My Triple Coconut Pound Cake is a triple threat coconut cake for serious coconut lovers only ~ this moist loaf cake goes from breakfast to dessert!
My posts have been so healthy so far in 2014 — I need to mix things up a bit. Not that this Triple Coconut Pound Cake is unhealthy…as cakes go it’s very respectable. Pound cakes get a bad rap because they used to be loaded with butter, a pound of it, as a matter of fact. My sister in law’s pound cake, which comes from her grandmother, is notorious for setting the toaster on fire. This one is a little more restrained, I promise. The triple coconut makes up for the overload of butter, so it’s still very luxurious…without the threat of spontaneous combustion.
This cake has a wonderfully fluffy, chewy texture which comes from lots of shredded coconut and the little bit of coconut flour in the batter. Coconut flour is a high fiber flour made from dried de-fatted coconut, so it has a nice, distinct coconut flavor. You can substitute it for about 20% of regular flour in recipes. I bumped up the coconut flavor even further with coconut extract.
This pound cake is pure coconut bliss. If you’re ready to take a coffee break from all the January healthiness, this is perfect.
Did you know that you can make your own coconut extract, starting with a whole coconut?
More coconutty recipes I think you’ll love~
- Ina Garten’s Coconut Cupcakes, these are the classic vanilla cupcakes with big round coconut frosted tops. Everybody loves ’em!
- Coconut Snowball Melting Moments, buttery bite sized bits of coconut bliss.
- Black Bottom Coconut Squares, for those times when you just have to have a bit of chocolate with your coconut.
Reader Rave ~
“Wow. I have been on a journey with this one. I made it multiple times and it was a hit. Then I made it in wedding cake form (6, 8,12,12,14) still a hit!!! That was the first time I’ve made a wedding cake. Thank you for the recipe!.” ~ M
My Triple Coconut Pound Cake is a triple threat coconut cake for serious coconut lovers only ~ this moist loaf cake goes from breakfast to dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour (or use all regular flour)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or coconut milk!)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut plus more for garnish
- 1 heaping cup confectioner's sugar
- milk or cream or coconut milk, to thin
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Mix the evaporated milk with the extracts, and add alternately to the bowl with the dry ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry. Don't over mix the batter.
- Stir in the shredded coconut and turn into a greased and floured loaf pan. Smooth out the top and bake for about 55 minutes until risen, golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. (Moist crumbs are ok)
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack. let cool completely before glazing.
- Make the glaze by mixing the confectioner's sugar and extract with enough liquid to make a spreadable glaze. Top the glazed cake with more shredded coconut.
Thanks for pinning this Triple Coconut Pound Cake!
49 Comments
Sonia
June 12, 2019 at 3:42 pmPlan on making this over the weekend and wanted to know can this be made in a cupcake pan being that’s all I have?? Is there anything that I would have to change to adjust it to a cupcake pan instead?? Thank you in advance!!
Sue
June 12, 2019 at 3:57 pmI haven’t tried this in a cupcake pan, but if you’re open to a different recipe I have a wonderful one for coconut cupcakes here:https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/ina-gartens-coconut-cupcakes/
Esther
January 26, 2019 at 3:21 pmCan I use coconut oil instead butter?
Sue
January 26, 2019 at 3:38 pmI haven’t tried that, but if you do I would make sure to use it in solid form to match the butter’s consistency.
Niki
December 8, 2018 at 9:23 amCan you use self rising flour instead? That’s what I have here. Husband bought it by accident.
Sue
December 8, 2018 at 10:17 amYou can certainly try, Niki, leave out the baking powder and salt in the recipe.
Genevieve
May 11, 2018 at 3:20 pmI just made this and it smells divine! Tonight, our Bar-b-q dessert and sides are all based on your recipes, I only added 1/2 C of coconut as my kid doesn’t care for the texture and I supplemented the evaporated milk with cream of coconut-I wish you could smell this!
Sue
May 11, 2018 at 3:51 pmWish I could too ~ your BBQ sounds delish :)
M
October 28, 2017 at 5:21 amWow. I have been on a journey with this one. I made it multiple times and it was a hit. Then I made it in wedding cake form (6, 8,12,12,14) still a hit!!! That was the first time I’ve made a wedding cake. Thank you for the recipe!
Janet
July 19, 2016 at 9:21 amThis cake looks delicious! I am a little confused by the instructions – it doesn’t say when to add anything to the creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture. It just says to mix the evap. milk with the extracts, then to add alternately to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Sorry, I am a novice cook; guess I need very detailed instructions! Thank you!
Sue
July 19, 2016 at 11:36 amHi Janet, sorry that’s confusing…you will add the evaporated milk and the dry ingredients alternately to the original bowl that you mixed the butter, sugar, and eggs in. Does that make sense? I’ll try to word it more clearly.
Gail
June 17, 2016 at 8:32 pmThis would be really amazing with fresh coconut milk. I’m going to hit up the markets to see if I can find the coconut flour too. Love this.
