If you’re looking for a taste of the tropics, look no further than this lime and coconut cake. Punchy, tangy lime meets the unmistakeable taste of coconut. These two are the perfect combination.
Try this coconut and raspberry cake too.
Why you’ll love it
Because lime and coconut are meant to be together and because this single layer lime and coconut cake is brimming with flavour and rich texture.
- Not just for summer: This cake will brighten up your winter too.
- Perfect tea time treat
- Moist and tender
- Fluffy and light
- Loaded with both lime and coconut flavour
- Everyone will come back for seconds
I promise you’re going to love this cake. It’s just too delightful not to. Coconut cream gives the most amazing soft texture while filling this cake with coconut flavour. Then lime throughout and in the simple glaze on top, gives it a lovely tang.
Ingredients you’ll need
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Flour: You just need plain flour / all-purpose flour for this cake.
- Baking powder: Baking powder will give the cake it’s lift
- Salt: Just a touch of salt to balance.
- Coconut: This cake has fine desiccated coconut laced throughout. Feel free to top it with some coconut flakes too.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter.
- Sugar: Just white granulated sugar in the cake, then icing sugar (powdered sugar) for the simple glaze on top.
- Eggs: Use large eggs. Free range if you have the means.
- Coconut cream: Tinned full fat coconut cream gives this cake the most luscious texture. Give the tin a good shake before you use it. Coconut milk will work too but not give such a rich texture.
- Limes: Please use real lime juice and zest. The number of limes you need will depend on their size and how juicy they are but 2-4 will suit.
Tools you’ll need
- 1-2 mixing bowls and a jug
- Microplane for zesting the lime
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
- A silicone spatula
- An 8 inch round cake pan, or springform tin, or an 8 inch square pan.
How to make it
Lime and coconut cake is very simple and comes together like most cakes do. It’s quick and the lime glaze literally takes 1 minute to make.
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Cream butter and sugar: Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer until pale and creamy.
- Add eggs: Now add 3 eggs but 1 at a time and make sure to beat each until smooth. Also make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time.
- Dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and desiccated coconut in a bowl until well combined. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture the butter mixture.
- Wet ingredients: Mix together coconut cream and lime juice, then add half to the batter and mix it through. Repeat this process 3 more times – flour, cream, flour – until everything is incorporated.
- Bake: Pour the mixture into a prepared baking tin and bake until a toothpick poked into the centre comes out with just a crumb or two attached.
- Glaze it: Make the simple 2 ingredient by just mixing icing sugar and lime juice (or coconut cream) in a bowl, then pour it over the cooled cake.
Tips and variations
- Weigh ingredients: For the best results, always weigh flour and sugar where a weight is provided. A little too much flour can make a cake dry. Kitchen scales are cheap so worth investing in for perfect bakes. Storing ice cream
- All ovens vary: All ovens are different and often thermostats are out of whack. It’s a great idea to keep an oven thermometer in your oven (2 if it’s a large oven) so that you can keep an eye on the true temperature.
- Don’t overmix: Once you add flour to batter, the more you stir, the more gluten is formed which can create tough or dense cakes. Mix gently and only until just combined.
- The glaze: In the glaze you can use either lime juice, like I have here, or coconut cream.
Storage
This cake keeps well at room temperature for 3-4 days. It’s best on day 1 but still stays lovely and moist as time goes on (especially if it’s still mostly whole – so only cut what you need).
Coconut lime cake freezes well too. Thaw a whole cake in the fridge overnight or portions on the kitchen benchtop.
More recipes you’ll love
- Coconut and raspberry cake
- Lime and coconut scones
- Coconut chocolate fudge slice
- No bake coconut lemon slice
- Passionfruit coconut cupcakes
IF YOU TRY THIS lime coconut cake recipe, please take a moment to leave a rating and comment below. I love hearing from you, and it helps other readers too!
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Ingredients
- 195 g plain (all-purp) flour (1 ½ cups / 6.8oz)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup desiccated coconut (90g / 3.2oz)
- 113 g unsalted butter, softened (½ cup / 4oz)
- 1 cup white granulated sugar (200g / 7oz)
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup coconut cream, room temp (canned & shaken well)
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lime zest (about 2 limes)
FOR THE LIME GLAZE
- 1 ½ cups icing sugar (powdered sugar) (195g / 6.8oz)
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice (extra)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Grease then line with baking paper an 8 inch round baking pan or 8 inch spring form pan. Orr just line an 8 inch square tin with baking paper – no need to grease).
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the desiccated coconut then whisk it well to combine.
- In a large bowl using an electric beater or in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until lightened and fluffy, scraping around the bowl regularly (this can take 5-6 minutes).
- Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth and combined – scrape down the sides as necessary.
- In a small jug combine the coconut cream (shaken well first) and lime juice.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir in with a spatula until just combined. Now add ½ of the coconut cream mix and gently mix in. Repeat 3 more times – flour, cream, flour – mixing only until just combined each time.
- Finally, gently stir through the lime zest.
- Pour the cake batter into the lined baking tin and spread out evenly.
- Bake for around 42-44 minutes for a round 8 inch tin or 30-32 minutes in a square tin (or until a toothpick poked into the centre comes out with a few crumbs attached).
- Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, mix together the icing sugar and lime juice and drizzle the icing over the top. Scatter over coconut flakes.
- Please take a moment to leave a rating and comment below. It helps more than you know.
Notes
- For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
- All ovens vary – check for doneness 8-10 minutes before the recipe suggests.
- You’ll need 2-3 limes, depending on size and juiciness for this recipe.
- The lime juice and zest in this recipe can be swapped for other citrus fruits too – try lemon, orange or grapefruit.
- This cake can also be made in a loaf pan and will take around 60 minutes to bake.
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42 Comments on “Lime and Coconut Cake”
Made the cake and it was delicious!!
Just a quick question, could I use the same recipe to turn this into cupcakes or would I have to make any modifications?
I haven’t tested this in cupcake form. You could use this recipe for coconut cupcakes.
What a beautiful cake so easy to make light and fluffy.
I’m so happy you love it, Dot. Thanks so much for dropping back to review.
i loved the cake jus unfortunately Frosting recipe isn’t accurate it needed more than 1.5 tablespoon of lime to get to the consistency needed. i started with 1.5 tablespoon of lime but there was alot of sugar left .
Hi Alia. This just comes down to brands. Some icing sugars will require more liquid than others. So happy you love the cake.
Thanks for the information. I wasn’t aware that brand affects 😳
Quick note : the cake taste heaven the next day ❤️❤️❤️
Very welcome. Yes, it’s a bit like a mud cake in that the flavour and texture actually seem even better the next day.
I made this yesterday for today (my husbands birthday). The recipe worked beautifully and it will be a firm favourite from now on. Thank you for sharing it.
So happy to hear this, Vicky. Thanks so much for dropping back with a review.
Made this yesterday. Substituted yoghurt for the coconut cream, which we didn’t have. Absolutely gorgeous. Will definitely be making again.
Great swap, Christine. I’m so happy you love it 🙂
Hi Maria,
I am hoping to make this is one tier of a cake for my parents’ ruby wedding anniversary, but I need to make the cakes a week in advance – would this sponge freeze well, or is there too much moisture in it?
Thanks so much!
Hi Jules. It will freeze fine 🙂
Just wanting to let you know that I made the Lime & Coconut Cake yesterday and it was absolutely delicious. I have made many many cakes over many years, but this was outstanding.
Could you please let me know about your other cakes that are very popular and highly rated? I can only eat so much cake now that I am an empty nester, so your recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
Any thanks,
Angla
So happy you love it, Angela. This black magic cake and my flourless lemon cake always get amazing reviews. If you want to try a bundt cake, this chocolate coffee bundt cake is great and this coconut and raspberry loaf cake is a personal favourite. Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Maria, I’m Rose!
I made this and made a simple syrup with the extra lime juice and a little lemon instead! It tastes so good! Thanks for the recipe. I used self raising flour rather than plain and baking powder, but it came out just fine! I did have to put some tin foil over to stop over browning as it cooked, but it tastes great!
So happy you love it, Rose. Great swaps too!
Can you use regular shredded coconut (i think its sweetened)
Hello Becky. Shredded coconut isn’t as fine as desiccated so you could process in a food processor first just to cut it down in size. The sweetened version will add extra sweetness to the cake though.
425 calories?? Per portion ? Per cake? Still baking.
Hi Heather, per serve.
Super recette 👏.wonderfully easy recipe.taste delicious.😋😋. Will definitely Try with other citrus fruits.Thank you
So happy you love it, Christiane.
I made your Lime Coconut Cake today, and it is delicious. Another great recipe.
I will have to make it again for sure.
So happy to hear this, Linda. Thanks for making my recipe 🙂
Can I ask when you say coconut cream is it a block or a can ?
Hi Laura, I mean canned coconut cream. I’ll amend the recipe to be more clear.
I love this cake. It is moist and the icing gives it a nice sweet/tart taste. It goes perfect with tea!
I’m so happy to hear this, Kim.
Looks delicious! Will certainly try it out soon. Also, can I use fresh coconut milk extracted from a coconut fruit itself as a sub for the canned coconut milk?
Hi Ja Ni. I haven’t tried making coconut milk from scratch so I can’t say what the consistency is like in comparison to canned coconut milk. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
I made this sponge cake and it’s absolutely delicious. The sponge is really moist and the lime twang is just right. Highly recommend it, it’s really simple to do and the recipe is so easy to follow.
So happy you love it, Jeanette. Thanks for making it 🙂
We had some limes left in the fridge and I decided to bake this cake.
Best coconut&lime cake I’ve ever done.
Quick, moist and delicious!
So so happy to hear this, Lucky. Thanks so much for making my recipe 🙂
Enjoyed it, Fun to eat. Will make again. I usually use coco milk in my baking but im really loving this coco cream😋
So happy you love it, Ama. Truly appreciate you trying my recipe.
Delicious, moist, easy to make cake. Definitely on high rotation here!
So happy you love it 🙂
Made this cake today. It was so easy. Usually coconut cake can be a little dry but this one was nice and moist with a lovely hit of lime. Good job Marie.
So happy to hear you love it!