Lemon Coconut Naked Cake with Whipped Vanilla Buttercream.
Lemon Coconut Naked Cake with Whipped Vanilla Buttercream. The pretty “garden” cake that tastes amazing too. Three soft, perfectly sweet, very moist, extra coconutty, lemon scented cake layers. Each drizzled lightly with a sweet honey lemon syrup, and then generously frosted with the most delicious whipped vanilla buttercream. Decorate with coconut, and dainty chamomile flowers and you’ll have a beautiful spring coconut cake that’s just a touch more special…and delicious…than any other coconut cake.
I feel like I say this every time I make a new layer cake, but I really think this is my favorite yet. I take that back, I really love all the layer cakes I’ve created. Especially the spring cakes, because they tend to be the prettiest. But this one…this cute little layer cake…it was a true labor of love. Even when I thought I’d given up on it, I somehow talked myself into trying one last time. Finally I had success.
I could not be more excited to share this cake today, it’s everything I wanted it to be, but actually better. When a recipe turns out better than I had envisioned, all is good in my world. It’s the simple things, right?
You guys may remember, but the other week I hinted that I was really struggling to create a coconut cake that was both delicious and beautiful. At this point, I can’t even remember how many versions of this cake I attempted. I just know it was a lot. I also know that I am currently well loved at both the rec center and my little sister’s school. As they’ve been the recipients of multiple cakes over the last couple of weeks.
Guess it’s cool they like me! And yes, we don’t throw the “testing” food out…unless it’s incredibly gross. In which case I will not hand it off to anyone because, well, that’s just mean.
Anyway…
I wanted so badly to create a cake that would be perfect for both Easter and Mother’s Day. I’ve never shared a true coconut cake before, so I knew right away that the flavor needed to be more classic coconut. In the past, I’ve shared a coconut banana cake, and a coconut carrot cake, but never just coconut. So coconut was my favor. With the additional flavors of lemon and vanilla hinted throughout, and a vanilla buttercream frosting. Sort of simple, but not too simple, and SO GOOD.
I had the flavors down, now I just needed to get the cake as perfect as can be. This was the (very) hard part. First round was dry, second round was way too moist, third round was just ugly, and I can’t even remember the round after that. I started out with normal standard (8 inch) cake layers. Then moved onto a pink buttercream. After that I attempted to add in brown butter. I tried just about everything, and then I just needed to give up. I could not make this cake one more time. So I told myself I was done…
Until three days later when a slightly different version of this exact cake formed in my head. I hesitated to even try one last time, but for some reason, I was feeling good about this cake. I had the fresh chamomile flowers and pretty thyme blossoms to decorate with. So I went for it, and IT WORKED!
Yes. Yes. YESSSS. It worked, and then I made it again to be sure, and then again to film the process. So much cake, but I’m so happy.
This cake is everything. It’s springy, coconutty, so delicious, and pretty too! All the things a cake needs to be.
The best part is that even though this cake is layered with deliciousness and might look fancy, it’s pretty simple. I mean, simple for a layer cake.
First, I used 3 (6 inch) cake pans, but 2 (8 inch) standard cake pans can also be used. The cake layers are true coconut with just the slightest hint of lemon swirled throughout. It’s not even that you notice the lemon so much as it really just helps to highlight the coconut flavors and make them that much better. These cake layers are MOIST, and SOFT, and SO FLUFFY.
You’ll love it.
Now, I wanted this cake to be sweet, but not like a sugar bomb. I also wanted to ensure that the layers of cake would hold up and stay moist if you plan to leave the cake out during your spring gatherings. So…I added a honey lemon “syrup” to drizzle over top each cake. The syrup adds a light sweetness all while keeping each cake layer very, very moist. The syrup is my secret. Go with it.
Moving along. No cake is complete without a buttercream. This one is extra buttery, extra whipped, very heavy on the vanilla, and sweetened ever so slightly with a touch of honey. It also has a touch of cream cheese, to really play with the classic coconut flavors going on in the cake. Simple vanilla flavors, but kicked up a notch. It’s better than words can describe.
Every forkful of cake is roll your eyes back good, and filled with lemony, coconutty, and vanilla flavors.
To decorate, I used fresh thyme blossoms and chamomile flowers, which gave the cake a very spring-like garden feel. It’s exactly what I wanted from the start…even though I may not have known that from the start.
