I’m dreaming of a beach- warm sand, sun shining, and not a down-puffed jacket in sight. There’s no snow, no wind chill, no freezing temperatures-induced leg hair. Just me, a sassy tan, and maybe a few slices of this almond coconut cake.

I’m not sure what March’s problem is, but it is way to cold for this time of year. For all of the sweltering summers and muggy falls that we put up with here in the South, the silver lining is usually a temperate, sunny-and-75-degrees March through April. I should be wearing shorts and cute cardigans, not Ugg boots and wool socks. If you’re reading this, Mother Nature, would you please compose yourself and deliver some decent weather sometime this year?

As a result, we’ve spent the last few days either huddled inside or chasing the sunny patches of warmth in the backyard, and while I don’t mind getting a few extra wears out of my winter boots, I really am craving for warmer weather. To pass the time, I’ve been baking up warm-weather treats that taste like summer and forecast the coming change of season. This almond coconut cake that I’m sharing today is the product of that wishful baking, and I think it will get you itching for summer too!

Let me break it down for you. We’ve got three layers of almond coconut cake- seriously moist, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweetness- flavored with a smidge of almond extract. The cake has the tasty addition of shredded sweetened coconut, so each bite has that delightful tropical texture to it. The frosting on this almond coconut cake is equally delicious. Butter, cream cheese, and almond extract make up the bulk of this American-style buttercream, and it is so good that I literally scraped the bowl of my mixer with shortbread cookies as a snack. I love myself and I hate myself, okay?

To make the cake we start with the layers. Butter and sugar are creamed in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Eggs, almond, and vanilla extract come next, and the dry ingredients are added to the mix, alternating with canned coconut milk. The batter is poured into 3-8″ pans and baked until lightly golden. In the meantime, you can work on your frosting! Beat room temperature butter until light and creamy and then add a block of softened cream cheese. Once incorporated, add the extracts, salt, and powdered sugar to the mix. The frosting should be smooth but still thick enough to hold to the sides of the cake. If you find it is too loose, you can add additional powdered sugar or chill it in the fridge.

I like to assemble my cakes while the layers are slightly frozen. To do this, simply wrap the cooled cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze on a flat surface until well chilled. When ready to assemble, whip up the frosting, trim any domed tops off of your cakes, and stack away! This almond coconut cake comes together easily, but if you need more help with you cake baking, check out this post here. After the cake is stacked, you can adorn it with toasted coconut or sliced almonds, whichever you’d prefer. 

This almond coconut cake would make a terrific addition to you Easter tables, assuming you’re not already making THIS beauty. Give it a try sometime soon and let me know what you think! Happy baking to you all and catch you next week!

If you like this almond coconut cake, you should check out:

Coconut Almond Chocolate Cookies

Banana Coconut Chocolate Cream Pie 

Vegan Coconut Lime Ice Cream Pie

Raspberry Streusel Cake

White Chocolate Cake

Almond Coconut Cake

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 2 reviews

This almond coconut cake is three layers of moist vanilla and almond scented coconut cake filled with an almond cream cheese buttercream and topped with extra toasted almonds and coconut! Perfect for spring parties and Easter!

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 35
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 90

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1–1/4 cups (280 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups (400 gm) sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups (390 gm) cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 gm) full-fat canned coconut milk
• 2 cups (170 gm) shredded sweetened coconut

For the frosting:

• 1–1/2 cups (340 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 ounces (230 gm) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 lbs (907 gm) powdered sugar
• Additional sliced almonds or shredded coconut for garnish, if desired

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Instructions

To prepare the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare three 8” round baking pans by lining the bottoms with parchment rounds and spraying the sides with baking spray.
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the sugar. Beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed and beat to combine, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the extracts. In a smaller separate bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the cake batter and then stir in the coconut milk. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir just until almost combined. Stir in the shredded coconut.
3. Fill the three prepared pans with equal amounts of batter, smooth the tops, and bake in the preheated oven for about 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature.

To prepare the frosting:

1. Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat to combine, about 45 seconds. Add the extracts and salt, stirring to combine. Add the powdered sugar and stir on low speed until incorporated, and then increase speed to beat for about 20 seconds. If you taste your frosting and would prefer it a bit sweeter, add an additional ½ cup powdered sugar. If you frosting it too thick to spread, add a tablespoon of water or milk until it comes to the right consistency.
2. When ready to assemble the cakes, trim any dome off the top of each cake. Spread 1-1/4 cups of frosting on top of the first cake layer and then top it with a second layer of cake. Repeat this process once more and then continue frosting the cake to your liking. If desired, toast some almonds or shredded coconut in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 -15 minutes, stirring regularly, to use as a garnish. This step isn’t necessary. Cake can be stored at room temperature but is best on day of assembly.

Notes

• I prefer to frost partially frozen cakes. You can bake the cake layers, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze up to a week in advance, and then assemble as normal. This help to keep your cakes from slouching, but be sure to freeze them on flat surfaces.

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