Old Fashion Coconut Cake Recipe (One Bowl)
This simple, easy one-bowl coconut cake recipe, made with desiccated coconut from scratch, makes a delicious cake you can whip up in five minutes. It tastes great unfrosted as a coffee cake, served with whipped cream for a light dessert, or used with some decadent buttercream for a more indulgent treat or celebration cake.
You know I’m a person who ALWAYS bakes from scratch, and I’ve been on a mission to get everyone around me to bake from scratch. Well, mostly because it’s so EASY!!
In an attempt to get people to bake from scratch, I started this series of one-bowl cakes and cupcakes. It’s been going really well so far. Many of you enjoy baking these cakes and love the recipes. So, yay!!
This is my family’s favorite, and Mom made it often in under an hour for evening tea whenever we asked.
Why make this cake?
- One-bowl recipe — no mixer needed
- Soft, moist crumb with real coconut flavor
- Made with desiccated coconut (easy pantry ingredient)
- Works as a simple cake or dressed up with frosting
- Ready in under 45 minutes
Ingredients and substitutes
- Butter – I always use butter at room temperature. But, if you want a vegan version, you can use the same amount of margarine in the recipe.
- Coconut Milk / Milk – I like to add coconut milk as it enhances the flavor of the cake. And yet, if you want, you can add regular milk. Almond milk works too.
- Coconut Extract – It does add a nice flavor, but you can just substitute it with vanilla extract as well.
- Desiccated Coconut – This is shredded dry coconut and is not the same as coconut flour or coconut sugar. Coconut flour is just the dried coconut fiber after removing all the coconut milk. So, please use desiccated coconut, which has all the flavor of coconut. And use the unsweetened variety as the cake has the required amount of sugar.
Step-by-step: Easy old-fashion coconut cake
- Preheat oven to 320°F / 165°C/ Gas Mark 3. Grease and line one 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. You can also use one 6-cup bundt pan instead.
- Combine – In the bowl, combine all ingredients until you have a smooth batter without any lumps, but DO NOT OVERMIX.
Pro tip – For a one-bowl recipe, always ensure the butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature. Otherwise, the batter will be lumpy.
- Pan – Pour batter into your prepared baking pan. Sprinkle some almond flakes on top.
- Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Invert and cool on a wire rack completely before you decorate
BEST Coconut Cake Recipe
Coconut is such a versatile flavor and can be used in savory or sweet dishes. This simple, easy and effortless coconut cake recipe makes a delicious cake from scratch that you can whip in five minutes. It tastes great unfrosted as a coffee cake, served with whipped cream for a light dessert or some decadent buttercream for a more indulgent treat or celebration cake.
Video
Ingredients
- 4 oz (113 g) Butter unsalted, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar
- 2 large Egg
- ¾ tsp Baking powder
- 1½ cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 cup (85 g) Desiccated coconut
- ½ cup (120 ml) Coconut milk or regular milk
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 drops Coconut extract (optional)
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Almond flakes for the top (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 320°F / 165°C/ Gas Mark 3. Grease and line one 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. You can also use one 6-cup bundt pan instead.
- Combine – In the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients until you have a smooth batter without any lumps, but DO NOT OVERMIX.4 oz Butter , ¾ cup Sugar , 2 large Egg, ¾ tsp Baking powder, 1½ cup All-purpose flour, ½ cup Coconut milk, ½ tsp Vanilla extract , 2 drops Coconut extract, ½ tsp Salt, 1 cup Desiccated coconut
- Pan – Pour batter into your prepared baking pan. Sprinkle some almond flakes on top.2 tbsp Almond flakes
- Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Invert and cool on a wire rack completely before you decorate
Notes
- Batter should be smooth, not overmixed
- Desiccated coconut gives texture — don’t swap with coconut flour
- Check doneness at 30 minutes to avoid overbaking
- Store at room temp for 2–3 days or refrigerate for longer
- Best served slightly warm or at room temperature
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Tips for success
- Use room temp ingredients → smoother batter
- Don’t overmix → keeps cake soft
- Bake just until done → overbaking dries it
- Coconut milk gives better flavor than regular milk
This is our family’s favorite!! No frosting – just a cup of tea.
- Layered coconut cake with coconut cream filling (layer cake)
- One Bowl Carrot Cake
- Easy One–Bowl Peach Cake
- One–Bowl Raspberry Banana Cake
- Blueberry Yogurt Cake (One–Bowl Recipe)
- One Bowl Sour Cream Strawberry Cake
Frequently asked questions
This coconut cake will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can even freeze it for up to a month or more.
Cake flour does give a soft cake with a tender crumb, but since we have desiccated coconut in this cake, the all-purpose flour works better.
You can use fresh shredded coconut instead of desiccated coconut. But, then the cake will keep in the fridge for just 3 to 4 days, as fresh coconut has a shorter shelf life.
Yes, you can add 1/2 cup of dried fruits like raisins, chopped dates, and cranberries to the batter just before baking.
- Coconut Macaroons
- Coconut Sheet Cake Recipe
- Almond Coconut Macaroons: 3 Ingredients (Gluten-Free)
- White Chocolate Coconut Balls (No-Bake • 10 Min Treats)
Hi Veena,
Love this recipe . My family love this too. Tried making it to cupcakes with this and it turned out great too.