Sometimes things really just need time to evolve into their best version. That could not have been more true than with this cake. It may have just about driven me insane, but I’m so happy I didn’t give up on it. Often the recipes that I try over and over again, until I am more than happy with them, are the ones I just can’t wait to share.
I hope my excitement over this cake inspires you to make it a part of your Easter celebrations this weekend. Or maybe Mother’s Day in a few weeks. Or maybe just a celebratory spring weekend cake. For absolutely no reason at all. Other than that you simply want a damn good coconut cake.
Whatever your reason for making this cake may be, I hope you love it as much as I do!
If you make this lemon coconut naked cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Lemon Coconut Naked Cake with Whipped Vanilla Buttercream.
Three soft, perfectly sweet, very moist, extra coconutty, lemon scented cake layers. Each drizzled lightly with a sweet honey lemon syrup, and then generously frosted with the most delicious whipped vanilla buttercream.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup melted coconut oil, cooled
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, plus more for layering
Honey Lemon Syrup
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup honey
Whipped Vanilla Buttercream
- 3 sticks (1 ½ cups) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or vanilla bean powder
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 (6-inch) round cake pans or 2 (8 inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the coconut oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and coconut milk. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined. Fold in the lemon zest and shredded coconut.
3. Pour the batter among the cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until the tops are just set, and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Poke 3-5 holes in the top of each cake.
4. Make the honey lemon syrup. In a small sauce pan bring the lemon juice and honey to a boil over high heat. Boil 1-2 minutes, until just slightly thickened. Let cool until warm to touch, about 10 minutes.
5. Make the buttercream. Add the butter and the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until extra light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and honey. Beat together until whipped, about 2 more minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. If the frosting feels too loose, add powdered sugar to thicken.
7. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand and drizzle lightly with the cooled honey syrup. Spread 1/3 of the buttercream over the cake and add a handful of shredded coconut. Repeat with the remaining 2 cake layers. Be careful not to over fill your layers or the cake will be hard to slice. Serve or store in the fridge for up to 1 day. If desired, decorate the cake with thyme blossoms and edible flowers.
Our Favorite Recipes
Greek Lamb Meatballs with Avocado Goddess Sauce.
COCnut cake is my very favorite cake. My mother always made it from a recipe that was over 100 years old. She used divinity frosting and fresh or frozen coconut. YUM!! I also love lemon and coconut together. WOW! This cake is tall and I can’t imagine trying to cut it. HAHA!!
That is so amazing that this runs in your family! I hope you try this, Charlotte! xTieghan
I love love love all your usage of coconut milk in recipes savory to sweet. HERE FOR IT.
Thank you so much Sydney! xTieghan
How many much butter do you brown, before creaming for browned butter frosting? Thank you!
I love all your recipes, you are such an inspiring cook/baker!
Hi Tristan! There is no browned butter in this recipe. So sorry for any confusion. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
My Grandmother made the best coconut cake ever.
She used FRESH coconut and separated the egg yolks and whites.
The whipped egg whites were folded in at the last in a very special way.
That is so amazing!! xTieghan
I have never made Butter Cream Frosting, and today I wanted to make a cake, saw how easy the frosting receipt is/was and went for it. WOW, completely blew me away on how good it was, it really made a big difference in my cake.
Thank you so much Tony! xTieghan
I’m so excited to make this cake!! I think I might try coconut palm sugar instead of regular sugar
Thank you Jackie! xTieghan
Hi! Such a gorgeous cake & recipe. Just wondering why you call it a ‘browned butter’ buttercream if you haven’t browned the butter to start with?
Hi! I am so sorry, that was just a typo. No browned butter in this frosting recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
What an absolutely stunning cake! I’ve never used coconut oil, so interested to taste that in a baked goodie. Can’t wait to try, pinned!
Thank you Jess! I hope you love this! xTieghan
I want to make this cake for Easter, if I want to make it gluten free, can I just swap the flour for gluten free flower?
Hi! I actually do not recommend doing that. I have never tested this recipe with GF flour so I am really unsure of what the results would be. I am so sorry, I wish I could help. If you do give the GF flour a try, please let me know how it turns out! let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
this is one gorgeous cake!!
Thank you Ruth! xTieghan
Not sure how’s the frosting is a browned butter cream without browning any butter…?
