Coconut Strawberry Cake Recipe

This Coconut strawberry cake is a stunning dessert for celebrations. It has soft strawberry cake layers with a creamy coconut cream cheese frosting, topped with shredded coconut and fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Coconut Cake Ingredients

Strawberries: I used ripe strawberries. They added flavor to my cake, so I chose juicy and tasty strawberries.

Buttermilk:  For moistness, I used buttermilk. You can buy it from a market or you can make your own buttermilk in your kitchen by using lemon and milk. 

Butter:  Mixing butter with cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and coconut extract makes a smooth and tasty frosting. It goes well with the soft strawberry cake layers.

Eggs: Eggs in strawberry coconut cake help hold everything together and make the cake moist. In this recipe, we use egg whites. The whites are whipped and folded in to make the cake light and tender.

Frosting for Strawberry Cake with Coconut 

Cream Cheese: I use cream cheese for a smooth and creamy texture.

Butter: It is also used for making frosting.

Coconut Extract: For rich and authentic coconut flavor, I used coconut extract in the frosting of strawberry and coconut cake.

Fresh Strawberry: I used fresh strawberries for frosting.

Coconut flakes: I used coconut flakes for frosting.

How I Made Strawberry Coconut Cake

First, I blended fresh berries with buttermilk to make a smooth puree. 

While my egg whites came to room temperature, I creamed butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Then the egg whites went in one at a time. 

I folded the strawberry mixture and flour alternately into the batter until just combined. Dividing it evenly, the pans went into the oven where the whole house smelled amazing!

When the layers were cooled, I started on the frosting. Whipping butter and cream cheese together made the fluffiest filling. 

Adding powdered sugar, vanilla and coconut extract created the best tropical flavor. I assembled the cake by spreading generous dollops between each layer. 

A coating of frosting atop and down the sides finished it off perfectly. Topping with shredded coconut and fresh berries made for such a pretty presentation.  

The light, moist layers with that creamy frosting was a true summer dessert – even better than I imagined!  You should definitely try strawberry coconut cake in summer.

Pro Tips 

Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your buttermilk and butter are at room temperature for better mixing and a smoother batter. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to curdle or not mix well, leading to an uneven texture in the cake.

Allow the egg whites to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before whipping. Room temperature egg whites whip better, giving you a lighter and fluffier batter.

Proper Mixing: When adding the strawberry mixture and flour mixture to the batter, alternate the additions to ensure the ingredients are evenly incorporated without overmixing. Overmixing can result in a dense cake.

Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy before adding the egg whites. This step helps create a light, airy batter that contributes to a tender cake.

Use Fresh and Freeze-Dried Strawberries: The combination of fresh strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries provides a balance of fresh fruit flavor and concentrated strawberry taste. The freeze-dried strawberries help enhance the flavor while the fresh strawberries contribute moisture to the cake.

Ensure the freeze-dried strawberries are finely ground when blended, so they don’t leave chunks in the batter.

Even Cake Layers: To ensure the cake layers bake evenly, tap the pans gently on the counter after dividing the batter. This will help release any air bubbles and level out the batter for an even bake.

Rotate the pans halfway through baking to ensure even heat distribution in your oven.

Don’t Overbake: Bake the cake for the recommended time (about 30 minutes), but check it with a toothpick at 25 minutes. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done. Overbaking can result in a dry cake.

Cool Cakes Completely: Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This allows the cake to firm up and prevents it from breaking apart. Make sure the cakes are completely cool before frosting.

Variations 

Strawberry Purée: If you want a more intense strawberry flavor, replace the fresh strawberries with strawberry purée. Blend fresh strawberries and strain out any seeds before adding them to the batter. This will give a more concentrated flavor throughout the cake.

Different Fruits: You can substitute the strawberries with other berries like raspberries, blackberries, or even blueberries. Each fruit offers a unique flavor and could pair beautifully with the coconut and cream cheese frosting.

Adding Coconut Milk: To increase the coconut flavor, you could replace a portion of the buttermilk with coconut milk. This will deepen the coconut flavor and add a bit of richness to the cake.

Coconut Cream Cheese Icing Variations: For an even more intense coconut flavor in the frosting, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of coconut extract. If you prefer a tangier icing, you can reduce the amount of powdered sugar slightly or add a squeeze of lemon juice to the frosting.

Whipped Cream Frosting: Instead of cream cheese icing, try using whipped cream frosting for a lighter, fluffier texture. Just whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks, and fold in some shredded coconut.

Filling Variations: To make the cake even more decadent, you could add a strawberry filling between the layers. Simply mash some fresh strawberries and mix with a little sugar to create a jam-like filling. This will add extra moisture and fruitiness to the cake. For extra texture, you can sprinkle toasted coconut flakes between the layers for a delightful crunch.

Gluten-Free Option: If you want to make the cake gluten-free, swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend. Be sure to check that your baking powder and other ingredients are gluten-free. Adding a bit of xanthan gum may help achieve the same texture as all-purpose flour.

Additional Flavorings: Add a little almond extract (1/4 teaspoon) to the batter for a subtle nutty undertone that complements the coconut. For a tropical twist, try adding a small amount of pineapple juice to the batter or mix in small pieces of fresh pineapple to the cake for added sweetness and moisture.

More Strawberry Cakes

If you like, my coconut strawberry cake recipe then you will also like

• Strawberry orange cake
• Strawberry kiwi cake
• Strawberry basil cake
• Strawberry caramel cake
• Strawberry vanilla and marble cake