Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake
Spring may have officially arrived (at least according to the calendar), but Mother Nature has other plans for us in Wyoming, where we still have a few feet of snow on the ground. Fortunately, it can still taste like spring if I turn my back to the window and make this pretty Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake in my kitchen. I mean, just look at that sunny yellow center....I'm warming up already.
If you're new here, I should tell you that I love Bundts. I literally wrote the book on them. And this one, featuring a sweet coconut cake filled with a bright yellow lemon curd, is one of my all-time favorites. That's saying a lot. Although this dessert is perfect way to welcome spring or celebrate Easter, it ironically resembles a snowball once it's iced and coated in shredded coconut. I guess that makes it particularly perfect for spring in Wyoming!
Watch a quick video showing how this beautiful Bundt cake comes together:
These are the ingredients you will need to make Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake
Please check recipe card below for exact quantities
Lemon Curd
- Eggs: 3 large eggs and 3 egg yolks
- Granulated Sugar
- Cornstarch: Helps to thicken the lemon curd. We are looking for a thicker curd in this recipe, as it is used for the Bundt's filling, and needs to stay put when the Bundt is sliced!
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is preferred, but bottled juice may be substituted.
- Lemon Zest: My favorite tool for zesting citrus is a Microplane. It makes the process very easy and it is one of my top 5 favorite kitchen tools.
- Kosher Salt
- Butter: Unsalted so that you can control the saltiness of the curd.
Coconut Bundt Cake
- All Purpose Flour: Substitute equal amounts of your favorite Gluten-Free flour blend for a GF recipe.
- Baking Powder/Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt
- Butter: Unsalted, room temperature
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs: Large, separated. See Step-by-Steps and FAQs below for specifics on beating the eggs whites and folding them into the batter.
- Cream of Coconut: Don't confuse cream of coconut with coconut milk! The former is a thick, sweet liquid made from fresh coconut. Look for it in the cocktail condiments section of your grocery store or in a liquor store.
- Coconut Extract: Just a small amount punches up the coconut flavor of the cake.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract preferred, but imitation may be substituted.
- Buttermilk
Coconut Frosting
- Confectioners' Sugar
- Butter: Unsalted
- Marshmallow Fluff: One 7-ounce jar, typically found in the baking aisle of your grocery store, next to the marshmallows.
- Heavy Cream: Also called whipping (35%) cream
- Coconut Extract
- Sweetened Flaked Coconut: Do not use all unsweetened coconut, as it will be used to coat the cake. If you want a less-sweet flavor profile, you can use a 50/50 combination of sweetened and unsweetened flaked coconut.
So how, exactly, do I make this Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake?
I'm so glad you asked! Here are some step-by-step photos and instructions that I've prepared to assist you along the way.
Part 1: Lemon Curd
Step 1: I n a medium heatproof bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks until blended. In a medium saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and water over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture boils and thickens.
Step 2: Gradually add the lemon mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly until blended so that you don't scramble the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Finally, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking to incorporate. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, 5-6 minutes or until thickened.
Step 3: Transfer the curd to a clean heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of the curd. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.
Part 2: Coconut Bundt Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Spray your Bundt pan evenly with nonstick baking spray (see FAQ section.) In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Next, add egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in coconut cream, coconut extract and then vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, alternately beat in the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beating until incorporated.
Step 3: In a separate medium bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld mixer on medium speed until firm peaks form. Firm peaks mean that the whites stand up on their own and don't bend over when the beater is lifted from the bowl. Using a spatula, carefully fold egg whites into batter in two additions (see FAQ section, below, for tips on folding). Transfer batter to the prepared Bundt pan and then smooth the top.
Step 4: Bake cake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester or thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Part 3: Fill the Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake
Step 1: Return the cooled cake to its cleaned and dried pan. Using a paring knife, cut a circle around the cake, straight down, about 1 inch from the outer edge and reaching about â…” deep into the pan (don't cut all the way through!) Next, cut a second circle parallel to the first, about 1 inch from the inner edge of the cake, also reaching about â…” down, forming a ring inside the cake. Cut lines across the inner ring until you have 8-10 equal sections.
Step 2: Working with one section at a time, carefully cut and lift out the inner ring of the cake, keeping the top section intact. You will return these pieces to the pan to cover up the filling, so don't eat them or throw them away!
Step 3: Dig out any excess cake, creating a "moat" that extends evenly around the inside of the cake, about ⅔ deep. Give the chilled lemon curd a quick stir and then spoon it into the moat, filling to about ½ inch from the top.
Step 4: Trim the bottoms of the cut out cake sections so that they will fit on top of the filling. Piece the sections back together on top of the filling, covering the filling completely and pressing lightly to adhere. Next, carefully invert the cake back onto a serving plate
Part 4: FROSTING the Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake!
Step 1: Prepare the easy coconut marshmallow frosting according to the recipe card, below. Spread frosting all over the cake, covering it completely. Don't worry if the frosting isn't even when covering the cake. The coconut will cover it up and give it a pretty "snowball" effect!
