This orange coconut cake is legit a dream come true. It has the most tender orange and coconut hinted cake layers that get sandwiched with smooth rich orange curd before being topped with cream cheese frosting and coconut flakes galore. It’s a hit whether you wanna serve it up for the holidays or pull it out for Sunday supper ya dig? The flavors come together in a refreshing way that’s remixing up a classic. Get into it boos!
Disclosure: Hey boos, this post is sponsored by Florida’s Natural. But let’s be real, I only partner with brands I actually love. So, yeah, this stuff is fire.
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Now I know you are wondering, “What has Grandbaby Cakes pulled out of her hat again?”. Y’all know I have to bring my A-game for the holidays, and this orange coconut cake is doing just that. If you love orange flavor in the winter, this will be your jam. If you get down on a classic coconut cake, then this will be your new BFF. It’s got it all, and the combo is giving all the vibes.
The Lowdown on This Orange Coconut Cake
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern baking remix
Primary Cooking Method: Baking and Frosting
Dietary Info: Can be made gluten-free with ingredient swaps
Key Flavor: Citrusy, Coconutty, Moist and Tender
Skill Level: Intermediate (Bring your cake icing A-game)
Ingredients you’ll need to make Orange and Coconut Cake
- Orange Curd: Our curd starts with Florida’s Natural Orange Juice which uses the highest-quality citrus, producing superior orange flavor. Combined with orange zest, sugar, eggs, butter and salt, this super smooth and rich curd has super vibrant vibes.
- Oil and Butter: This combo adds richness and moisture to the cake.
- Granulated Sugar: This gives the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Eggs: These give our cake structure and stability.
- Orange Zest: This adds an extra boost of orange flavor through.
- Coconut Extract: Just a little gives all of those tropical vibes in each bite.
- Orange Juice: More of that bomb Florida’s Natural adds wonderful flavor to our cake batter.
- Sour Cream: Nothing provides rich tang and moistness like this.
- Dry Ingredients: The combo of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt gives this cake the foundation it needs.
- Frosting: A creamy mixture of butter and cream cheese makes our frosting ultra smooth along with confectioner’s sugar, a hint of salt and coconut extract to round it out.
- Coconut Flakes and Orange Slices: Both of these give us texture and a beautiful finish.
How to make Orange Coconut Cake
What to serve with Orange Cake with Coconut
- Dollop it Up: Add a nice spoonful of fresh whipped cream to each slice.
- A La Mode: Serve up a slice with some rich vanilla ice cream or have fun with a contrasting flavor like raspberry ice cream, mango sorbet or strawberry cheesecake ice cream.
- Sunday Brunch: Start with some Southern ambrosia salad then serve up chicken and waffles, cheese grits and chicken frittata. The cake can be the perfect centerpiece on your brunch table.
- Elegant Dinner Party: Start with some delish crab cakes then make my stuffed flank steak, mashed sweet potatoes, and glazed brussels sprouts.
Recipe Substitutions
- Powdered Sugar: For the frosting, you can make homemade powdered sugar with granulated sugar if you don’t have any confectioner’s sugar around.
- Cake Flour: You can make your own cake flour by using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
- Sour Cream: You can swap out this with greek yogurt for a similar texture.
- Unsalted Butter: You can replace with salted butter as well. Just leave out the salt.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Swap the Frosting: You can go with a classic American buttercream, Seven Minute Frosting or even a Swiss Meringue buttercream.
- Mix Up the Citrus: Add some lemon curd to a layer or even a passionfruit to get a delish hybrid of flavors.
- Gluten-Free: Swap out the flour with your fave 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. The texture may change slightly but it will be absolutely delish.
- Sauce it Up: Drizzle some caramel sauce over slices for some truly decadent notes.
Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best Orange Cake with Coconut
- Cream It Right: Exercise that patience when you cream your butter, oil and sugar together. In order to achieve a super light texture, you gotta put some time in until it’s pale and fluffy.
- Room Temp is the Way: Make sure your butter is softened and your sour cream and eggs are room temp for both the cake and the curd so they end up super smooth.
- Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the dry ingredients can activate the gluten a bit too much. We don’t want no tough cake boos.
- Make sure your cake is cooled: Don’t frost your cake until it is completely cooled boos. You don’t want that frosting melting right off the cake.
How to store Orange Coconut Cake
You won’t want to leave this out at room temperature boos. Keep this baby in the fridge. Cover the cake in an airtight cake container to keep it fresh.
How long will orange and coconut cake last in the fridge?
It will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze it?
For sure boos. I would freeze individual slices by wrapping in plastic wrap then in foil then add to a freezer bag. The slices should last for up to 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
Your cake layers are done when a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. The edges should also be pulling away from the pan. If you’re not sure, give ’em a few more minutes in the oven, but keep an eye on ’em!
Want a thicker curd? Just keep cooking it a bit longer boos. As it reduces, it’ll naturally thicken up. Once you take it off the heat, it’ll continue to thicken as it cools. If you’re still feeling impatient, try this trick: Mix 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of ice-cold water or lemon juice. Bring your curd to a boil and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. The hot curd and cold cornstarch will have a magical thickening reaction. Boom! Thicker curd.
Absolutely boos. Make this ahead and store in the fridge a day before you serve it up. Just bring slices back to room temp for serving up.
This orange coconut cake is a whole mood and a great way to mix it up! When you want to impress some folks for a holiday dinner or something super special, serve this up. The smooth rich orange curd is perfectly at home between the layers of this tender orange coconut cake. And that frosting sets it off especially when crowned in coconut flakes.
More coconut recipes
Orange Coconut Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Orange Curd
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup Florida's Natural Premium No-Pulp Orange Juice
- 5 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, cut into 1-tablespoon squares
For the Cake
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup milk room temperature
- ½ cup Florida's Natural Premium No-Pulp Orange Juice
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
For the Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- Orange slices for garnish
Instructions
For Curd
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together orange zest, sugar, orange juice, eggs, and salt until well mixed.
- Turn the burner on to medium heat. Whisk the curd continuously for 15 minutes. You’ll notice the mixture starting to thicken after about 12 minutes. Heat until thickened and mixture reaches 170 °F on a digital thermometer. Do not overcook.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and begin to add the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Continue to add butter, whisking until it has all melted and been fully incorporated.
- Pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer to remove zest and any partially cooked egg.
- Chill in an ice bath for about 30 minutes until the mixture reaches room temperature.
- Then transfer to an airtight container and chill until set, about 4 hours. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F and place racks on top third and bottom third positions.
- Prepare three 8-inch cake rounds with parchment paper, then spray liberally with nonstick baking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add oil and butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and zest and beat on high speed for an additional 4-5 minutes until very pale and fluffy.
- Next, add eggs one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients in two increments. Batter will be thick; do not overmix.
- Lastly, add sour cream, milk, orange juice, and coconut extract and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Evenly divide cake batter into each prepared pan, then bake for 22-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Rotate and revolve the cakes halfway through baking.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack until completely cool, about 30 minutes.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff.
- Next slow down the mixer and carefully add in the confectioner’s sugar.
- Once all sugar has incorporated, turn the mixer back to high to continue whipping.
- Add salt and coconut extract and continue whipping until it is smooth.
To Assemble
- Transfer one cake layer to a serving platter, then spread with 1/2 of the orange curd.
- Top with another cake layer and spread with the remaining curd.
- Top with the remaining cake layer. Spread the cream cheese frosting across the top of the cake and around the sides. Coat the top and sides with coconut flakes then garnish with orange slices. Serve and enjoy!
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