Grandmama’s Coconut Cake With No-Fail Seven Minute Frosting

Prepare yourself for an old-fashioned coconut cake recipe like no other, thanks to Grandmama’s decadent no-fail 7-minute frosting. Try not to lick the bowl clean!

Coconut lovers, are you ready to devour a slice (or more) of Grandmama’s homemade old-fashioned coconut cake? This from-scratch cake with decadent (and no-fail) 7-minute icing is a favorite of our family for holidays and special occasions year-round. I found it in an old box of papers that belonged to my grandmother. She had typed it out on a letterhead from the company where she worked and later came back, circled it, and wrote in “Real good”. After trying it for myself, I have to agree! When it comes to moist cakes, this is the mother of them all. If a crumb drops from your fork, don’t be surprised if you find your finger chasing it around your plate – it’s just that good. I mean, a soft and fluffy interior coupled with coconut flavor is a match made in cake heaven.

Complete with no-fail seven-minute frosting and a sprinkling of coconut, prepare yourself for a southern coconut cake experience unlike any other! One of the great things about Grandmama’s seven-minute frosting is that you don’t need a double boiler to make it. You can also forget fretting over whether or not the weather is dry enough – this comes out perfect every time regardless. If you’re making a layer cake and you like generous amounts of frosting, I suggest doubling the frosting recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

• Vegetable shortening and flour for preparing your pans
• Unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Coconut flavoring
• Flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Buttermilk.
• Shredded sweetened coconut for garnishing the cake

1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until very smooth – at least four minutes.
2. Add eggs, vanilla, and coconut flavoring and beat well to combine.
3. In a separate medium sized bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until thoroughly blended and smooth – about two to three minutes.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pans.

Prepare the No-Fail Seven-Minute Frosting – you can find the recipe and instructions here. Don’t worry, I also have a link to it in the recipe card below. Just print out both recipes and you’re good. 

I suggest doubling the frosting for a layer cake but one recipe works fine if you are careful with it. One recipe is plenty for a 9×13. 

Now it’s time to ice the cake. 

You can absolutely make this as a 9×13 cake if you like. I usually make 9×13 cakes because they are simpler and taste the same! 

When you’re done icing your old-fashioned coconut cake, (as soon as you’re done, don’t wait), press coconut into the sides and sprinkle it on top. 

Pretty as a picture! 

I hope you get to make this soon and I’m sure this will become a recipe your family cherishes as much as mine does!

Storage

• This old-fashioned coconut cake can be left in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days and in the fridge for up to one week.
• You can also freeze cake slices for up to three months. Simply thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then bring them to room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

• When making any kind of cake, it’s best to use room temperature butter and eggs so the batter mixes together easily.
• Wondering where to find the coconut flavoring? It can be found near the vanilla extract. While it may cost a couple of dollars, trust me, it’s worth it.
• If you’d prefer not to buy buttermilk, you can simply use a cup of whole milk and add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to it. Stir and wait five minutes before adding it to the recipe. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about substitutions for whole milk in my recipes lately and while a substitution will work, I encourage you to stick with whole milk on this one. Some things are just worth it!
• If you want to toast the coconut before garnishing the cake, spread the coconut on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in a 325-degree oven for about five minutes, or until it’s to your preference. Allow the coconut to cool before you garnish your cake.

Recipe FAQs

What do you serve with cake?

While a slice of coconut cake is perfect on its own, you can also add some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you can’t resist!

If one cake isn’t enough, here are some more mouthwatering cake recipes:

Chocoholic Cake

Peanut Butter Cake (From Scratch!) with PB Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Bundt Cake

Italian Cream Cake with Pecan Cream Cheese Icing

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. 

~Robert Collier