Happy Easter, Tieghan 🙂 Being the coconut and lemon fanatic that I am, I am beyond excited to try out this recipe! I’m a long-time baker, but have never baked with coconut oil before. May I ask what method you used to melt it – stovetop, microwave, or did you just set it on top of a warm spot on the stove until it reached the consistency you were looking for? Thanks! ~Marcie
Hi! Excited to make this for Easter! As I’m measuring out the coconut oil, I had a question. Do you measure before you melt or after?
Hi Tiegan!
I am getting ready to make this cake and I have a question? Does the butter, eggs, and or cream cheese need to be room temp? Thank you!
Hi making the cake and 2 oz of cream cheese seems light. Is that correct?
Made this for my daughter’s 18th birthday over Easter weekend. It was delicious!! Loved the layered flavors and beautiful presentation.
Thank you so much Jennifer! xTieghan
This looks amazing!
Just wondering– if I were to turn this recipe into cupcakes instead of a cake, is there anything I would need (or likely need) to adjust, like timing, temp, etc.?
I can’t wait to make them!
HI! Yes, the timing will be different, maybe 18-22 minutes in the oven. Should make about 24 cupcakes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Oh my this looks soooooo good! I wish I had seen this recipe before I made lemon bundt cake for Easter but considering I don’t yet own a cake carrier, its probably for the best. Will definitely need to get one of those before Mother’s Day. I can’t wait to make it! Thanks so much for persevering Tieghan and coming up with this amazing recipe to share with us!
I hope you love this cake Melanie! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made this beautiful cake for Easter dinner. Love the honey syrup. I feel like it keeps it moist for longer.
That is amazing! Thank you Ally! xTieghan
I made this for Easter because it sounded so wonderful. The flavor was yummy but I had trouble with this icing. 3 sticks of butter, cream cheese and honey made it way, way to runny. I added multiple extra cups (6 i think) of powdered sugar to firm it up which made the icing sicken sweet but the cake still slid (I made two 8″ rounds). Of course all the added sugar increased the volume of icing so I could have iced two cakes. I put crumb coated cakes in the freeze and the icing in the refrigerator just to get it firm enough to ice and serve. Please note that It was only 62F in my kitchen so the environment shouldn’t have been a problem. I took every step in my bag of tricks to save this icing but nothing worked well.
My last comment is that that this cake took a lot longer to make than the time stated. I really wanted to love this recipe (and even shared it with a friend on Friday) but there wasn’t enough bang for my buck to make it again.
Hey Lyn, I am so sorry you had so much trouble with the icing. Honestly, I am not sure what is happening as I have never had this issue and everyone else who has made the cake did not have any issues either. Did you use more honey the directed possibly? How long did you whip the frosting? I like to allow mine to really whip, this also helps thicken it up. Hope I can help you problem solve!
I loved this, made it for Easter. I made it the night before, i thought the time of an hour and 20 was pretty spot on. I thought the cream cheese was just enough to cut the sweetness of the honey and the powdered sugar. I typically don’t like buttercream, but this was so light and melty. I will be using it again for sure. The whole thing was pretty easy and everyone loved it and it made a statement being nice and tall!
Thank you so much Kate! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, especially for Easter!! xTieghan
What a beautiful cake! Do you think it could be made into cupcakes? How long would you suggest they be baked?
HI! Yes, you can bake about 24 muffins and I would bake 18-25 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this cake for Easter and it was so good!! My family loved it and every bite of it was ate! I forgot to take a picture of it, untill it was to late.I give it 5 stars!
Thank you so much Anita! I am so glad you enjoyed this cake! I hope you had a wonderful Easter! xTieghan
Tieghan you have done it again. This cake is DIVINE! Made it for a work lunch and we ate it for breakfast! All your hard work to perfect it has truly paid off. I will make this cake again and again. Not too sweet and the right amount of tang. I love the way the honey hits you after the bite lingers, and yum yum yum COCONUT! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Some notes for other readers: I wouldn’t have subbed anything if my kitchen inventory wasn’t low, but I didn’t have coconut oil, so I subbed canola equal parts and it was great (I can only imagine how much better this would be with coconut oil!!!). Also, I only had two sticks of salted butter. So I used 2-salted and 1- unsalted for the buttercream and I loved it so much.
