
Bring the exotic flavor of coconut strawberry cake to your table by making this stunning dessert decorated with fresh strawberries and shredded coconut.
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Recipe
How to Make
Coconut Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ½ cup whole milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 cups cake flour
- ½ cup sweetened coconut, shredded
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup coconut milk, unsweetened
For the frosting:
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling and topping:
- 1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded and toasted
- 8 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced lengthwise
- 12 ounces fresh strawberries, chopped
Instructions
For the cake:
- Coat or butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of both with round parchment papers.
- To a large bowl, add 3 cups of flour along with a teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of baking powder, and half a teaspoon of baking soda. Sift well and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine together ½ cup of each coconut milk and whole milk. Set aside.
- Add butter to a stand mixer along with 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar. Beat well until fluffy.
- Add in a tablespoon of vanilla extract and 4 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, only one at a time. Mix on low after each addition scraping down the bottom and sides.
- Add in one-third of the flour mixture and continue mixing until combined.
- Add half of the milk mixture and beat until just combined.
- Next, add the remaining flour mixture and continue beating.
- Beat again after adding the remaining milk mixture.
- Add ½ cup shredded coconut and stir well.
- Divide the batter among cake pans evenly and spread the top until smooth. Tap pans on the countertop to remove bubbles, if any.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean from the center, for about 40 minutes.
- Once done, let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool further.
For the frosting:
- Beat cream cheese, vanilla extract, and butter in a stand mixer until blended thoroughly.
- Add in 2 ½ cups sugar and continue beating until combined.
- Check stiffness and add up to ¼ cup sugar until the spatula slowly droops to one side. Keep aside.
For the filling and assembly:
- Cook a cup of shredded coconut in a skillet until golden evenly, stirring constantly. Then spread toasted coconut onto a platter.
- Trim off the round tops of your cakes by using a serrated knife, if needed.
- Place one layer of cake onto a serving platter and spread with a thin layer of frosting followed by 2 cups of chopped strawberries on top. Press into an even layer.
- Top with the second cake layer and press down to secure both layers.
- Frost the sides and top of your cakes with leftover frosting.
- Press toasted coconuts onto sides evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- If you don’t have cake flour, you can use all-purpose flour. Replace 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour in every cup with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and mix well.
- Any kind of soft cheese works for the frosting, and you can use reduced-fat or whole. Neufchatel and Philadelphia always work well in frosting recipes.
- Make absolutely certain the cakes are completely cool before frosting them together. You don’t want the frosting to melt or it won’t look as good.
