Description
This delicious coconut hibiscus cake is super moist and coconutty good. It’s topped with hibiscus cream cheese frosting and edible flowers.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake
- 1 1/4 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 stick butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
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For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4-ounces of of full-fat cream cheese (1/2 block), at room temperature
- 2.5 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1/4 cup tablespoons canned coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 hibiscus tea bags
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- PREP THE PANS: Grease two 6-inch cake pans with butter or baking oil spray, line them with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper.
- MIX TOGETHER DRY INGREDIENTS: Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment (or a hand-held mixer), beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed.
- ADD THE EGG WHITES: Beat in the egg whites and mix until combined.
- MIX IN THE YOGURT AND EXTRACTS: Next, add the yogurt (or sour cream), vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Beat until combined. The mixture will look a bit curdled. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- ADD DRY INGREDIENTS AND COCONUT: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and coconut milk. Beat on low speed until combined, then add the shredded coconut. Whisk the batter by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The mixture will be slightly thick.
- BAKE: Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake until the cake is baked through and has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 18-20 minutes. If unsure, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to test for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, it’s done.
- MAKE FROSTING: While the cake is baking, make the frosting. In a small saucepan, warm the coconut milk to the temperature of tea or coffee (don’t boil), and then remove from the heat and add the hibiscus tea bags. Set aside to let the tea bags steep and cool to room temperature. Next, using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment (or a hand mixer and a large bowl) beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Then add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Next, add 2 tablespoons of the hibiscus tea-infused coconut milk. If the frosting is too thin, add a bit more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little more of the tea and coconut milk mixture.
- COOL AND FROST: Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack. Once ready, remove from the pans and frost and decorate with flowers, if desired.
- STORAGE: You can store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- USE NON-TOXIC FLOWERS: Make sure to only use edible flowers on your cakes.
- CAKE FLOUR: Cake flour has less protein than all-purpose flour and helps give this cake its wonderful texture. Also, for this recipe, sift the flour before measuring.
- MORE PINK: If you’re looking for a frosting that’s brighter pink, you can add some food coloring to the frosting. I like to use these gel food colorings. Just know that a (tiny) little bit of food coloring goes a long way!
- TOO SOFT TO CUT? If your cake feels too moist to cut easily, place it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake