What’s not to like about this delightfully light, fluffy and moist coconut cake. It’s full of flavour and as pretty as a picture. And seriously this easy coconut lemon and ginger cake is quick to make with a few simple steps.
I wanted to make a cake today but didn’t have a lot of ingredients to hand. This pandemic leaves us short of the things we are so used to reaching for without a second thought.
But I want to make cakes just now, it’s a kind of pulling the three of us together treat.
To eat cake round the table, spill crumbs and words and laugh. Yes right now we do need cake and I make no calorific apologies for this delicious coconut lemon and ginger cake.
I just had a bit of this and a little of that. Did I have enough of anything to pull off a sweet treat for tea time.
The answer is yes, this super easy coconut cake with lemon and ginger.
What’s in a coconut cake?
Well coconut two ways in this one. I had a little coconut milk leftover from making a Thai green curry the other night and some desiccated coconut in the baking box.
There are also eggs (2), self raising flour, caster sugar, a bit of baking powder and of course ground ginger and lemon to add that all-important kick of flavour.
Coconut, lemon and ginger
What a team these guys make. They are a flavour trio made in heaven. Coconut has sweetness. Lemon has that mouth-puckering zing. And ginger gives you that kick of heat.
This is a layered coconut cake. Well it’s just two layers with frosting in the middle. You could go all out fancy and slice those two cakes in half and go for a four-layered coconut cake. Now that would look stunning.
What type of icing/frosting do you use on a coconut cake?
I even made the frosting coconut flavoured. Well it would be rude not to really.
My frosting for my easy coconut cake with lemon and ginger was made up of butter, icing sugar, desiccated coconut, cream cheese, a pinch of ginger and lemon juice.
Doubling up the flavours already in the coconut cake itself within the frosting makes it even more special.
What size of baking tins do you use?
Now this is an important point. I tend to use very small baking tins for my cakes.
These tins are only 15cm and come from Waitrose. I use small tins so that I get a thicker cake that looks bigger than it actually is but uses few ingredients.
How many slices do you get from this coconut cake?
There are only three of us and this little cake slices into 6 perfect portions. The cake is light and fluffy and moist but it does have a lot of frosting so this slice is just enough.
Most people use 17cm cake tins. With this recipe you will get a perfectly lovely coconut cake but it will be thinner.
Can you make coconut cupcakes from this recipe?
Yes of course you can. Simply make up the coconut cake batter and spoon it into cupcake cases and bake in a cupcake tray. Ajust baking time to 15-20 minutes.
Use the coconut cake frosting either just on top of the cupcakes or split them horizontally and sandwich with the coconut frosting for a double dose of coconut lemon and ginger delight!
Can you freeze coconut cake?
Yes. But freeze the coconut cake (or cupcakes) before you put on the frosting. Wrap well in foil or cling film and then pop cake into a freezer bag and label it. This coconut cake will freeze quite happily for a month. Then defrost it completely and ice it as before.
When would you serve this coconut cake?
I’d serve this cake anytime. It is smart enough for a party or special event and easy enough to make to just whip up for a tea time treat.
How to decorate coconut cake
I’ve added some toasted coconut flakes to the top of my cake. Okay so that is three types of coconut here, are you seeing a theme!
I have also made a ginger and lemon syrup which I drizzled on the cake pieces themselves before assembling and kept back just a bit to drizzle over the top for that ultimate luxury.
I had planned to add some of the lovely daisies that are flowering in the garden just now. That would’ve made this coconut cake into a perfect spring time treat. Alas, I forgot all about the flowers in my haste to photograph the damn thing so we could eat it.