Thank you, Michelle. Yes, it is a very versatile recipe indeed.
Good morning, are you using canned coconut milk for the cake and canned coconut cream for the filing?
yes Manda, Thats the only way I get coconut milk or cream in cans. Thanks
Thank you for this recipe!
This is my favorite cake ever! I’ve made it so many times and it’s always come out so delicious, also my friends LOVE it.
I use almonds instead of coconut flakes on top and sometimes make a cream cheese/coconut/lemon filling. yum
Sounds delicious Leelo. Thank you, for the feedback.
Hi Veena, can this recipe be used for cupcakes? Just curious.
Yes absolutely, Elza. Just adjust the cooking time. It should be about 20 to 22 minutes for cupcakes.
Hi Veena.. this seems like a nice recipe but i personally dont like eggs in the cakes due to the smell.. can i replace this with 3 flaxmeal?
Vidya. I have not tried this recipe with egg substitutes. I suggest you look for and eggless recipe to avoid any disappointment.
Hi Veena,where I live, there is dried shredded coconut as well as the more powdery dessicated coconut. Which do you recommend I use in the batter?
I would recommend the dessicated coconut
Week 2 Day 2 Done
I made this coconut cake
It is delicious. But was little dry
Baked this cake and took it to my friends place and all 6 of us thought it was delicious
Thank you, Leonie. Happy, you enjoyed this cake. Thanks for the feedback.
Hello can i use fresh grated coconut in this as i would like to try it
I have not used fresh in this but I do believe it will work. Let me know how it goes.
I notice that all your cakes are this one bowl recipe, and they are fluffy i tried it once and my cake was heavy even my children noticed that the cake wasn’t fluffy, I just wondered why, can we use the cake mixture for this recipe?I want to try itto. Thanks Veena.
No, Seraphina. All my recipes are not one-bowl recipes. But, I do have a few one-bowl recipes and those were aimed to encourage people to bake from scratch. I just posted a coconut cake with coconut cream filling and SMBC today and this is not a one-bowl recipe either. If you look closely this one bowl-coconut cake is light and airy not dense at all. It all depends on the ingredients, how you measure, and how you mix your batter. Perhaps you may like to check out the other cake recipes
Hi, Veena. This recipe looks so yum. What size cake pan did you use? Can’t seem to find it anywhere in the recipe or did i miss it?
Soumya I have used one 8-inch round baking pan. I have also given options for other pans in the recipe card below. Thanks
Hello,
I’m just wondering if this cake can sit out on the counter or does it have to be refrigerated?
Thanks!
Hey Addy, This cake can sit out of the counter for 2 to 3 days. However, if you use a perishable frosting like meringue or cream cheese you must keep it in the fridge at all times
Is there any natural sugar alternative that I can use in this recipe? I can’t use sugar, or maple/honey or any artificial sweeteners. I am just throwing random suggestions here but would 1 cup of carrots or 1 cup of applesauce work instead though I am not sure how they would compliment this cake!?
Hey Safina. I have not tried this recipe with any sugar substitutes so I can’t say what will work. If you do try with substitutes would love to hear the outcome so others can try too. Thanks.
The cake was super good and so easy to make!
I used raw sugar and put almonds on top because I couldn’t find coconut.
Somehow I had to keep it in the oven for an hour, I don’t know…maybe it is my oven, it is not a fan oven.
Anyway, when it finally came out, it was delicious and the almonds on top made it super crispy. My housemate also loved it and said it was the best cake I’ve ever made.
Definitely will try more recipes from you.
Thank you, Leelo. I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this cake. Thank you for coming back to leave this feedback.
Hi Veena
Am about to try this cake as I love coconut. I have all the ingredients but only medium eggs. Do you think I should put 4 in or a little more milk instead?
I’m excited to try it
Catherine
Hey Catherine. Yes, if you think the eggs are smaller adding one might be better. Or half the egg if you think it’s medium eggs. I hope that makes sense. let me know how it was
Hi Veena
Thanks for your quick reply. I had already gone ahead and put 4 eggs in. I think the mixture was a little wet so would try 3 and a half next time as you suggest. I also didn’t make sure my eggs were room temp and the mixture split. It didn’t rise very well. All in all, not great but completely my fault, not yours! Next time I will stick to the recipe carefully! Lesson learnt 😉
I am so sorry to hear that Catherine. I don’t think just an egg would make such a big difference in the recipe though. Perhaps check if there is anything else you didn’t measure correctly as well. I hope this works better next time.
I baked the cake and it was simply delicious
Thank you so much Quin
Hi, I made the cake. It didnot rise and was not fluffy but my family liked it still. Could it be because I used a mixer (a standing one) to mix all the ingridients and I mixxed them for a bit longer to be sure they were well mixed? I served it without the filling but with some clotted cream beside it and the family were crazy about it.
You can use a Petina to make this cake as long as you don’t overmix it. I am happy your family enjoyed it anyways. Clotted cream and coconut cake is a wonderful combination.