Coconut Southern Comfort Layer Cake

A delicious, but very dense cake. I even subbed in coconut milk for the coconut oil, as one reviewer suggested. It still turned out more reminiscent of a poundcake (5 eggs!). If I make it again, I'll use two whole eggs and two egg whites to produce a lighter cake. Like other reviewers, I made it a three-layer cake, not eight. Also, I don't have a stand mixer, only a hand mixer, so maybe those factors contributed to the denseness. I did use 1/2 tsp coconut extract in the cake mix, and the same amount in the frosting to boost the coconut flavor. (P.S.-- it tastes better the second day!)

• Anonymous

• Grand Rapids, MI

• 3/1/2020

I don't understand where the negative reviews are coming from. I've made this cake probably 10 times and the reviews have included: best cake I ever ate, best coconut cake ever - even better than my grandma's coconut cake (from a man in his 60s), absolutely amazing, should be on a magazine cover, the compliments go on. It's by no means like a fresh coconut cake, so if that's the flavor profile you're looking for, pick a different recipe, but if you want a really good cake, this is it. I've made it as written, left out the southern comfort, added coconut cream from a can of coconut milk, and other combinations, but it's always amazing. I agree that it doesn't have as much coconut flavor as other coconut cakes if you make it as written. The best combo I've landed on is to skim the thick coconut cream from a can of coconut milk and add it to the cake, and add a little coconut extract to both the cake and icing. For the whiskey, I add it to a little water and sugar to make a simple syrup before brushing it on. And I just use 3-9 inch layers and don't bother with slicing them in half.

• mebflippin

• North Carolina

• 11/30/2019

This cake was so delicious. It is my new favorite coconut cake recipe. Made for my son’s in laws to be and they were completely wowed. Made it as a three layer cake as that is the number of pans I had. Did not want to split layers as I had too much other work to do. Cake still turned out fine.

• Anonymous

• Ossining, NY

• 5/19/2019

PLease dont use the words "jaw dropping' for food. The words are all over the net for every stupid and trite boring crap morons can think up. Your editors should have nixed it. Doesnt fit your image.

• merioux

• Dallas

• 1/29/2016

i am still tasting the salt in this cake thirty minutes after tasting it

• rbartholomewc

• manhattan

• 10/9/2014

What a terrible cake! Did the tester forget to test this cake? I have been a professional for over 30 years in Manhattan and was in a rush to make a dessert for dinner service. They tell you how many pans to prep after you are done mixing? The weight of the scaled portions for four pans is ridiculous and not high enough in the pan to bake correctly. Total calories for the entire cake is 17316! Are you kidding me? It really tastes like a salty coconut cement cake. If you went to a cooking school, you should get a refund, if not, keep the liberal arts job you went to college for.

• rbartholomewc

• Manhattan

• 10/9/2014

Oh my gosh -- there is nothing like this cake. I've made it three times now and each time it's a hit. People rave about it and say they've never tasted anything like it. It is now my favorite cake. The flavors are so wonderful and pure, not too heavy or sweet. I took a suggestion from a previous reviewer and divided into three pans instead of four only because I don't have four. I think this is perfect because of the ratio of cake to frosting. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Just outstanding.

• JLohrrules

• Phoenix

• 9/13/2013

This cake is outstanding. I made it for Easter and it was a perfect finish to a great meal. I followed the recipe in its exact form; the only thing different was that I only have three 9" cake pans so it was a 6-layer cake, and it was perfect. The layers must be pretty thin with four cake pans. The thickness of these layers was perfect. Everyone loved this cake. It's been added to my list of keepers.

• JLohrrules

• Phoenix, AZ

• 3/31/2013

Cake was too dense and heavy. I had to only use ONE layer of this cake and combine it with 3 other layers of regular vanilla cake. This cake does NOT give you 4 cake pans worth of cake. if you did put it in cake pans, you would only end up with one cup of batter in each pan which is nothing since you have to slice the top and bottom off for cake levels. Bake it in two pans and then slice. I used coconut milk instead of oil for more flavour and glad i did since it was already too greasy without the coconut oil.

