Glazed Coconut Cake

The glaze is what makes this coconut cake special. Hot sugar syrup spiked with coconut flavoring gets poured directly over the warm cake while it’s still in the tube pan, then the whole thing sits for four hours. Every bit of that syrup soaks down through the crumb, turning a sturdy cake into something dense, sweet, and saturated with coconut flavor.

The buttermilk batter is oil-based rather than butter-based, which keeps the crumb moist and tender even after the long soak. Flaked coconut and chopped nuts folded into the batter give it texture and chew, and a full 2 teaspoons of coconut flavoring in the batter plus another teaspoon in the syrup means this cake tastes like coconut through and through.

Don’t rush the 4-hour rest. The cake needs that time to absorb the syrup evenly. Try to unmold it early and the top will be soggy while the bottom stays dry.

Kitchen Tips

• Grease and flour the tube pan thoroughly; this sticky cake needs to release cleanly after soaking
• Pour the syrup slowly over the cake so it absorbs rather than pooling and running off the sides
• Oil-based cakes stay moist longer than butter cakes; this keeps well covered at room temperature for 3-4 days
• Run a knife around the edges before unmolding after the full 4-hour soak

Variations

• Lime coconut: Add 1 tablespoon of lime zest to the batter and a squeeze of lime juice to the syrup
• Toasted coconut top: After unmolding, press toasted coconut flakes onto the glazed exterior
• Rum glaze: Add 2 tablespoons of dark rum to the sugar syrup for a boozy, tropical twist