Thank you so much Brittany! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
It was the first cake I’ve ever made in my life. It was for my baby girl’s 100 day celebration! It was a big hit, everyone liked the lemony coconut flavors and that the cake wasn’t too sweet. However, as a new mom, I didn’t have time to make the frosting (but also intimidated) so I used store bought. Thank you for the great unique recipe!
Wow I am so glad this cake turned out so well for your daughter, Erica! And Happy 100th Day to her! Thank you so much for making it! xTieghan
I made this cake for friends at work — I used fresh pansies because they are edible & in my yard 🙂 It turned out lovely & was a real show stopper. The 6 inch pan also makes it feel a little sweeter too!
Thank you so much Marie! I am so glad you tried this! xTieghan
making this gluten free is easy and painless! I use either Amy’s gf artisan flour blend, or my own mix of almond flour and coconut flour. The mix is my personal favorite and works well but sometimes you need to add a little more liquid to the cake mix — I usually add an additional egg.
Yum! I am so glad you loved this Shirley! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Best cake ever! I didn’t have 6” cake pans only 9” so I made cupcakes! I cut the tops off and brushed insides w the lemon/ honey glaze. Then I piled on that delicious buttercream an put the tops back on. They were seriously the best cupcakes we’ve ever eaten!
Thanks again for your recipes!
Wow yes! I am so glad these turned out amazing for you, Lindsay! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made this on the weekend for my daughter’s first birthday and it was delicious! The icing is to die for and the cake perfectly moist. Crowd pleaser for sure 🙂
Thank you so much Heather! xTieghan
Tieghan, I plan to bake this for Mother’s Day. I was curious to know if homemade coconut milk (coconut and water) can be substituted for canned coconut milk. Thanks so much. You truly are an inspiration!
You are too sweet! Thank you so much Mallory! xTieghan
Made this for mother’s day and it was a hit. I ended up taking each layer off for cutting because it was easier that way. But I loved the flavors and it was so pretty decorated with thyme and violets from my garden.
Thank you Corrina! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Just made this for lunch lol! SO FREAKING GOOD. Just did one layer since there is only 2 of us enjoying it. That buttercream, wow!
Thank you for trying this Kayti! xTieghan
Our daughter-in-law baked this cake for family dinner. It was delcious – and actually far better the second day (straight from th frig). The glaze soaked through the layers and added a special rich dimension. It could easily be baked in a Bundt pan; the cake stands on its own merits…no frosting needed (in our opinion).
Thank you so much Julie! I am so glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
I made this for my friends birthday and the crowd LOVED it! One of the biggest crowd reactions I’ve received, thank you so much!
Thank you so much Caitlin! xTieghan
I made a smaller trial version today (my sons 2nd birthday coming up), and it was so good!! only forgot about the honey syrup but the buttercream was already very honey-ey;) i made one layer in an 8 inch pan en sliced it so it still had 2 layers. Next time i will try to use a handheld mixer to whip the buttercream, because my KA stand mixer had trouble with it. Which mixer do you use for baking?
Hi Anne! I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer for all of my recipes! I hope this turns out better for you with a handheld mixer and please let me know if you have any questions on it! xTieghan
Made the two 8″ round cake today for my daugthers 22nd birthday, and it was a hit. The cake was on the dense side — is it supposed to be? I’m thinking I may have baked it 5 minutes too long. Also needed to add close to a cup of powdered sugar to the butter cream to get the right consistency. Have to say, the buttercream is really really good.
Hi Jane! The cake should not be dense, it should be fluffy. Is it possible that you over beat the batter maybe? Glad you still enjoyed the cake and loved the buttercream! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! xTieghan
Is it possible to omit the shredded coconut between the layers? I am worried some people may want to be able to take off coconut if they don’t like it so i was just going to put it on top. Do you think it would still hold together?
Hey Keri! You can certainly omit the coconut from the layers. That will not be an issue. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
We made this tonight but made them as cupcakes instead of cake. They were, hands down, the best cupcakes that we have ever had. The frosting was so light and fluffy. The lemon coconut combination was delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Your cake is stunning.
Wow that is so amazing to hear! I am so glad these turned out so well for you, Kate! xTieghan
Perfect cake! It is so good. Everyone that ate it couldn’t get over how great it tastes.
I think the icing is the best part – not too sweet, but very flavorful.
The cake is a little too dense – perhaps I mixed it too long.
Also, I cooked for 35 min – maybe stopping at 30 min would be better.
