Dessert Recipes — The Coconut Cake That Marks Every Milestone

One year since CJ and Shanice married. They drove to the beach for the weekend — the same rental in the panhandle as their honeymoon — and CJ texted me a photograph of Shanice standing in the water with her hands out and her face up and the sun on her, and the pearl ring on her right hand visible even from that distance, and beneath the photo he wrote: "a good year." Two words. Right amount.

A good year is an understatement in the way that accurate understatements can be. It has been a year that held the purchase of a house and the full establishment of two professional lives and the navigation of what it means to be a Simms married into a family that carries its losses visibly and loves loudly and makes food at every occasion. Shanice has done all of this with a grace and a rootedness that is not performance. She does not work to fit in. She simply is who she is, and who she is fits here, which is the better outcome by far.

I baked them an anniversary cake and shipped it priority overnight: a three-layer coconut cake, the same as the one I made the night CJ called to say Shanice had said yes. I tied it with a ribbon and tucked a card inside that said: year one. You have many more. I told CJ about the coconut connection — the one I baked the night of the proposal — and he said, Mama, you've been baking milestones from the beginning. I said, I have. That's what kitchens are for. He said, that's going in the next edition of the cookbook. I said, there is no next edition. He said, there will be. He's probably right.

The cake I shipped to CJ and Shanice is the same one I’ve been making for decades — three layers, coconut cream between each one, covered in a coconut buttercream that holds up well even overnight in a box. I wasn’t looking for symbolism when I first baked it the night of the proposal; I just reached for what felt right, and coconut felt right, and now it’s theirs. If you’re marking something that matters — a year, a yes, a homecoming — this is the recipe I’d hand you.

Dessert Recipes: Three-Layer Coconut Cake

Prep Time: 40 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min (plus cooling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, well shaken
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (for batter)
• Coconut Cream Filling:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
• Coconut Buttercream:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3–4 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, for finishing

Instructions

1. Prepare the pans. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, and grease the parchment. Flour the sides lightly and tap out the excess.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 4–5 minutes until pale and very fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed.
4. Add eggs and extracts. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and coconut extracts.
5. Alternate wet and dry. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk (begin and end with flour). Mix just until combined — do not overmix. Fold in the shredded coconut by hand.
6. Bake the layers. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges pull slightly from the pan. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
7. Make the filling. Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and coconut extract to stiff peaks. Fold in the toasted shredded coconut. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble.
8. Make the buttercream. Beat the softened butter on medium-high until light, about 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low. Add the coconut milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Mix in the coconut extract and salt. Beat on medium for 2 minutes until fluffy.
9. Assemble the cake. Place the first cooled layer on a cake board or plate. Spread half the coconut cream filling evenly to the edges. Add the second layer and spread the remaining filling. Top with the third layer, bottom-side up for a flat surface.
10. Frost and finish. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the entire cake and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Apply a generous final coat of buttercream. Press the shredded coconut onto the sides and top while the frosting is still soft. Refrigerate until ready to serve or ship.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 680 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 38g | Carbs: 81g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 210mg