Easy Coconut Loaf Cake

A simple and delicious quick bread that comes together in minutes, this easy coconut loaf cake is a favorite for breakfast and dessert! Perfectly moist and deliciously sweet with a delicate coconut flavor in every bite.

Happy almost Mother’s Day to all of you baker mamas out there! I hope your weekend is filled with all of your favorite things and that the little people in your life spoil you rotten. You deserve it! I for one have big plans to put my feet up and let the kiddos handle all the cooking {and baking!} this Mother’s Day, starting with this perfectly sweet and super moist frosted coconut loaf. Some may call it cake. Or bread. Call it what you will, but I call it incredibly delicious. There’s just so much to love about a loaf cake. You get all the flavor of a full size cake with minimal effort and there are zero fancy decorating skills required. Hint, hint kiddos….you got this!

This coconut loaf cake is high on my list of favorite things and I can’t wait to enjoy a slice for breakfast tomorrow. And dessert. Cuz it’s just that good.

I love this coconut loaf cake because it’s so easy to make and the flavor isn’t over powering. It has a delicate coconut taste that shines through in every bite and it pairs perfectly with a glass of milk or a cuppa tea. And it doesn’t hurt that it looks pretty but only takes two minutes to decorate. Just pour on a thick layer of the 3-ingredient coconut frosting and dust generously in sweetened coconut. It’s that easy!

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE COCONUT LOAF CAKE

This simple loaf cake is easy to throw together with just a few ingredients that you probably already have hiding in your pantry.

Flour. No fancy flour required for this recipe. Just spoon and level your regular all purpose flour and you’re good to go!

Eggs. Eggs help to give this loaf a gentle rise and a soft, cakey texture. Be sure to use room temperature eggs for best results. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge in advance, just pop them into a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes before you mix your batter.

Coconut oil. We use melted coconut oil as the fat in this recipe rather than regular oil or butter. It helps deliver that subtle but mouthwatering coconut flavor in every bite. Be sure your coconut is melted, but cool to the touch before adding to your batter.

Greek yogurt. I almost always add full fat greek yogurt to my loaf cakes for a moist, fluffy texture. I even use a scoop of greek yogurt to thicken the frosting for this coconut loaf cake. If you don’t have greek yogurt you can substitute sour cream or whole milk plain yogurt.

Sweetened coconut. The shredded coconut gets mixed right into the batter and we add a layer on top of the frosting for extra coconut-y flavor. I love those bits of sweet coconut in the cake. I recommend chopping the coconut shreds up before adding to the batter so you aren’t stuck with any long strands of coconut in the cake.

Coconut milk. For that triple dose of all natural coconut flavor, we add a bit of thick coconut milk to the recipe. This is the kind that you find in the can with the thick cream layer on the top and the coconut water on the bottom. Pro-tip: pour the coconut milk into a bowl and use a whisk to mix well. Then measure off what you need for the cake and the frosting. You can store the left over milk in the refrigerator for another day.

Lemon zest. You could certainly make this coconut cake without any citrus flavor added at all. But the combination of lemon and coconut is so refreshing and delicious that I highly recommend you follow the recipe as written. Lemon is one of my favorite flavors to bake with and I wouldn’t steer you wrong. You’ll need two full tablespoons of lemon zest so you’ll need about two regular sized lemons.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST LOAF CAKE

Use room temperature ingredients. I say it every time, but this tip cannot be stressed enough. Stick with this golden rule and your loaf cakes will bake up perfectly every time. Take your eggs, yogurt, and milk out of the fridge in advance to reach room temperature and be sure the melted coconut oil is not hot or you will risk scrambling the eggs. Take it from me, it’s not pretty.

Do not over mix your batter. For soft, fluffy cake be sure to mix the batter until it’s just barely combined. Over mixing the ingredients can lead to a dense, gummy cake. Once you have added the dry ingredients, mix the batter until a few streaks of flour remain and stop there. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top just once with a knife or spatula.

Bake until golden brown. Be sure to watch your oven to be sure the cake is not browning to quickly on top. If the cake is not fully baked but the top looks nearly done, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs remaining. Don’t be tempted to over bake the loaf as it will be dry and crumbly.

Cool the cake completely. We don’t want that sweet coconut frosting sliding right off the top of the cake so wait for the cake to cool completely. I like make this cake ahead and frost it the next day. The triple dose of coconut paired with the greek yogurt makes this cake super moist and it’s even better the next day after the flavors have soaked in.

HOW TO STORE A LOAF CAKE

This loaf cake is so delicious I’m not sure there will be single crumb left over. If you do, store it at room temperature tightly covered. The cake will hold it’s moisture and gets more flavorful by the minute. I also like to double the batch and freeze a loaf for another day. You can freeze the whole loaf unfrosted by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and sealing in a plastic bag for up to three months. To defrost the cake, unwrap it and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours. To freeze already frosted slices of the cake, simply wrap each slice in plastic wrap and freeze flat. The frosting will flatten out a bit but the cake will still taste amazing.

This simple coconut loaf cake makes the most delicious, indulgent dessert and believe me when I tell you it’s even better for breakfast. This moist and tender quick bread is a real crowd pleaser and it’s the perfect flavor for spring so be sure to bookmark this recipe for all of your cake eating occasions. And if you love a good loaf cake as much as I do, check out this round up for 10 Delicious Loaf Cakes for Mother’s Day. There’s a little something for everyone to enjoy.

Happy Mother’s Day and happy baking!

If you like this Coconut Loaf Cake, you’ll also love:

Coconut Cake Donuts

Classic Vanilla Pound Cake

Easy Lemon Bundt Cake

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