Nevertheless, SO GOOD! I may try cupcakes next time.
Thank you Janet! xTieghan
Hi Tiegan! I’m going to be brave and try to bake this for my son’s first birthday! I’d really appreciate any tips to making it stand nice and tall and taste delicious 🙂 also I was hoping to do 3 8-inch layers, would I just 1.5 times the ingredients? Thank you for lending your time to help this novice!
Hey Rachel! For 3 (8 inch) layers I would do 1.5 times the amounts, yes. As long as you feel comfortable testing that I am sure it will turn out so great! And very large and tall too! Do you have any specific questions I can help with?
I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi,
This cake looks absolutely divine and I can’t wait to make it. Have you tested this recipe with gluten free flour?
HI there! I have never made this with GF so I can’t really say how it will turn out. If you do try it, I recommend Bob’s Red Mill GF flour blend. Please let me know if you have any other questions and how it turns out. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I am wondering if I need to make any adjustments to this recipe for a higher altitude, but since you are in Colorado, maybe I don’t? I live at 6,300 foot elevation. Thank you!
Hi Terri! No this recipe should work great for you! I am in the mountains, so it should work the same! xTieghan
This cake looks amazing! I make this coconut colada made with lemon juice, coconut rum and orange liqueur. When I saw this cake I thought this must be just as insanely good as the colada I make! So… I’m gonna make it, but wondered if I could use as a cupcake recipe instead? (I’m slightly afraid of making cakes as my sister is an insane cake master ?)
Hey Hannah! Um, that drink sounds incredible!! Need to make it!
yes, you can bake into cupcakes. This will make about 24-26 cupcakes. I would bake for 20-22 minutes, but watch close as I have not tested this baking time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
My cake batter is pretty thick. The cupcakes turned out good but, just wondered if it was supposed to be as thick as muffin batter. I wish there were more videos or photos of the process! Really yummy cupcakes though. Thanks for the recipe ?
Hey Hannah,
The batter should be thick. Did you not enjoy? We will try an get a video made for this recipe soon. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Thanks for responding to my question about the cupcakes! For some reason I can’t reply to your direct message. Oh well. Anyway, here’s that lemon coconut colada recipe, you’ve gotta try it!
.5 oz orange liqueur
2 oz coconut rum
2 oz coco Lopez
1 oz heavy cream
4 oz pineapple juice
.5-1 oz lemon juice
Just shake with ice, strain into ice filled glass and enjoy! Sooo good! No need to blend but you could if you felt like getting out the blender. But I’m too lazy for that and the recipe doesn’t call for it ?
Thank you so much Hannah!! xTieghan
i’m going to try to make this cake, but I do not have coconut oil, can i replace with something else?
If I have only one 6inch pan can I make the butter once but set it aside so I can bake one cake at the time? Thanks!!
HI! Yes, you can just bake 1 cake layer at a time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I am a very nervous cake baker but I love coconut and lemon so I gave this one a try. Delicious cake and fluffy, dreamy frosting! I doubled the recipe so I could make a two-layer 9 inch cake. I had leftover batter to make cupcakes for a friend! Turned out fine. I have a question… Are your recipes developed for your altitude? I live at 4000 feet elevation and have to do a little bit of adaptation.
Hi Carol! I am so glad you loved this recipe! I try to make my recipes so they work for everyone, at every elevation! I hope you continue to love my recipes! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
This buttercream frosting sounds amazing! I typically like to decorate around my cakes and need a buttercream that’s fairly thick so that it doesn’t droop. Do you think this recipe will be too thin with the honey or should it hold up?
Thank you!
Hi Dani! I think this should hold up nicely for decorating. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Can the cakes be made in advance and frozen before frosting?
HI! Yes, the cakes freeze very well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Merry Christmas! xTieghan
HI Tieghan! This is such a gorgeous cake with tempting flavours! I’ve had my eye on it for months now and im finally ready to bake it for a crowd. I had a question, the cake will be kept outdoors for most of the day as it is an outdoor picnic and i wont have access to a fridge. Its winter where i live, but still temperatures go up to 26-27 degrees Celsius. Do you think the cake will hold up well, especially with the cream cheese in the frosting? I dont want my layers to slide. Thanks a lot!
