Tender Coconut Caramel Cake | No coconut extract & Easy

This delicate coconut cake flavoured with coconut milk & desiccated coconut is made without coconut extract for a refreshing and authentic flavour. Topped with a rich & gooey caramel buttercream, the flavour and texture of this cake is DIVINE!

AUTHOR : KHUSHALI PATEL

PREPARATION TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes
BAKING TIME: 40 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 10 minutes

*For the best results, read the entire post & follow the instructions.

What does this coconut caramel cake taste like?

This coconut cake with caramel frosting is delicate and gooey with a fluffy crumb.
It is naturally flavoured with coconut milk, desiccated coconut and a homemade caramel sauce making it a refreshing and comforting treat to enjoy.

Why is this the best coconut caramel cake?

Flavour

This refreshing cake gets its flavour from coconut milk and desiccated coconut without adding coconut extract. This makes the flavours natural and subtle at the same time. The flavours of the salted caramel buttercream blend so well together with the sweet flavour of the coconut, that makes this cake something you just can’t miss.

Ease

This cake and frosting is prepared using the creaming method with simple ingredients that can easily be found in your baking pantry or store.

Texture

The cake is airy, delicate and fluffy while the frosting is creamy, gooey, and less sweet and it does not weigh down the cake.

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Key Ingredients in this coconut caramel cake

All-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt

This cake is made with a mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch wherein the flour gives it structure and the cornstarch provides a delicate and softer crumb. The baking soda and baking powder help aerate the cake to make it light and fluffy.

Castor sugar and icing sugar

The cake uses only castor sugar to sweeten it as it does not provide that much flavour in comparison to brown sugar. But it does provide less moisture. Because of the loss in moisture that you usually get from brown sugar, I used other ingredients to bring back the moisture but in a controlled manner.

The frosting uses less icing sugar which is required only to sweeten the buttercream and to minimize the strong flavour of the whipped caramel sauce. This gives the cake a delicate caramel flavour that does not overshadow the natural coconut flavour.

Unsalted butter and yoghurt

Unsalted butter provides a lovely rich flavour to cakes but I found that it did reduce the flavour of the coconut. So, I replaced part of the butter with yoghurt which reduced the flavour of the butter but also made the cake tender and moist.

Unsweetened coconut milk, desiccated coconut and shredded coconut

This cake is flavoured with creamy unsweetened coconut milk and desiccated coconut with no coconut extract. It is also topped with shredded coconut for more flavour and crisp texture.

Homemade caramel sauce

The frosting uses homemade caramel sauce at its base but I increased the quantity of butter to make it thicker. This made the buttercream stable enough so I did not have to add too much icing sugar to make it firm.

Egg whites

This recipe uses only egg whites to provide structure and it’s high in moisture. It also has no flavour which ensures that the natural coconut flavour shines through.

Heavy Cream

The frosting uses heavy cream (35% fat content) to make it creamy and fluffy but I did reduce the quantity to make a thicker sauce.

Why did I use all-purpose flour and cornstarch instead of cake flour?

Before I talk about why I decided not to use cake flour, I have to tell you what cake flour is.

Cake flour is a low-gluten flour with a protein content of just 8%. This is much less compared to all-purpose flour.

Flours with low protein content give a softer crumb rather than a firm one which is not ideal for most cake recipes especially when they are paired with a frosting as it is not strong enough to hold the weight of the frosting. It also can make the cake dense if not made correctly.

There are two reasons why I avoided using cake flour in this recipe. Here they are:

Using a mix of all-purpose flour and cornstarch made the cake firm and delicate without compromising its structure. It also helped in making the flavour of the coconut shine through as I could avoid using egg yolks to provide structure to the cake.
Sometimes, cake flour is not accessible as compared to other flour. And even if it is, as it’s not commonly used in baking as yet, you might find yourself having a bag of cake flour in your pantry that you have no use for, which in turn means that it goes to waste. So, it just made sense to use all-purpose flour and cornstarch instead as they are readily available and are common baking ingredients.

Why is this the best salted caramel buttercream frosting recipe?

Most caramel frostings are prepared with butter and icing sugar being creamed and then adding a small amount of salted caramel sauce to flavour it. But this makes for a subtle buttercream with a subtle caramel flavour that is comparatively sweeter.

For this reason, I created a recipe that starts with making a rich buttery caramel sauce that is then whipped with icing sugar once cooled. This made the frosting flavourful, creamy and fluffy with minimal sweetness.

The flavour of the frosting is that of a freshly prepared salted caramel sauce that complements the naturally sweet flavours of the coconut. The two flavours go so well together that make it a refreshing and cosy treat to consume.

03 Tips to make the best coconut caramel cake

Always separate cold eggs

As this cake is made with only egg whites, it’s essential to make sure that the egg yolks do not break when you are separating them.

This is much easier to do when the eggs are cold, right out of the refrigerator as the skin of the egg yolk is intact and strong. When the eggs are warm, the skin is fragile making it trickier to separate the eggs.

Make the caramel sauce a day in advance

For the buttercream to be stable without the addition of extra icing sugar, remember to use the caramel when it has thickened overnight and then softened. For this reason, I highly recommend that you make the caramel a day in advance and let it cool completely in the refrigerator.

Once you are ready to prepare the buttercream, all you have to do is use the caramel as soon as it softens like butter. The caramel flavour also develops when it’s allowed to rest.

Use softened butter rather than room-temperature butter

It is important to start making the batter when the butter has the right texture and is at the right temperature. If not, the cake will become dense.

So, when is the butter ready to be used?

Rather than focusing on the temperature of the butter, focus on the texture as the term room temperature is misleading.

The temperature of your kitchen where you live and where I live can be completely different, so bringing it to room temperature is not the right way to go.

I have this easy yet effective method for you to follow that will help you understand butter and use it the right way, making you a baking pro in no time. For this, however, you will need a thermometer. But that does not mean you have to check the butter using a thermometer every time you bake.

Place a stick or block of butter in its packaging on your kitchen counter away from the sun.
Now every 10-15 minutes, check the butter.
When it reaches 18°C, poke the butter with your finger.

You will find that the butter will resist your finger, and you will have to put a bit of pressure to make a dent. The butter will also be a little cool to the touch. This is when your butter is ready to be used for baking. Observe and check how the butter looks and feels at this point.

Next, check the texture of the butter once it reaches 21°C (follow steps 1 through 3).

When the butter has softened and is anywhere between 18°C to 21°C, it is the right time to prepare the cake batter.

While doing this experiment, note down the time the butter took to soften and reach the right temperature. So now every time you have to bake, you know how much time your butter needs to soften.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this cake be prepared in a traditional 9×13” cake pan?

Yes, this cake can be easily prepared in a 9×13” cake pan. I have mentioned the recipe in the recipe card below. Follow the instructions exactly as I have mentioned in the recipe card.

How can I prepare a coconut frosting to pair with this cake instead?

This cake is beautifully paired with a creamy coconut frosting and I have just the perfect recipe for that right here. It is a creamy and rich coconut frosting that is flavoured with coconut cream, less sugar and no artificial flavourings. However, I do recommend that you give this flavour combination a try because it’s divine!

Step-by-step instructions