Magnolia Bakery's Coconut Layer Cake
This copycat Magnolia Bakery's Coconut Layer Cake recipe is a decadent southern layer cake made with layers of moist yellow cake filled with a rich coconut icing and topped with a light and billowy delicious marshmallow frosting with sweetened shredded coconut on top!
Servings: 10 Servings
Calories:
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 larger eggs room temperature
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour or use gluten-free flour, like Red Bob's Gluten Free Flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coconut Filling
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 7 oz package sweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fluffy 7 Minute Frosting
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Butter and lightly flour 2- 9"cake pans and line with parchment paper. (Original recipe is 3-9" cake pans, if you choose to change to triple layer, just remember to adjust baking time.)
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Pour the milk and vanilla into a glass measuring cup and set aside.
- Using mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy and add the sugar. Continue beating for three minutes. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
- To the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla mixture in four groups, beating well after each and ending with the milk. You'll have a smooth mixture by the end.
- Divide the batter evenly among the pans.
- Baking times: Two pans: Bake for 25-30 minutes. Three pans: Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Using a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake should come clean letting you know when the cakes are done baking.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove the cakes from the pan to a wire rack until completely cool.
Coconut Filling
- Combine the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking the whole time until thick and bubbly, which should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add coconut. Stir in vanilla, cover and set aside to cool completely.
Fluffy 7 Minute Frosting
- Get ready by putting the egg whites and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and cream of tartar over high heat. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes, counting once the mixture begins to bubble on the edges. Remove from heat.
- On medium-high speed with either a hand or stand mixer, beat the egg whites and vanilla until foamy approximately 1 minute.
- Keep the mixer on and slowly stream the sugar water mixture into the egg whites. Continue to beat on medium-high until fluffy and stiff peaks form for approximately 5 minutes. The frosting will be super glossy. So light and heavenly too!
- Assemble the Cake
- Place one layer of cake on your serving platter or cake plate and spread ½ of the filling on top. For two layers, use as much as as you desire for the filling center.
- If doing the 3rd layer, place the next layer on and repeat steps 1 & 2.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake with the frosting.
- Top with extra sweetened coconut.
- Add some seasonal candies to make it even more fun & holiday-ish!
- This cake is best made the same day you’ll eat it, so if you have leftovers, store the cake in the fridge, letting it come to room temperature before eating, for about a half an hour.
Notes
Make Ahead Tips
- Make, bake and freeze cake layers ahead of time. Once completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and then foil. Place in large freezer bags and freeze. Defrost completely in the fridge overnight before frosting.
- The coconut filling can be made the day ahead. Bring to room temperature before filling the cake.
- Make the frosting the day your plan to serve it. This frosting is best enjoyed the day you make it, when it’s fluffy and soft. It's easiest to apply to cakes or cupcakes when it's still slightly warm and pliable, right after it's made. After about 4 hours, it starts to deflate and become sticky.
- Replace the dry mixture with 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, omit salt and baking powder instead.
- For Gluten Free: Replace all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour, like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour
.