Hi Shilpa! If possible, I would keep the cake inside as those are pretty room tempts. I think it should be fine for an hour or 2 outside, but be sure to keep the cake out of the sun. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
This cake is absolutely delicious. I struggled to get my layers to rise as much as pictured though unfortunately. I ended up having to make another one and divide the mixture between two 6″ pans instead.
A very beautiful cake though, with some practice it could become a regular for me! I think it’ll be lovely at Easter.
Thank you!
Thank you! I hope this turns out amazing for you at Easter! xTieghan
For the whipped buttercream. it says to use salted butter in your recipe. I’m assuming that is a typo, right? You meant to say unsalted?
HI there! Not a typo, I like to use salted butter. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
any recommendations on baking time and number of cupcakes this recipe might make?
Hi Michelle! This will make around 32 cupcakes. I would bake them for 22-25 minutes, but this is just my educated guess. I have not tested this. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hello! Would it be possible to make this cake without eggs? What substitute, if any, would you recommend?
Hi there! I have never made this recipe without eggs, so I am uncomfortable advising you to do so. If you’d like to give it a try, I would recommend using an equal amount of flax or chia eggs, but again I am not sure what the outcome would be. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So sorry I could not have been of more help. Thank you!! xTieghan
Do you have substitute options for the eggs and honey?
Hi Meeta! Unfortunately I have not tried this recipe with an egg replacement, so I do not feel comfortable advising on what to use! I have heard that flax eggs work well, but again, I have not tried it myself. Also, for the honey, you could use maple syrup, but it may alter the flavor of the cake. Or you could use corn syrup with would be the closest match to honey. I hope this helps, but please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Any tips for baking this at high altitude (~5000 ft)??? Want to try making it for my mom on Mother’s Day!
Aw that is so sweet! This recipe should work well for you at your elevation! I hope you love it! Let me know if you have any more questions! xTieghan
This cake is beautiful!
I made it over the weekend for a friend’s birthday.
It’s dense and cutting the three layers was not for the faint of heart.
The frosting was delightful. I’m not a fan of the heavy cream cheese. Your recipe is perfect.
I used the cake pan wraps, you soak in cold water and then wrap each pan, so the cake does over brown at the edges.
I give it a 10. I’ll try again. I just need to figure out why it was so dense
Thank you so much for trying this Marygael! I am so glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I would LOVE to make this cake for mother’s day – is there a way of subbing out the cream cheese in the buttercream?! Or perhaps another icing recipe you would recommend for the cake instead?
Hey Sarah, you can just omit the cream cheese from the frosting. It’s not a huge deal. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi,
I only have 2 9-inch pans, would the recipe measurements work or is it recommended to double the recipe?
Thank you!
x
Hi Sam,
2 9-inch pans should work! I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love the idea of this cake. However, I have no yogurt on hand and due to the virus I wont be going out shopping for a while ! Any suggestions on substitutes or omitting it all together? Thanks and love your recipes!
Hi Anna,
You can use sour cream in place of the yogurt. I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! I’m thinking of making this for Easter. Can I use sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt?
Hi Jen,
Yes, you can use sour cream in place of the greek yogurt. I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was so easy to make and DELICIOUS. I made it for my own birthday and since we are in quarantine, I only had unsweetened coconut but it was still delicious. The cake is so moist. The frosting is amazing and I don’t even usually like frosting! I topped it with pansies and it was beautiful. Thank you for this recipe – I can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you so much Emily!! I am so glad this cake turned out so well for you! Also, Happy Birthday! xTieghan
Hi! I wanted to try this recipe for Easter (only me and my fiancé this year but want to try it nonetheless :)). The grocery store only had light canned coconut milk, or canned coconut cream – can either of these be subbed for the canned full fat coconut milk? Otherwise I might try the coconut carrot cake. Thank you!
Hi Sam,
The light canned coconut milk should work just fine in place of the full fat. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I dont make cakes very often but wanted to do something special for my twin Aunts who were turning 75. Each had a favorite cake (1- lemon and the other coconut cream)…..so this was the perfect answer! The cake was fairly easy to make. The only thing I did differently is add cream cheese to the frosting on the very top to help keep it more firm as I had to drive two hours to get to their party.
The cake was a little on the dense side but it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! Everyone RAVED about it and couldn’t believe I made it (lol).
Wow love that! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Kimberly! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
This was so delicious. I ended up making them as cupcakes instead! So moist and yummy. By far the best cupcake recipe I’ve ever made. Thank you!
