Vegetarian Recipes

Coconut Cake

Friends, prepare to fall in love with this scrumptious Coconut Cake! This coconut cake is super moist, fluffy, and includes just the right amount of coconut flavor. It’s definitely a showstopper around the holidays, birthdays, or for family gatherings. I decided to make this a 2-layer cake, but you can easily turn it into a sheet cake instead. Now, I’ve always been a huge coconut fan, but my husband, who is normally not a coconut fan, devoured this cake in just a few minutes. It really is that good!😄

Easy Recipe for Coconut Cake

I tested this recipe more times than I can count, and I’m honestly SO happy with how this cake has turned out. The crumb is unbelievably moist thanks to the combo of coconut milk and cooking oil, and those sweet coconut flakes folded right into the batter add the perfect bit of texture. Once the cakes are stacked with my homemade coconut cream cheese frosting and finished with a blanket of coconut flakes, it turns into the perfect old-fashioned coconut cake. This is by far the best coconut cake recipe I’ve ever made, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a keeper in your kitchen, too!

You don’t have to use the same brand of canned coconut milk that I use in the photos below. That is the only one I could find in my local grocery store. If you can get your hands on a store-brand version, it’ll definitely be cheaper (and still be just as delicious!).

A piece of coconut cake being taken from a cake stand.

Print
Add to Collection Go to Collections

Coconut Cake Recipe

This double-layer Coconut Cake is super moist, fluffy, and packed with rich coconut flavor. It’s easy to make but even easier to enjoy!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $15.12 recipe / $1.51 serving

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings slices

Calories 779kcal

Author Marsha McDougal

Equipment

2 8-Inch Cake Pans
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour $0.45
2 ½ tsp baking powder $0.13
½ tsp salt $0.02

Wet Ingredients

1 ½ cups granulated sugar $0.96
6 Tbsp salted butter, softened $0.74
¼ cup cooking oil $0.16
3 large eggs, room temperature $2.01
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.65
¾ tsp coconut extract* $0.40
1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk (shaken well)** $1.87
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut $0.76

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened $2.00
6 Tbsp salted butter, softened $0.74
3 cups powdered sugar $1.65
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.65
1 tsp coconut extract $0.53
1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut $2.30

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt).
In a separate large bowl combine the granulated sugar, 6 Tbsp softened butter, and cooking oil. Blend with a hand mixer until well combined. Now add in the eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¾ tsp coconut extract, and coconut milk. Blend until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients. Although I don’t usually do this, I sifted the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to break up any lumps resulting in a lighter cake crumb. Blend the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined.
Now fold in ½ cup of sweetened coconut flakes into the batter.
Generously grease the bottom and sides of two 8-inch cake pans with butter. Then line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper. Divide the cake batter evenly between both pans. You can eyeball it or use a dry measuring cup to be safe.
Place both cake pans in the preheated oven and bake for 28-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and puffed in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.*** Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove them from the cake pans and place on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl blend the softened cream cheese and 6 Tbsp of softened butter until smooth. Now add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, along with 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of coconut extract. Blend until smooth.
Once the cakes are completely cooled it’s time to assemble. Start by carefully cutting off the domed tops of both cakes using a serrated knife to create a flat surface.
Place one cake on a cake stand and spread about 1 cup of frosting on top, starting from the center and working your way out. You want a layer of frosting that is ¼ inch deep.
Add the second layer of cake and spread 1 cup of frosting on top, working from the center out. You can allow some of the frosting to run over the sides and edges of the cake.
Now spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake and any extra on top. Using your hands, garnish the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the sweetened coconut flakes. Gently press the coconut flakes into the frosting to help them stick. Enjoy this delicious cake with your family and friends!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The coconut extract helps to add a distinct coconut flavor that the coconut milk and shredded coconut just can’t quite deliver on their own. It really brings everything together and makes the flavor pop. I highly recommend you use it, but you can leave it out if preferred.

**Be sure to use unsweetened canned coconut milk, not the kind from a carton. The carton variety is usually thinner and meant for drinking, while canned coconut milk is much creamier. Give the can a good shake before opening.

***Cook time will vary slightly if using 9-inch cake pans.

The prep time includes time to make the batter and assemble the cake but does not include the cooling time for the cakes. This can vary based on the temperature of your kitchen.

