Sour cream coconut cream cake gets its flavor from coconut extract in the batter and sweetened cream of coconut poured over the warm baked layers. The soak belongs on the cake after baking, rather than being mixed into the batter. This small two-layer version uses reverse creaming and two eight-inch pans. It needs softened butter, one egg plus two egg whites, and enough cooling time for the frosting to stay in place.
On This Page
Why This Recipe Works
Reverse creaming blends butter into the flour mixture before adding the liquids. The first texture should resemble evenly damp sand, without large pieces of butter. Sour cream coconut cream cake then gets its remaining moisture from sour cream, oil, and the measured liquid ingredients.
The warm soak adds a separate coconut layer of flavor. Because it is already sweetened, plain canned coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream is not the same ingredient. The finished cake is shorter than a tall bakery layer cake; the batter quantity suits two modest eight-inch layers.
Ingredients for Sour cream coconut cream cake
Weigh the flour and sugar when making sour cream coconut cream cake. Instant Clearjel is the instant modified starch specified here; its cook-type version and regular cornstarch are not automatic substitutes. Three ounces of salted butter equals six tablespoons. Keep the two egg whites as well as the whole egg. The prepared frosting is a separate ingredient, so its preparation time depends on your chosen frosting.
Dry Ingredients
- 233 grams All-Purpose Flour (weighed)
- 2 Tablespoon Instant Clearjel (Please make sure it is labeled as INSTANT)
- 1.5 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 0.75 teaspoon Salt
- 200 grams Sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 3 ounces Salted Butter (softened; equals 6 tablespoons)
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1.5 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 teaspoons Almond Extract
- 2.5 teaspoons Pure Coconut Extract
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1 large Egg
- 2 large egg whites
Frosting and Toppings
- 3 cups prepared vanilla buttercream (about 1 cup filling and 2 cups exterior; preparation separate)
- 1 cup coconut flakes
Post-bake coconut soak
- 200 grams Cream of Coconut (sweetened cream of coconut, stirred; for the post-bake soak, not batter)
Pan preparation
- as needed cooking spray
How to Make Sour cream coconut cream cake
Set the oven to 325°F. Grease two eight-inch round pans and line their bottoms with parchment. Stir the sour cream, water, three extracts, and oil together. In a small second bowl, lightly combine the egg and both whites without whipping them into a foam.
Whisk the flour, instant starch, leaveners, salt, and sugar thoroughly. Add the softened salted butter and mix on low until no large butter lumps remain. This sandy stage starts sour cream coconut cream cake; it is different from beating butter and sugar alone until fluffy.
Pour in the sour-cream mixture gradually, pausing to scrape the bowl. Once it is evenly mixed, add the beaten eggs slowly. Finish with a short medium-speed mix, about thirty to sixty seconds, just until the batter is smooth.
Divide between the pans and bake for approximately twenty-five to thirty minutes, checking earlier if the layers are thin. The centers should spring back gently, and a tester should come out without wet batter. Extend baking if needed rather than removing sour cream coconut cream cake on the timer alone.
While the layers are warm, make small holes across them and distribute the stirred cream of coconut evenly, half over each layer. Let it sink in. Cool in the pans until safe to turn out, then finish cooling on racks; allow roughly seventy minutes overall, longer if they still feel warm.
Use about one cup of the prepared vanilla buttercream between the layers and the other two cups over the top and sides. Press coconut flakes into the soft frosting. Chill briefly if the cake needs help becoming firm enough to move or slice.
How to Serve
Serve sour cream coconut cream cake in eight slices with a narrow cake server. Let a refrigerated slice soften briefly before eating so the buttercream is easier to cut. The cake already has a sweet soak and frosting; fresh unsweetened fruit can be offered alongside rather than adding another syrup. For an event, assemble it on the platter you plan to use instead of moving the frosted cake twice.
Storage
Cover sour cream coconut cream cake and refrigerate it after assembly. Follow any shorter storage instructions for the prepared frosting you use, especially if it contains cream cheese or fresh dairy. Aim to enjoy the cake within three to four days for quality. Package slices separately if freezing; the coconut coating may soften during thawing. Thaw covered in the refrigerator, then unwrap near serving.
Adapted from Amycakes Bakes, using its two-eight-inch-pan option. Do not taste uncooked batter; read the FDA advice on handling raw flour.
Tips and Variations
Sour cream coconut cream cake needs sweetened cream of coconut, often sold with beverage mixers. Stir it first so the thick and thin portions are evenly distributed. Do not pour the entire soak into one spot, which can leave a wet pocket and dry edges.
Keep the starch dry until it is thoroughly mixed into the flour and sugar. Let frosting and cake cool to compatible temperatures before stacking. If your kitchen is warm and the layers slide, refrigerate the partially assembled cake rather than adding more frosting to hide the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is coconut cream the same as cream of coconut?
No. Sour cream coconut cream cake needs the sweetened cream-of-coconut product for its soak.
Where do the egg whites go?
Lightly beat both whites with the whole egg, then add that mixture after the other wet ingredients.
Can I use regular cornstarch instead?
Not as a direct swap. This formula specifies instant Clearjel, which behaves differently.
Is this a tall three-layer cake?
No. This batch makes two shorter eight-inch layers; a taller cake needs a separately scaled formula.
Must I make frosting from scratch?
You may use three cups of prepared vanilla buttercream. Making it separately adds its own preparation time.
More Recipes to Try
- Moist Vanilla Almond Cake
- Vintage Buttermilk Vanilla Cake
- Strawberry Coconut Cream Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Almond Buttercream Frosting
Extra Moist Sour Cream Coconut Cream Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 233 grams All-Purpose Flour weighed
- 2 Tablespoon Instant Clearjel Please make sure it is labeled as INSTANT
- 1.5 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 0.75 teaspoon Salt
- 200 grams Sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 3 ounces Salted Butter softened; equals 6 tablespoons
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1.5 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 teaspoons Almond Extract
- 2.5 teaspoons Pure Coconut Extract
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1 large Egg
- 2 large egg whites
Frosting and Toppings
- 3 cups prepared vanilla buttercream about 1 cup filling and 2 cups exterior; preparation separate
- 1 cup coconut flakes
Post-bake coconut soak
- 200 grams Cream of Coconut sweetened cream of coconut, stirred; for the post-bake soak, not batter
Pan preparation
- as needed cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat to 325°F and prepare two 8-inch round pans with grease and parchment. Combine sour cream, water, extracts, and oil. Lightly beat the egg with two whites separately.
- Whisk all dry ingredients. Mix in soft salted butter on low to create uniform sandy crumbs.
- Gradually incorporate the sour-cream mixture, scrape, then add the beaten eggs. Mix at medium speed briefly until smooth.
- Split batter equally between pans. Bake 25–30 minutes, until a tester has no wet batter and centers spring back.
- Poke small holes into the warm cakes. Stir cream of coconut, distribute 100 grams over each layer, and let it soak in. Cool completely, allowing about 70 minutes.
- Stack cooled layers with roughly 1 cup frosting between them. Cover with the other 2 cups buttercream and apply coconut flakes. Cut into 8 portions.