That is so great to hear Jeanine! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Today is Easter Sunday 2020 – we are mid-COVID-19-quarantine. I was watching the Great British Bake Off t.v. show a couple days ago and they were making some honey cake. I was intrigued and used “The Google” (lol) to search for a honey cake recipe. I was SO fortunate to have found this recipe. My goodness! It is to die for good. THANK YOU so much for creating it and posting it. This is honestly the best cake I’ve ever made or eaten. I posted pics in my Facebook and friends called it a masterpiece!! The only thing I did differently was used the entire can of full fat coconut milk since my batter was looking a tad dry. My 20-year-old daughter has requested that this be put on the menu as a mandatory Easter tradition! Thanks again – simply divine!
Hi Kerry! I am really glad you came across this and it turned out so well for you! Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy other recipes of mine! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
I love everything I make from you! I’m so excited to try this but because of limited shopping trips I don’t have full fat coconut milk. Would non-fat milk or Coconut Beverage work as a substitute? Thanks so much for sharing your talents with us!!
Hi Rachel,
You should be okay using the non-fat coconut milk. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Dear Tieghan,
I am planning to try the recipe these days and since i just received a beautiful bundt cake pan, i was wondering if the batter would work well in this, because of its density i am reading about. Thank you for inspiring us!
Ioana
Hi Ioana! I think this will work well in a bundt pan! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
This looks beautiful! Can I use unsweetened shredded coconut?
Thanks!
Hi Moira! Yes that should work great! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I made this cake last night for just because and omg. The cakes were delicious and moist. My cakes were not as high as yours. Mmmm I am not sure why, maybe because the pans were bought from the dollar tree??? Anyways, I planned to invest in better baking pans, soon as they become available… visited two different Walmart with noo luck…
Hi! I am so glad this turned out so well!! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Made this cake for mothers day yesterday because my mom LOVES coconut and this cake is unbelievable!!! Its so moist and can taste every flavor- vanilla, honey, lemon, coconut! I have been using your recipes for a few years now and not one has failed. I know I will always experience success when I choose something from your website or 2 books. Thank you so much. You are unbelievably talented and thank you for making it so easy for someone who just simply wanted to learn how to cook and bake!
Aw that is really great to hear! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes and posts! Thank you Taylor! xTieghan
Hi! I was wondering if I could make these the day before and put them in the fridge and assemble the next day? Love your recipes!
Hi Nicole,
Yes that would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan
Thanks so much for such a wonderful cake! I wanted to let you know that my co-workers and I love your website! We love looking through your recipes, choosing ones to try and sharing our experiences of our attempts and often times, bringing leftovers to share with one another! We work at Cambridge Hospital in Massachusetts and needless to say, times have been challenging. Two weeks ago, while looking at recipes, my co-worker suggested that we should have a bake off! This started small but quickly grew to a more organized event with 5 bakers, a head judge and a celebrity judge, score cards, a crown, the whole shabang! I’m super happy to let you know that this lemon coconut naked cake won me the crown! People raved for days! So fun! Thank you!!!
Oh wow that is so amazing and fun!! Also, always the best that this one won haha! Thank you Lara! xTieghan
The flavors are fantastic. I did 3, 6 inch round pans and the cooking time was way off for me. I had them in the oven at 350 for 50 mins before the middle set. I dont know what happened, but flavors are beautiful!
That is really great to hear! Thank you so much Rebecca! xTieghan
Is there any way to half this recipe? I want to try it out but I’m alone in quarantine and it would be too much lol.
Hi,
Yes you can totally do that! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan – wanted to see if you could recommend any substituions for the coconut milk AND if I can omit coconut flakes all together? I want to make this for my fiances birthday as he requested “lemon cake with vanilla frosting” and this recipe looks perfect minus the coconut (he’s not a fan). Thanks!
Hi Tory,
Yes you can leave the coconut flakes out. For the coconut milk I would just use another milk that you enjoy. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Have you ever made this in cupcake form? How much time would you bake it for?
Hi Lauren,
I have not tested the cupcake version, but I would bake for 25-30 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi,
Made this cake before and it was awesome. My oldest son “26” doesn’t like coconut. If I omit the shredded coconut, will the cake still turn out, or is there something I need to substitute?
Hi Carrie,
You can just go ahead and omit the coconut. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan