Coconut Loaf Cake
Published 3/3/2023 • Updated 7/17/2023
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The most amazing coconut loaf cake that is so airy, sweet, and absolutely delicious. It’s topped with a yummy coconut glaze and toasted coconut pieces.
Incredible Coconut Loaf Cake
Let this coconut loaf cake be the next cake you serve at a family gathering or holiday. It’s airy, perfectly sweet, spongy, and so coconutty!
We’ve made a lot of loaves and cakes in our day and this has to be my new favorite. Linley, our head recipe developer, tested this time and time again to really perfect the coconutty flavor and texture of this coconut cake.
What I love most about it are the spongy texture and perfectly sweet frosting. Together they make for the ultimate loaf cake.
Why you’ll love it!
Perfectly coconutty
Super moist
A loaf and a cake in one
All the Coconut Products
The amazing thing about this coconut loaf cake is that the coconut flavor isn’t spared. We used coconut everywhere we could – in the milk, fat, etc. Here’s what’s featured:
Full-fat coconut milk: we love full-fat coconut milk because the flavor is strong and it adds a great amount of fat. Just make sure to give it a stir before using it.
Coconut flakes: flakes are large and crunchy and can be browned for a beautiful topping.
Shredded coconut: we used unsweetened shredded coconut in both the cake itself and on top.
Coconut oil: who needs butter when you can use coconut oil!
How to Make Coconut Loaf Cake (quick guide)
- Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Beat coconut oil in a stand mixer until smooth. Then add the sugar and almond extract and whip until light and fluffy.
- Add the coconut milk and mix on low until combined.
- Slowly add one egg and then the dry ingredient and mix on low until combined.
- Transfer the batter into the loaf pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then, turn the cake and bake for another 15 minutes.
Latest Desserts
Delicious Coconut Glaze
What is a cake without the frosting? This coconut glaze is fluffy and perfectly sweet.
What You Need
- shredded coconut
- coconut flakes
- canned coconut milk
- almond extract
- powdered sugar
We love the hint of almond you get in this glaze from the extract. If you don’t love almond, feel free to swap for vanilla.
Storage
Store coconut cake in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days.
Can I free this coconut loaf? We suggest freezing before frosting. Let the cake cool completely and then tightly wrap it with a piece of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Coconut Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Dry
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3/4 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk, stirred
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Glaze
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, we used Bob's Red Mill
- 1/3 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk*
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk the ingredients together. Set aside.
- Next, add the coconut oil to a large bowl and beat it with an electric mixer or standing mixer. Mix on high until the coconut oil is smooth. Add the sugar and almond extract to the coconut oil and mix until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Slowly pour the coconut milk into the coconut oil and sugar mixture while mixing on low. Mix until combined.
- Add 1 egg at a time until the egg is just combined into the mixture.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on low and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl a few times.
- Transfer the cake batter to the lined loaf pan and bake the coconut cake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the loaf pan, and bake the cake for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit in the pan for 2 minutes. Gently lift the cake out of the pan by lifting the edges of the parchment paper. Place the cake on a cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely before slicing and glazing.
- Prepare the coconut and glaze while the cake is cooling. Spread the shredded coconut and coconut flakes out on a baking sheet and broil the coconut on the middle rack (not the top rack) of the oven for 1-3 minutes. Be sure to watch the coconut while broiling. Remove the coconut from the oven when the coconut begins to turn a golden brown color. Set aside.
- For the glaze, add the coconut milk to a bowl and add the almond extract. Slowly add the powdered sugar to the coconut milk until it reaches a thicker consistency and the sugar is completely dissolved.
- To glaze the coconut loaf cake, transfer the coconut loaf and cooling rack to a baking sheet. Carefully pour the glaze over the loaf cake. The glaze should mostly remain on the top of the loaf, but it’s ok if some glaze drizzles over onto the sides.
- Press the toasted coconut onto the top of the loaf and transfer the loaf to the refrigerator to set.
- Serve the loaf cake in slices.
Tips & Notes
- To measure the flour, we spooned the flour into the measuring cup. How you measure can sometimes change the result.
- We used the leftover coconut milk for the glaze, but if you want a richer glaze, use coconut cream.
- We used a mixture of shredded coconut and coconut flakes for the top of the cake. Feel free to use both or just one type of unsweetened coconut.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
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I have made this coconut loaf cake a birthday party and Easter and people loved it! I also turned the batter into muffins and my grandkids gobbled them up.
I have made this cake a few times and every time it turns out wonderfully. I made it into cupcakes for Easter and everyone loved them.
Followed recipe exactly, collapsed in the middle. Very experienced baker and have never had this before. Probably won’t use another recipe from the website.
Oh no, we’re sorry you had issues! We haven’t experienced this in testing this recipe 4+ times!