Nutrition

how to make Coconut Cake step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make a homemade coconut cake.

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350°F.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Combine the dry ingredients: Add 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 ½ tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

Combine the wet ingredients: In a second large mixing bowl, add 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 6 Tbsp softened butter, and ¼ cup cooking oil. Use a hand mixer to blend them together until well combined. Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add 3 large, room-temperature eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¾ tsp coconut extract, and 1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk. Blend until smooth.

The dry ingredients for coconut cake being sifted into the wet ingredients.

Make the cake batter: Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (I don’t usually do this when making cakes, but it makes all the difference in creating a lighter crumb in this homemade coconut cake). Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Shredded coconut being folded into the batter for coconut cake in a bowl.

Carefully fold ½ cup of sweetened coconut flakes into the batter.

Coconut cake batter being poured into two cake pans.

Bake the cakes: Grease the bottom and sides of two 8-inch cake pans with butter, and line the bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper. Evenly divide the cake batter between each pan. I usually eyeball it, but you can also use a dry measuring cup.

Freshly baked coconut cake in two cake pans.

Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 28-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and puffed in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool fully.

Creamed butter and powdered sugar added to a mixing bowl.

Make the frosting: Add 8 oz. softened cream cheese and 6 Tbsp of softened butter to a medium-sized mixing bowl and blend with the hand mixer until smooth. Now add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, along with 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of coconut extract.

A freshly whipped coconut frosting in a mixing bowl.

Use the hand mixer after each cup of powdered sugar is added and blend until smooth. You need 3 cups of powdered sugar in total.

The domed cake tops being cut off two homemade coconut cakes.

Frost the cakes: Once the cakes are cooled (how long this will take will depend on the temperature of your kitchen), slice off the domed tops of both cakes with a serrated knife. Be careful not to slice too much of the cake off. We only want to remove the dome to create an even surface for layering the cakes.

Coconut frosting being spread on an inner layer of coconut cake.

Take one of the cakes and place it onto a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about 1 cup of the frosting over the top of the cake. I like to start at the center and then work my way out. The frosting should be about ¼ inch deep to create a defined layer when you slice into your homemade coconut cake.

A spatula spreading coconut cake frosting on top of a cake.

Top the second cake with the frosting and spread another cup of frosting on top. It’s okay if some of the frosting runs over the sides and edges of the cake!

An overhead view of a fully frosted coconut cake.

Frost the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting, spreading any leftovers onto the top.

Shredded coconut being added to the frosting of a cake.

Add the coconut: Use your hands to gently press 1 ½ cups of sweetened coconut flakes into the top and sides of the cake.

A homemade coconut cake on a cake stand.

Serve: Make sure all the frosting is covered with coconut flakes before slicing it into 10 slices. Enjoy!

Overhead view of a slice of coconut cake on a plate.

Don’t overmix the batter. I might say this in just about every cake recipe I write, but it’s important! Overmixing can make your cake dense and tough. Once you’ve added the dry ingredients to the wet, mix just until everything is incorporated. No need to keep mixing.
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before starting. This includes eggs, butter, and milk. Room-temperature ingredients combine more easily and create a smoother batter.
Grease the cake pan well (and add a parchment paper circle to the bottom for easy removal). I trace the bottom of the pan onto parchment paper and cut it out to ensure a perfect fit.
Use sweetened shredded coconut. Unsweetened coconut won’t add enough flavor and sweetness to your coconut cake.
Fill the cake pans with an even amount of batter. I usually just eyeball it, but you can measure the batter with a kitchen scale or measuring cups for more accuracy.
Let the cakes cool before frosting! A hot cake will melt the frosting and make a mess. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then remove them and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Variations to Try!

The best thing about making a coconut cake from scratch is how easy it is to customize. Here are some delicious ideas for you to try:

Layer some jam or curd underneath the coconut cream cheese frosting for a fruity twist! Try lemon curd, blackberry jam, pineapple curd, a thin layer of blueberry sauce, or even a drizzle of homemade caramel.
Toast the shredded coconut in the preheated oven for about 4 minutes before decorating the cake. Be careful, as it can burn quickly! (See our ”Do Nothing” cake recipe for more guidance on this).
Mix some chopped pecans with the shredded coconut and use it to decorate the cake for a nutty crunch.
Use a different-sized cake pan! You can use two 8-inch cake pans, two 9-inch cake pans, or a 9×13-inch baking dish to make this recipe a sheet pan cake.

