I don’t use the word “best” very often, but this cake? It is truly the BEST Coconut Pound Cake I have ever tasted! Oh my heavens. This cake. It is EVERYTHING I want in a coconut cake.

The BEST Coconut Pound Cake - get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Dense enough to not fall apart when you slice it, tender and fluffy enough for the perfect crumb, sweet but not overly sweet, with just the right amount of coconut flavor in every bite.

I could quite possibly talk your ears off about how much I LOVE this Coconut Pound Cake. The crumb is spectacular, the crust has the perfect crunch, this beauty of a cake is drizzled with a sweet coconut icing, and topped with an extra sprinkling of coconut.

This cake has pretty much destroyed my self-control. I sliced it after dinner a few nights ago and then I could not stop slicing slivers to taste for the rest of the night.

This is going to be in my dessert line-up for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I am beside myself thrilled with this cake.

The BEST Coconut Pound Cake (traditional and gluten free recipes included) get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Kitchen Tip: I use this (perfect every time!) bundt pan and this mixer to make this recipe.

Oh! And if you do have coconut lover’s in your life, you’re going to want to save this recipe for my Grandma’s Coconut Chews as well.

5 from 16 votes

The BEST Coconut Pound Cake

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup butter room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup shredded coconut
Glaze Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Topping:
2/3 cup shredded coconut toasted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Thoroughly grease and lightly flour an 8 or 10-cup bundt pan. Beat the butter and sugars together, on medium speed, until fluffy crumbs form. Add the eggs, vanilla, and coconut extract, beat again until smooth. Add the milk, beat on low speed to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat again, just until combined. Stir in the coconut.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, until golden on top and light brown on the edges. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, place the cooling rack on top of the cake, hold the sides firmly and invert the pan over the rack. The cake should drop smoothly out of the pan. Tap firmly on the pan with a wooden spoon, if necessary to free the cake from the pan. Let the cake cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, melt the butter in a small glass bowl. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and coconut extract. Whisk together until smooth. The glaze should pour off the spoon in a white stream. Add a teaspoon more milk to thin it, or 1-2 tablespoons more powdered sugar to thicken it, if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Sprinkle generously with coconut. Store at room temperature, loosely covered, preferably not airtight. This cake will keep nicely and stay very moist for 3-4 days. Enjoy!

Notes

COOK’S NOTE: I’m not an advocate for buying a slew of specialty ingredients, but the coconut extract is key to the lovely flavor in this cake. While I would typically not use an imitation "vanilla" extract, I used an imitation coconut extract (because it was the only option at the store) for this recipe and it worked beautifully.

{originally published 11/20/15 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/2/17}

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