Kim D.
May 21, 2016 at 1:42 pmHello can you double this recipe for a bundt cake pan? Thank you.
Sue
May 21, 2016 at 1:55 pmI’m not sure because I haven’t tried, but I think it might work! You’ll have to carefully monitor the baking time…
Marimba
May 20, 2016 at 12:01 pmI just made it for church for a revival event. I love coconut cake recipes. I took a litle crumb of it and it was delish. I didn’t even put the glaze on it yet. Lol! I’m so excited. Thank you for the recipe.
Suzanne
May 16, 2016 at 9:49 amNever mind just found it 55 min
Suzanne
May 16, 2016 at 9:47 amI can’t find the bake time.
MJay
February 24, 2016 at 1:15 pmDelectable!
If you love coconut , you can’t go wrong with this recipe.
God thing I’m the only one that is a fan of coconut because I won’t share!
Sue
February 24, 2016 at 1:23 pmHaha, thanks Mjay!
rachael ploegstra
February 24, 2016 at 8:16 amis the coconut milk from can or carton
Sue
February 24, 2016 at 8:33 amI can only find canned here, Rachael.
Ana
September 13, 2015 at 5:46 amWhat size pan do you use?
Adrienne
September 4, 2015 at 6:13 pmI am the queen of saving recipes and never actually making them… this is the first recipe I’ve ever seen that sent me IMMEDIATELY to the store for ingredients. I’m about to start baking it. Haha ? Thank you for sharing!
Alena
April 9, 2015 at 2:35 amHave you tried subbing the butter for coconut oil?
Sue
April 9, 2015 at 6:40 amI haven’t, that would make it a ‘quadruple’ coconut pound cake! Let me know if you try it, Alena.
PamG
March 4, 2015 at 8:05 amThis looks so incredibly delicious and we are cuckoo for coconut in this house. Can’t wait to make it. Thanks!
Nancy Long
October 30, 2014 at 2:50 pmI don’t have coconut extract, so I usually use coconut rum
Sue
October 31, 2014 at 10:31 amFun idea!
Savannah
July 26, 2014 at 6:34 pmMade this for my family a couple weeks ago and everyone LOVED it! Served it with mixed berries and vanilla ice cream.
Shelley Gerstberger
March 10, 2014 at 8:52 pmLove your recipes, can hardly wait to give them a try…
meri
March 10, 2014 at 12:40 amI will definitely make this for my family, thank you! And THANK YOU for the natural extract, I was buying some the other day and suddenly thought i should look at the ingredients in the imitation extract – a brand my Mum and probably many other people use, it’s very inexpensive… but there is stuff in there that scared me! superyuck. The fakies don’t taste as good either ;)
theresa krier
March 9, 2014 at 3:10 pmi love coconut & can’t wait to make this, thanks!
Christina
February 22, 2014 at 4:14 pmI am the Queen of Coconut Lovers! I HAVE to make this cake, and soon!!! Oh my!!
Laura Dembowski
January 24, 2014 at 12:50 pmNow I know what to do with all my coconut flour! Love that this isn’t very heavy as pound cakes go.
grace
January 20, 2014 at 3:43 pmthis is so dangerous for me–even though it’s not a very light dessert, i could eat SO much in one sitting! :)
denise@magnoliaverandad
January 18, 2014 at 7:24 pmThis just sounds like the best ever coconut pound cake – a real must to have in the repertoire.
hungry dog
January 17, 2014 at 3:35 pmI only very recently have come to like coconut and am intrigued by this recipe! I might reduce the coconuttiness and make it double coconut but I definitely plan to try it!
Sue
January 17, 2014 at 5:47 pmI almost went for quadruple coconut by using coconut milk or cream, but I was all out!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
January 16, 2014 at 10:20 pmI’m a coconut lover and anything triple coconut is just perfect!
Faith (An Edible Mosaic)
January 16, 2014 at 11:29 amI love how we both have coconut on the mind lately! I can never get enough, and this beautiful cake is now on my must-try list!
Sharon
January 16, 2014 at 10:12 amI love coconut anything, will try
Sandra
January 16, 2014 at 10:08 amwhere do you buy coconut flour at??
Sue
January 16, 2014 at 10:17 amI linked to it in the text, Sandra, you can get it at health food stores, Whole Foods, or online at Amazon, etc. :
Linda
January 16, 2014 at 10:07 amI love coconut cake. I have a recipe similar to this. The glaze calls for an entire bottle of coconut extract. It is quite extreme in the flavor. I think I’ll use your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa
Sue
January 16, 2014 at 10:19 amWow, that sounds fascinating, I’m heading over to check it out now…I have noticed that coconut is a difficult flavor to isolate, even the extract is relatively mild. I made my own, and the longer you let it steep, the stronger it gets.
Abbe@This is How I Cook
January 16, 2014 at 9:22 amThis really is a coconutty cake! And I’m cuckoo for coconut! (I have no idea where that came from!)
Sue
January 16, 2014 at 10:20 am;)