Coconut Custard Cake

Today’s coconut custard cake is a to-die-for combination of silky coconut filling layered between fluffy and moist coconut cake. The whole thing is finished off with sweet-tangy cream cheese frosting and covered with toasted coconut.

The cake that inspired today’s coconut custard cake is actually from Croissant Bakery in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Heidi, the owner, wrote a wonderful cookbook, and the original coconut custard cake was so good, I couldn’t resist making my own version! This coconut cream cake looks impressive, and it’s more than worth the effort.

Ingredient Notes

I’ve included notes on the important ingredients you’ll need to make this thick and luscious, coconut custard-filled cake. You’ll find the full recipe details in the printable recipe card below the post.

For the Coconut Cake

• Oil and Butter – Oil brings more moisture to the cake crumb than butter would alone, while melted unsalted butter adds richness and flavor.
• Egg and Egg White – The egg helps bind the ingredients, while the addition of an extra egg white makes the cake’s texture extra fluffy.
• Coconut Extract – Despite it being an extract, coconut isn’t a very strong flavor, so I amp up the amount in this recipe.
• Sour Cream – Sour cream brings loads of added moisture to cakes, and it’s especially helpful in this recipe since this cake is refrigerated. If you don’t have sour cream, substitute Greek yogurt instead.
• Coconut Milk – You’ll find cans of coconut milk in the Asian food section of your local supermarket. Make sure you’re buying coconut milk, and not coconut cream. You’ll notice that the fat separates from the liquid, so make sure to stir it well.

For the Custard Filling

• Heavy Cream – Full-fat heavy whipping cream will yield the richest, creamiest coconut custard.
• Shredded Coconut – Rather than flavoring the filling with coconut milk or extract like I do with the cake, I keep it simple with shredded coconut and vanilla extract, adding subtle flavor and contrasting texture. You could use toasted coconut here, too.
• Cornstarch – You’ll combine the cornstarch with the cream, which thickens the custard without making it grainy.

To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

• Butter and Cream Cheese – I recommend using unsalted butter and the cream cheese (full-fat) that comes in blocks (versus the tub kind). Take both ingredients out of the fridge ahead of time so that they can soften to room temperature.
• Toasted Coconut – For decorating. Don’t forget to check out the section layer on with more decorating tips and ideas!

First, Prepare the Coconut Cake Layers

There are a few steps involved in making this cake, but never fear! We’ll start with the homemade coconut cake layers, which are thick and stable, and perfect for stacking. While the oven preheats, grease and then line three 8” round baking pans. Then, follow the steps below. This is an overview, so scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

1. Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, oil, and wet ingredients.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. After, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time, alternating with the coconut milk until just combined.
3. Divide and bake. Distribute the batter between the prepared baking pans. Bake the cakes at 350ºF for 20-24 minutes. If you have hot spots in your oven, I recommend rotating the pans in the oven halfway through baking for more evenly baked cake layers.
4. Toast the coconut. For some forward-thinking, it’s worthwhile to toast the coconut you’ll use to decorate your cakes while the oven is hot! Spread shredded coconut out across a lined baking sheet, and pop it into the oven for 5 minutes, until the coconut is lightly toasted and golden. Set the toasted coconut aside to cool while you prepare the filling and frosting.

How to Make the Custard

1. Make a slurry. Whisk together the cornstarch with the heavy whipping cream. You want the mixture to thicken but stay at a liquid consistency to avoid any clumps.
2. Heat the ingredients. Combine the remaining heavy cream with melted butter, sugar, and shredded coconut in a saucepan. Bring the mixture almost to a boil, stirring along the way.
3. Combine. Add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan, and continue to cook and stir until thickened. Lastly, whisk in the vanilla extract.
4. Cool. Set the custard aside to cool completely. When I took my custard off the stove, the consistency was thick but still a bit liquid. This is fine, as the custard continues to thicken to a spreadable consistency as it cools.

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

I opted to stay as close as possible to Heidi’s original cream cheese frosting recipe. It’s just perfect for covering this cake in a light layer. This is not a traditional cream cheese frosting, it’s much thinner than I would normally make.

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with butter until smooth.
2. Combine. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, and finally, beat in the vanilla extract until the frosting is evenly combined.

How to Make a Coconut Custard Cake

Now, it’s time to assemble this coconut custard layer cake! This three-tier cake is easy enough to fill and stack and then decorate with a simple crumb coat, topped with toasted coconut. If you’re new to baking layer cakes, have a look through my step-by-step tutorial on how to make a layer cake for more information. 

1. Prepare the first layer. First, divide the coconut filling in half, and have your bottom cake layer ready on a cake board. 
2. Fill and repeat. Pipe a border of frosting around the outside edge of the cake (see how to use piping tips), then fill it with custard. This frosting “dam” keeps the custard from oozing out of the sides. Afterward, place the second layer gently on top. Repeat with the third and final layer.
3. Frost the cake. Give the top and sides of the cake a light coating with cream cheese frosting. It doesn’t have to be a thick layer, as we’re going for more of a crumb coat. Finally, pat the shredded toasted coconut from earlier in an even layer on top of the frosting.
4. Chill. Place the frosted coconut custard cake, covered, into the fridge for at least half an hour before serving.

How to Store

• Refrigerate. Due to the custard filling and cream cheese frosting, you’ll want to keep your finished coconut custard cake refrigerated. Store the cake in an airtight container (such as a cake carrier) or wrap the entire cake with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Remove the cake from the fridge approximately 20-30 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
• Freeze. I don’t recommend freezing cakes with custard or cream fillings, as the filling tends to separate once thawed and turns the cake soggy. If you’d like to prepare the cake layers in advance, however, you can freeze the individual cakes. It’s easy to wrap the cooled cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and then freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the cakes in the fridge, prepare your filling and frosting, and assemble the cake as usual.

More Coconut Desserts

• Lemon Coconut Cake 
• Coconut Blueberry Cake
• Toasted Coconut Cookies
• Triple Coconut Poke Cake
• Seven Layer Bars