Food & Drink
The Fluffiest Coconut Cake
High Hampton’s pastry chef shares her recipe—and a step-by-step video

Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup coconut oil
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tbsp. Kosher salt
1 ¼ cups egg white
2 tbsp. coconut extract
1 ¼ tbsp. vanilla paste or extract
3 ¾ cups White Lily all purpose flour
1 ¾ cups coconut milk
⅓ cup heavy cream
For the Buttercream:
2 cups unsalted butter
2 ¼ cups confectioner's sugar
½ tbsp. vanilla paste or extract
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
¼ cup buttermilk
1 bag unsweetened, shredded coconut
Preparation
For the Cake:
Combine butter, coconut oil, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a Kitchen Aid mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, for 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add the egg whites one at a time, followed by the vanilla paste and coconut extract.
Ensure that you are scraping the bowl often to incorporate ingredients. On low, add one third of your flour, then alternate with the coconut milk/heavy cream, going back and forth, until all ingredients are combined.
Scrape the bowl, and allow it to mix a final time. In a butter and floured pan, Bake at 325°F Fahrenheit, for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then remove from pans and continue cooling on a cooling rack.
For the Buttercream:
Beat the soft butter and confectioners sugar in the Kitchen Aid until very light in color. Add the vanilla paste and salt, and mix to incorporate. Then add the buttermilk, beating until it is fluffy throughout. Be sure you are scraping down the bowl as you mix, to incorporate all of the butter.
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