Coconut Vanilla Cake

Jul 30, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Origin: Tahitian Vanilla: Beans Medium

Coconut vanilla layer cake made with Mexican vanilla

Coconut cake flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An intermediate recipe: 25 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking; serves 10. Best vanilla for this: Tahitian (floral, cherry, anise), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 25 min

Cook 30 min

Total 55 min

Servings 10

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (240.0 g)all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (300.0 g)granulated sugar
¾ cup (170.0 g)unsalted butter, softened
3.0large eggs
1.0 cup (240.0 ml)whole milk
2.0 tsp (8.0 g)baking powder
½ tspfine sea salt
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped
½ cup (40.0 g)toasted coconut flakes

Make it at home

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
Cream the softened butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the vanilla.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition so the batter stays smooth.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then add to the batter in three additions, alternating with the milk and mixing just until combined.
Gently fold the toasted coconut into the batter.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 28 to 32 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a tester comes out clean.
Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Tips

Toast the coconut in a dry skillet, stirring constantly, until just golden; it burns quickly.
Don't toss the scraped pods: tuck them into a jar of sugar for homemade vanilla sugar.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Choosing vanilla: Tahitian vanilla (floral, cherry, anise) suits this recipe best; Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla cake?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 10 servings.

How should I store vanilla cake?

Store unfrosted layers wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months; refrigerate a frosted cake.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This version uses 1 split vanilla bean. You can swap in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead; they're interchangeable at these amounts. Beans give the most visible specks and the fullest aroma.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 10 servings this recipe makes.

376 Calories / serving

18.0g Fat

50.7g Carbs

4.4g Protein

31.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (10 servings): ~3760 cal · 180g fat · 507g carbs · 44g protein · 316g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 376 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 71 min·4.1 mi·~8300 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 51 min·2.6 mi·~5100 steps
Moderate cycling 38 min·7.6 mi
Swimming laps 53 min
Jogging 37 min·3.1 mi·~5900 steps
Stair climbing 35 min·~3150 steps
Dancing 61 min
Bodyweight circuit training 38 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 87 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.