Storage Instructions

This simple coconut cake recipe is best enjoyed within 3-4 days of baking. Store any leftovers covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze the frosted and unfrosted cake for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the fridge, and then let it sit at room temperature for a bit to let the frosting soften before serving.

Hummingbird Cake

$15.67 recipe / $1.31 serving

Carrot Cake

$13.92 recipe / $0.93 serving

Coffee Cake

$6.31 recipe / $0.70 serving

Chocolate Pudding Cake

$5.84 recipe / $0.97 serving

The post Coconut Cake appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

Homemade Kimchi

Once upon a time, I auditioned for one of those reality food shows, and my kimchi spring rolls got me to the next level of auditions (If you haven’t tried them yet, I posted a budget-friendly version here on the blog!) Why would a recipe like that get me flown to Los Angeles, you ask? Well, the judge asked me how I made my kimchi, and apparently, I aced his test; it’s not simply pickled; it’s fermented! I’ve always loved fermented foods, and this Homemade Kimchi is easy, vegan, budget-friendly perfection—the longer it sits, the better it gets! However, the process is super important, so let’s dive in!

Easy Recipe for Homemade Kimchi

Kimchi is a spicy, tangy, and veggie-packed Korean side dish made by fermenting fresh vegetables (think of it like pickles with a probiotic boost!). Instead of vinegar, the magic happens through lacto-fermentation, where good bacteria (the kind that’s great for your gut) naturally preserve the veggies and build the signature sour-savory flavor. I love serving it on rice bowls, tucked into wraps, or eaten straight from the jar as a quick snack. 😋

When I was in my 20s, I took a holistic nutrition course with a Naturopath Doctor in Indonesia. On my sojourn, I had a very long layover in South Korea, where I swear I ate 100 different kinds of kimchi. It helped me pinpoint the veggies I love most in my homemade recipe, but you can use just about any hardy vegetable you have on hand; I like to do a seasonal version as well, using raw pumpkin or butternut squash in the fall. Veggies like cucumbers and zucchini can be used, but because of their super high water content, they turn too mushy for my liking. Cabbage truly helps the texture no matter what else you add, so be sure to pick out a nice fresh head of cabbage!

Print
Add to Collection Go to Collections

Homemade Kimchi Recipe

This easy Homemade Kimchi recipe is made with fresh veggies and simple ingredients. Tangy, fermented, and budget-friendly—no special tools required!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Korean

Total Cost $6.41 recipe /$0.17 serving

Prep Time 30

Fermentation 2

Servings oz (3 x 12 oz jars, 1 oz per serving)

Calories 11kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

3 12 oz Canning Jars
Food Processor
Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

1 Tbsp agave $0.14*
1 jalapeno seeded, $0.41
1 red bell pepper seeded and divided, $1.48
½ red onion divided, $0.54
2 inch piece fresh ginger peeled, $0.24
2 large cloves garlic $0.06
½ green cabbage mine was about 1 ¾ lbs, $1.66
¼ red cabbage mine was about ¾ lb, $0.86
4 green onions $0.48
2 ribs celery $0.30
2 carrots $0.16
1 Tbsp sea salt $0.08

Instructions

Begin by sanitizing your workspace and running three 12 oz canning jars through your dishwasher on high heat to sanitize them. Alternatively, you can also sanitize your jars by submerging them in boiling water and then allowing them to air dry.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine agave syrup, 1 jalapeno (seeded), ½ red bell pepper (seeded), ¼ red onion, peeled ginger, and garlic cloves.
Pulse vegetables and agave in a food processor until all vegetables have been broken down into a paste-like consistency, with any visible vegetables all being the same size, minced. Set aside.
Prep all the vegetables: roughly chop or slice both cabbages, roughly chop the green onion (discarding only the very tip of the root), dice celery, julienne carrots, remaining ½ red bell pepper, and remaining ¼ red onion. This step is a great time to practice your knife skills or skip laboring over cutting everything and just chop it up coarsely. Kimchi is very forgiving, and it’s fun to have a lot of different shapes that will contribute to the texture once it is fermented later.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all prepared veggies and salt. With clean hands, massage the salt into the prepared vegetables until they are all very soft. (It’s arm day, y’all! Use those muscles, and don’t stop!)
After at least 10 minutes of massaging the vegetables and salt, add the prepared, processed vegetable and agave mixture. Continue to massage the vegetables and the spicy-sweet processed mixture together for another 5-10 minutes, or until a significant amount of water is released from the veggies, and you can see it pooling at the bottom of our bowl.
With clean hands, spoon your mixture into jars and push it down firmly with the spoon once full. You should see a significant amount of liquid brine rising to the top, covering your vegetables whenever you push it down with the spoon (or clean fingers!) Don’t waste the brine; top off the jars as much as you can to cover the veggies.
Place lids on jars loosely and wipe down the jars. Transfer the jars to a dark place in your kitchen for 24 hours. I like to place my jars in a spare Tupperware container and keep them under the sink, so they are contained and in a warm(ish) place to help with the early fermentation process.
After 24 hours, carefully “burp” each jar by simply removing the lid to allow some of the naturally occurring gasses to escape. If your kitchen is particularly warm, you may want to burp your kimchi after just 12 hours to avoid a small (potent!) explosion. 🙂
After the initial 24-hour fermentation period, burp your kimchi every 8-12 hours until you see consistent, active bubbles every time you open the lid. Once you see a lot of bubbling on a regular basis, you can screw the lid on tight and transfer the jars to your refrigerator. It’s done!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I like to add a little agave to balance the flavors of my homemade vegan kimchi, but I also find it helps speed up the fermentation process and helps create more brine. The touch of agave helps the enzymes from the healthy bacteria really get going! Personally, I wouldn’t skip it. But it is a very small amount of sweetener when considering the high yield on this recipe, so you could omit the agave altogether if you don’t have any on hand.

The total amount of time for fermentation to take place can depend on various factors, such as the temperature of your kitchen. Keep burping the jar every 8-12 hours after the initial 24-hour (or 12-hour) fermentation period until you see consistent bubbles.

Nutrition

how to make Homemade Kimchi step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make homemade kimchi.

Gather all of your ingredients. Before starting, completely sanitize your workspace and run three 12 oz canning jars through your dishwasher on high heat to sanitize them. Or, you can alternatively sanitize your jars by submerging them in boiling water and then allowing them to air dry. I’ve also shared more on this below the step-by-step photos for reference.

Jalapeno, red bell pepper, red onion, ginger, and garlic in a food processor.

Prep the veggies: While you wait for your jars to sanitize, you can get started on the vegetables. Add 1 Tbsp agave syrup, 1 jalapeno (seeded), ½ red bell pepper (seeded), ¼ red onion, 2 inch peeled fresh ginger, and 2 large garlic cloves to a food processor.

Processed vegetables in a food processor.

Pulse them in the food processor until all the veggies break down into a paste-like consistency. Any visible veggies should roughly be all the same size, minced. Set this mixture to one side for now.

Sliced green cabbage, sliced red cabbage, sliced green onions, chopped carrots, red bell pepper and red onion on a wooden cutting board.

Now roughly chop or slice ½ green cabbage and ¼ red cabbage, roughly chop 4 green onions (discarding only the very tip of the root), dice 2 ribs celery, julienne (thinly slice) 2 carrots, remaining ½ red bell pepper, and remaining ¼ red onion. You can also chop up everything coarsely if desired (this recipe is very forgiving!)

Prepped kimchi veggies in a mixing bowl.

Massage the vegetables: Add the prepped vegetables to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp salt. With clean hands, massage the salt into the vegetables until they are all very soft (about 10 minutes).

Processed vegetables and prepped vegetables in a mixing bowl.

After at least 10 minutes of massaging, add the processed vegetables and agave mixture from your food processor to the bowl.

A hand massaging salt into prepped vegetables in a bowl.

Massage the vegetables with the spicy-sweet processed mixture for a further 5-10 minutes or until a significant amount of water has been released from the veggies.

You should see it pooling at the bottom of your bowl, as shown in the photo above.

Prepped and massaged kimchi vegetables in a mixing bowl, with a spoon portioning some into a glass mason jar.