• judywon

• LA, CA

• 1/27/2013

为使这个蛋糕. .我可以做这个an coconut cake filling w french vanilla icr cream?? and make it a icr cream cake?? any idea?

• Anonymous

• nc

• 7/6/2012

I made this cake for my son's birthday and followed the recipe as written except instead of using 4 9" pans I used the 3 8" pans I had. Then I was able to try out a new cake slicing tool from Germany I'd found at Home Goods to slice the layers. It has a metal frame with an adjustable wire that allows you to easily make perfect even slices. I also used a trick from a pie recipe with a crumbly crust that suggested using the bottom of an 11" tart pan to move the crust from the board to the pie pan. It also worked wonders for dealing with the cake layers. You just slide the metal insert under the cut layers and move them where you need them without breaking them. The Southern Comfort added an interesting flavor that everyone loved but couldn't identify until I told them what it was. My son is still talking about how good this cake was. It was work but definitely worth it.

• sampsonite

• Hillsboro, OR

• 7/2/2012

这个蛋糕是da炸弹。我在复活节做的。而不是在ly was the presentation absolutely amazing but the taste was out of this world. There a couple of things I would do differently next time though to that would make it easier to make and taste better the next day. Unless you're an advanced pastry chef it's beyond difficult to make 8 layers out of these 4 cakes. The recipe only calls for 2 cups of batter in each tin - thus the tin isn't full - it's literally half - so to basically cut one 9" cake into a 4th is beyond difficult. It's also not really necessary. I made it with the 4 layers and it was just fine. One thing to note tho is the initial moisture of this cake - as there's coconut oil in the cake - it's VERY moist. Unfortunately even with a greased floured non stick pan the first cake crumbled out of the tin - I pieced it together and used it as the bottom layer - no one was the wiser. Once the cakes cooled - it was very difficult to remove them from the plates to arrange them into a cake - next time I would later each plate with wax paper to lift the cake off the plate and layer the cakes. I would not place it on a rack as this would only create lines in the cake as they cooled. Also - I don't know if I'd use Southern Comfort again - I'd try a dark spiced rum. I used a fair amount of SC on the cakes and couldn't taste any flavor. I also would NOT refrigerate the cake when complete. It feels like the coconut oil in the cakes reacted to the coldness of the frig and dried the cake out the next day. The cake was NOT as moist and creamy as it was the first day. It was also hard to arrange the toasted coconut on the frosting when it was cold. Overall the flavor of the cake wasn't the same or as good the next day after having sat in the frig. Next time I'd keep the cake in the microwave (not turned on) to keep the moisture of the cake. Definitely would make again!

• StAugustineGal

• Matlacha, Florida

• 4/9/2012

This cake was beautiful and delicious. A definite keeper. Served it for Easter. Even those who don't like coconut loved it. I removed it from the oven as soon as I saw the layers pulling away from the sides of the pan. The tops of the cake were just lightly browned. My cake was very moist. I also made it two days before using and I think that letting a cake sit encased in frosting sometimes makes it more moist too. The flaked coconut on the sides gave a nice texture contrast and was so beautiful. I did not cut the layers in half, so mine was "only" four layers. Can't wait to make it again.

• Anonymous

• Downers Grove

• 4/9/2012

This cake was kind of disappointing. I followed the directions as written. As one reviewer mentioned, it was quite dry. It did not have an overpowering coconut taste - in fact, we found it quite tasteless - just thin layers separated by overly sweet frosting. To its credit, it did look beautiful, but that was about it.

• susanh

• Montreal, Quebec

• 4/9/2012

I just wanted to give a 'tip' I learned about making the horizontal thin slices, I saw a Chef use 'dental floss' to slice across & make thin layers. It may have been Alton Brown but I'm not sure. I didn't rate this because I havent made this yet, can't wait to!

• Me_Want_Chocolate

• 3/30/2012