Here are some other tea time treats you might enjoy;
Gin and tonic lemon drizzle cake
Raspberry and white chocolate roulade
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Easy Coconut Lemon and Ginger Cake
Ingredients
- 65 g unsalted butter
- 1 lemon zested
- 110 g caster sugar
- 115 ml coconut milk
- 2 medium eggs
- 110 g self raising flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 40 g dessicated coconut
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Lemon and Ginger Syrup
- 1 lemon juice juice from above lemon you zested
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 60 g sugar
- 50 ml water
Frosting
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 75 g cream cheese
- 250 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- grease and line 2 x 15cm (6") baking tins and preheat oven to 180C
- Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy
- gradually add in the coconut milk, eggs, flour, baking powder, lemon zest and desiccated coconut and make sure everything is really well combined
- Spoon the cake batter into greased and lined baking tins and bake for approximately 25 minutes till a cocktail stick comes out clean when piercing centre of cake. It should be golden and bounce back when lightly touched in centre
- Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes in tin before removing to cooling rack to cool completely
Make the lemon syrup
- In a small pan heat the lemon juice, water and sugar and bring to boil then simmer till it thickens to a syrup, set aside to cool
Frosting
- Beat together the butter and cream cheese along with lemon zest, ginger and coconut
- Add the icing sugar a bit at a time till you get a good thick creamy consistancy
Assembling the cake
- Place one of the cakes on a serving plate and pierce top all over with cocktail stick and drizzle over some of the syrup
- Spread half the frosting thickly on this base cake
- For the top cake I prefer to spread on the frosting before I place on top of the other cake to avoid squashing it down too much
- Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut shards if you have them or just more desiccated coconut and the last of the syrup as a final touch
What a gorgeous cake! Printed and added to my recipe book. Came out perfect and hubby loves it
Thanks Claire
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it so much
K
I made this cake and thought there is not enough mixture for 2 tins read the recipe 3 times never noticed it was 6 inch tins until it was in the oven. Was for a birthday a bit thin but said it was nice
As I’m gluten free I never tasted it.
Dear Tanya
Sorry you used the wrong size of tins and thus got a flatter cake. I do very clearly state that I use small tins, I even have this headed as ‘What size of tins do I use’
Karon
Your cake looks both delicious and beautiful: well done pulling it together with ready cupboard ingredients. A few questions:
1. Is the desiccated coconut unsweetened or sweetened?
2. If I only have coconut flakes can I use that instead?
3. I don’t have ginger powder but have tinned pineapples. How much pineapple do you reckon I should use to turn this into a coconut pineapple cake?
Just discovered your blog and shall look forward to trying your many wonderful recipes.
Thank you,
Carol Wu
Hi Carol
Glad you like the recipe and my blog. In answer to your questions; I used unsweetened desiccated coconut. You could whizz your coconut flakes in a food processor for a few seconds and you’d get desiccated coconut, or as near as possible. Coconut flakes would be rather large to use in the cake batter. This is a recipe for a coconut, lemon and ginger cake so I have no idea what it would be like using pineapple. That would be a completely different recipe.
Hope these answers help.
K
Really helpful, thank you!! I’ll try it as soon as I can get my hands on some ginger powder. Will play with the pineapple another day!
Glad to be of help
K
Ha e made both the coconut and ginger cake and the easy rhubarb cake this afternoon and they weree both delicious. and can’t wait to make them again soon. I shall certainly give friends the recipes.
Hi Shan
Glad you like my recipes so much for these cakes. Would be great if you gave them a rating.
K
Thanks for this recipe! I’m going to try this next week for a big ginger + coconut fan!
Do you use store bought ginger powder? Is there a way I could substitute it with fresh ginger?
Hi Mia
As you’ll see in the recipe I use ground ginger powder. I haven’t actually tried making the cake using grated fresh ginger. I think it would work fine though.
Hope you enjoy the cake
K
Hi I tried this recipe and baked as cupcakes but they came out cooked on top not at the bottom Should these be baked for 25 minutes 180c as per two tins you used
also please could you show and be more specific about the two tins that you used you said 15 ml tins
how does that measure up dimension wise
as you maybe aware I am a novice
but don’t understand these 15 ml tin measurements thank you
Hi Maxine
So sorry your cupcakes didn’t work out. I used 15cm cake tins in this recipe. Baking tin dimensions are the measurement from side to side of the tin.15cm = 6″. I did state in the recipe that I used 15cm tins not 15ml I never mention 15ml in the recipe, have just checked. I really don’t see how I can be more specific on sizes than that. I’m sorry the cupcakes didn’t work out for you. For cupcakes you bake at same temperature for a shorter time. I have amended the recipe to state the timings for cupcakes. Ovens vary in their actual temperatures even though it can say it is 180C it can vary oven to oven. Baking is always a case of checking to see if things are done or not. I did state in this recipe to test if ready with a toothpick. Sorry I can’t really help you more than that.
I am paleo, gluten-free lover. I found this recipe to be one of the best ones out there, if not the only great one!! I tried plenty. Last time I forgot to save your page and today I was getting ready to make this recipe again and I almost couldn’t find you…I almost cried..
2 hrs later, I finally found you and I am the happiest woman!!
Thank you for this recipe!! <3
Hi Marly
Glad you like the recipe and my site so much.
K