a traditional Easter recipe that I prepared from my grandmother. A lovely spring cake with three layers, coconut icing, and a tiny bird’s nest on top! Use the cake mix of your choice, yellow or white.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 25 mins |
| Additional Time: | 40 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 35 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 1 3-layer cake |
Ingredients
- 1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons coconut extract
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, or as needed – divided
- 2 drops green food coloring
- ½ teaspoon water
- 5 jelly beans in assorted colors, or as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
- Stir cake mix, 1 cup water, vegetable oil, eggs, and 1 teaspoon coconut extract together in a bowl until moistened; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake in preheated oven until the cakes are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans to finish cooling on racks, at least 30 minutes.
- Beat butter with an electric mixer on low in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Beat in 2 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract.
- Beat 1 cup confectioners’ sugar into butter mixture until thoroughly combined; beat in 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Continue to beat in confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon cream, until the confectioners’ sugar and cream have been incorporated and the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- With a long serrated knife, level the tops of the 3 cakes. Place 1 cake onto a serving platter; frost the top of the cake with about 1/4 of the frosting. Sprinkle with about 1/3 cup flaked coconut.
- Place second cake layer on top of the first, and frost and sprinkle with coconut as before. Place third layer on top of the second; frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Lightly press 1/3 cup of coconut evenly into sides of cake.
- Place 1 cup of remaining coconut into a resealable plastic bag, add 1/2 teaspoon water and the green food coloring, and seal bag. Shake and press bag to mix food coloring with coconut, tinting it light green. Remove to paper towel to dry.
- Spread the green coconut over the top of the cake; place colored jelly beans in the middle and press lightly to secure.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 727 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 104 g |
| Cholesterol | 98 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Sodium | 449 mg |
| Sugars | 86 g |
| Fat | 34 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Made no changes, it was a great hit for Easter.
Tastes very good. My family loved it. Will definitely make it again.
I made the simple white cake from AllRecipes rather than a boxed cake.
Very good cake. I ended up making a third layer from scratch I because the mix I used only made two. Very good icing !
Cake was good. Frosting… too sugary. Won’t make frosting again.
No changes. Will definitely make it again!
I made this and it turned out perfect, big hit with family!
A little dry to my taste., but still good.
This is a delicious and quick cake to make. I left the nest and jellybeans off. The coconut makes for an interesting texture and a delightful taste to this box cake. Try it!
Really loved the idea and the presentation, but made some changes which we loved ! My family members aren’t buttercream fans so I made the frosting by whipping heavy cream with about 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar and a tsp of rum extract . . I placed a layer the whipped cream on the first layer , the flaky coconut , then piled on the second layer of cake , Frosted all around the op and sides with the whipped cream and pressed more flaked coconut on top and all around the sides . Loved the idea of the green coconut “nest”. Filled that with jelly beans and placed some yellow and pink marshmallow “ peeps” around the “nest “. It was a big hit. Made it twice during Easter week
A very festive cake, first coconut cake I’ve ever made after my husband raved about a coconut cake someone made at a dinner. I added the bunny topper I had for a large candle jar. Delicious!
I use coconut milk throughout – no extracts – and it added richness and more robust flavor.
substitute coconut milk for the water and use white cake mix and4 egg whites
love love love this cake used different frosting recipe but it has been my most favorite summer cake lately cant get enough goes perfectly with rainbow sherbet !!
This recipe was easy to follow. I did have extra icing left over and used 3 nine inch cake pans. I also used a solid coconut oil to grease the pagans with instead of cooking spray. I also improvised the decorations by adding peeps to make it look more festive.
I made this for Easter. Very nice presentation. I will make again but cut back on the coconut extract. It was a little too much for us.