Lemon Coconut Cake

Lemon and coconut are a total dream team in this bright and zesty cake that is as easy to make as it is delicious. It just screams Spring and sunshine and who doesn't love that? Lemon works really well in baked goods because it cuts through the richness and the inherently sweet flavors involved. Coconut (in three forms here), adds mellow, buttery undertones, and texture. Your brain almost naturally assumes these flavors will work well together and this recipe delivers. Best yet, this starts with a cake mix...

How do I love thee, cake mixes? Let me count the ways.

1. Convenience - Everything is pre-measured and combined which cuts prep time way down, making it great for quick desserts.

   
   

2. Consistency - Cake mixes are incredibly reliable. The formula is tested, so you get the same result every time—fluffy, moist cake without the guesswork.

   
   

3. Beginner-Friendly - Great for new bakers or people intimidated by baking from scratch.

   The instructions are straightforward, and it’s hard to mess up.

   
   

4. Customizable - You can totally dress it up: add lemon zest, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, flavored extracts, fruit, pudding mix—you name it. It's a blank slate for creativity.

   
   

5. Cost-Effective - Buying a mix can be cheaper than getting all the separate ingredients (especially if you don’t already have a stocked pantry).

   
   

The ingredients I prefer to use in this Lemon Cocoanut cake recipe

What You'll Need for the Lemon Coconut Cake:

Cake:

Lemon cake mix

Coconut milk

Vanilla pudding (instant)

Eggs

Mild flavored oil (Vegetable, Canola, or Coconut)

Sweetened shredded coconut

Frosting:

Butter

Powdered sugar

Coconut milk

Vanilla

Marshmallow fluff

Sweetened shredded coconut (toasted)

Tools and Equipment

Mixer

Mixing bowl

Cake pans (3 8-inch rounds for this exact recipe but this works well in a 9 x 13 pan!)

Cooling rack

Everyone in the pool

Making the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and if using 8" cake rounds, spray with baking spray and line with parchment paper, and the spray the paper itself. If you're using cake rounds, you likely know how to handle this. This recipe also works wonderfully with a 9 x 13 Pyrex pan and makes the prep and clean up even easier.

Next, add all the ingredients into your mixing bowl. It's so easy when everyone gets to jump in the pool at the same time. Mix until well combined (approximately 2-3 minutes). Again, the beauty of cake mixes is that they're hard to mess up. I stop about halfway through the mixing process, turn off the mixer, and scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is combined evenly.   

Divide mixture evenly between the pans (or all at once in the 9 x 13 pan) and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 20-25 minutes, and the cakes are slightly golden. I test my cakes by pressing down until they bounce back slightly. This method gets easier to assess as you bake more often. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes on a cooling rack.

Making the Frosting:

In a large, clean mixing bowl, whip room temperature butter until smooth. Add vanilla and blend. Slowly add powdered sugar. Gradually add the coconut milk at this point so that the powdered sugar stays put in the bowl. This also allows you to add only as much liquid as is necessary. Once it looks like cohesive frosting, add the one cup of marshmallow fluff. This aerates the buttercream and makes it...well, fluffy.

While mixing the frosting, add a cup of sweetened coconut to a preheated air fryer (350 degrees) until slightly toasted, approximately 4-5 minutes. This process happens quickly so it is a good idea to keep an eye on it every minute or so. You can also do this on the stove top in a small pan.

Once the cakes are cooled, if using the 3-tier cake method, add buttercream to the top of the bottom layer, top with the second layer, and repeat. Coat entire cake with remaining buttercream. This type of buttercream is intentionally light and airy so you're not looking for a perfectly smooth consistency. Again, easy is key here. If using a 9 x 13 pan, you will only use about half the frosting.

Once frosted, add the toasted coconut to the top of the cake. Chill until ready to serve.

There's a debate in our house about cold cake vs. room temp cake. I LOVE cold cake, but when it comes to this cake, I'm willing to lose an argument. Room temp accentuates the soft, layered, chewy, crunchy, tangy, and buttery flavors.

This cake was a favorite when I owned my bakery so I'm partial to this recipe. As always, I would love to hear about your experiences with this recipe and will respond to any questions or feedback you might have. Thanks for being here!

xo YaYa and Wuelo.