Step 2: Press coconut into the side, top and interior of the cake, covering it completely. Serve chilled.
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about this recipe:
This cake is best enjoyed the day that it is frosted and filled, but it will keep nicely for up to 3 days, covered and chilled in the refrigerator. The lemon curd can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. Â Store, covered, in the refrigerator. I actually recommend making the Bundt cake itself one day in advance and storing, tightly wrapped, at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The crumb is a bit tighter after having some time to rest, making the cake easier to slice and serve. Â Â
Yes! Simply substitute equal amounts of a good gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour in this recipe.
Folding egg whites into batter helps to incorporate air into the batter, making the resulting cake lighter and fluffier. To do this, add about half of your egg whites to the batter. Starting at the bottom of the bowl, scrape the spatula up the side of the bowl, and then "fold" the batter over the egg whites. Repeat this motion until the egg whites are incorporated into the batter, being careful not to overmix.
Once the first portion of egg whites has been fully incorporated, add the remaining egg whites. 
I've baked hundreds of Bundts over the years, and my number one suggestion for preventing them from sticking to their pans is to use a nonstick baking spray (such as Pam for Baking or Baker's Joy.) These products contain a mix of flour and oils, mimicking the "butter and flour" method that was used for years before they hit the market. Use a pastry brush or a paper towel to ensure that your coat every crevice of your Bundt pan!
Looking for more Bundt recipes (100 more, to be exact)? Check out my cookbook, Beautiful Bundts
Really REALLY love Bundts? Here are a few more recipes from my collection:
- Chocolate Valentine's Day Bundt Cake
- Banana Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
- Chocolate Orange Pecan Kugelhopf
Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 1 handheld electric mixer
- 1 stand mixer, fitted with paddle optional, see Notes
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 2 large lemons zested
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Coconut Cake
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperture
- 3 large eggs separated, room temperature
- 1 cup cream of coconut
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 18 tablespoon buttermilk (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
Coconut Frosting
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 7 oz jar marshmallow cream
- 5 tablespoon heavy or whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
Prepare Lemon Curd
- In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks until blended.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and water over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture boils and thickens.
- Gradually add lemon mixture to eggs, whisking constantly until blended. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking to incorporate. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, 5-6 minutes or until thickened.
- Transfer curd to a clean heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of the curd. Chill 3 hours or overnight.
Make Coconut Bundt Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray your Bundt pan evenly with nonstick baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (see Notes), beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in coconut cream, coconut extract and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beating until incorporated.
- In a separate medium bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (see Notes).
- Using a spatula, carefully fold egg whites into batter in two additions (see FAQ section for tips on folding). Transfer batter to the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.
- Bake cake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester or thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Cake can be wrapped and stored overnight at this point. See Notes section.)
- Return cooled cake to its cleaned and dried pan. Using a paring knife, cut a circle around the cake, straight down, about 1 inch from the outer edge and reaching about â…” deep into the pan (don't cut all the way through!)
- Cut a second circle parallel to the first, about 1 inch from the inner edge of the cake, also reaching about â…” down, forming a ring inside the cake.
- Cut lines across the inner ring until you have 8-10 equal sections.
- Working with one section at a time, carefully cut and lift out the inner ring of the cake, keeping the top section intact. You will return these pieces to the pan to cover up the filling.
- Dig out any excess cake, creating a "moat" that extends evenly around the inside of the cake, about â…” deep.
- Give the chilled lemon curd a quick stir and spoon it into the moat, filling to about ½ inch from the top.
- Trim the bottoms of the cut out cake sections so that they will fit on top of the filling. Piece the sections back together on top of the filling, covering the filling completely and pressing lightly to adhere. Carefully invert the cake back onto a serving plate.
Prepare Frosting and Decorate the Bundt!
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat confectioners' sugar and butter on medium speed until combined. Beat in marshmallow cream, 3 tablespoon of the heavy cream and coconut extract. Increase speed to medium high and beat until frosting is light, fluffy and very spreadable. Beat in more cream if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting reaches desired consistency.
- Spread frosting all over the cake, covering it completely (see Notes!)
- Press coconut into the side, top and interior of the cake, covering it completely. Serve chilled.
Video
Notes
- Although a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment is helpful in this recipe, you can also make it using only a standard hand mixer. Â Just make sure that the beaters are clean and grease-free before whipping the egg whites for the cake.Â
- Don't worry if the frosting isn't perfectly even when covering the cake. Â The coconut will cover it up, giving a pretty "snowball" effect!Â
- The lemon curd can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. Â Store, covered, in the refrigerator.Â
- When beating egg whites, use a clean dry bowl. Â "Stiff" peaks mean that the whites stand up on their own and don't bend over when the beater is lifted from the bowl.Â
- For best results, wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight before filling. Â This will make it easier to cut and remove the sections of the filling.Â
- This cake is best enjoyed the day that it is frosted and filled, but it will keep nicely for up to 3 days, covered and chilled in the refrigerator.Â