Add to jars: Again, with clean hands, use a spoon to add your veggie mix to the sterilized jars.

Extra vegetable brine being added to a jar of homemade kimchi.

Push the mixture down firmly with your spoon once full (a significant amount of liquid brine should rise to the top, covering the homemade kimchi as you push down).

Don’t waste any of the brine from the bottom of the mixing bowl! Try to top off each jar with as much as you can. You ideally want all the veggies to be submerged in the brine for fermentation.

Lids added to three jars of homemade kimchi.

Ferment: Place the lids on the jars loosely and wipe down the sides of the jars. Now, place the jars in a dark place in your kitchen for 24 hours. (I like to place my jars in a spare Tupperware container and keep them under the sink so they are contained and in a warm(ish) place to help with the early fermentation process.)

Once it’s been 24 hours, carefully ”burp” each jar by removing the lid. This allows some of the naturally occurring gases from the fermentation process to escape the jars. If your kitchen is quite warm, you may want to ”burp” your jars after 12 hours, not 24, to release the gases and avoid any small explosions!

After the initial 24-hour fermentation period, you want to burp your jars every 8-12 hours until you see consistent and active bubbles whenever you open the lid. As soon as you see lots of bubbling on a regular basis, screw the lid on tight and transfer the jars into your refrigerator. Now it’s ready to be eaten!

Overhead view of homemade kimchi on a bed of white rice.

What is lacto-fermentation?

I mentioned lacto-fermentation earlier, but I just wanted to touch on what that actually means. It’s a natural preservation process where good bacteria (lactobacillus) feed on the sugars in the veggies and produce lactic acid. That acid gives kimchi its tangy flavor and helps keep it safe to eat. This is the same process used when making sauerkraut and dill pickles. But before that can happen, we need to salt the veggies.

Salting helps draw out moisture, slows the growth of harmful bacteria, and creates a brine that sets the stage for fermentation. So, yes, all that massaging the veggies isn’t just a good workout—it’s vital for the lacto-fermentation process!

CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN! Whether you’re experimenting with this recipe, sauerkraut, pickling, brewing beer, or making kombucha, you want to make sure you’re always working with clean materials when it comes to fermentation. We are trying to promote healthy bacteria, not the bad kind!
Sanitize your jars. Following on from the previous point, you must sanitize your jars before starting this recipe. Run them through the dishwasher on high heat, submerge them in boiling water and let them air dry, or give them a bath in a food-grade hydrogen peroxide and water mix (follow the label for the correct ratio and instructions).
Keep it submerged. You can use the rough ends of your cabbage and red onion or the butts of carrots to help keep the prepared vegetables submerged in the brine during the fermentation process. Just put the lid on top after you add the rough vegetable ends. Before you get to the refrigerator step, discard those pieces of veggies that didn’t go beneath the brine. If you skip this tip, you can scrape off the top of the kimchi if it doesn’t sit underneath the brine. (Sometimes this happens if you are short on brine.) Everything underneath will be fermented just right and safe to eat!
Don’t tighten the lid during fermentation. Make sure to leave the lid loose while your vegetables ferment. Tightening the lid too early can lead to pressure buildup (and possibly a kimchi explosion…not fun!)
Use a sea salt with no additives. Stick to plain sea salt with no additives. Additives can interfere with fermentation, and I want you to give those good bacteria the best chance to thrive!

Serving Suggestions

I love piling this recipe for kimchi on scrambled eggs…it adds just the right kick to a simple breakfast. For lunch or dinner, I’d toss it into fried rice or add it to an easy rice bowl (our Bibimbap recipe is perfect for this!). And, of course, I couldn’t make my kimchi spring rolls without it. Or, if you want a comfort food twist, it’s amazing in quesadillas with some melty cheese. You can also spoon it over grain bowls, stuff it into wraps and sandwiches, or add it to any salad for an extra punch of flavor.

How to Store

This recipe can last for several months in an airtight jar in the fridge. Be sure to use clean fingers or utensils whenever you grab some, as introducing new bacteria can shorten its life span or throw off the flavor. Also, make sure the top layer is always submerged under the brine to keep everything fresh and safe. If anything starts to look or smell off, it’s best to toss it and start a new batch.