Coconut Snowball Cake

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This show-stopping coconut snowball cake is fit for a festive Christmas party! Three layers of soft and fluffy coconut cake are enveloped by a sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting and coated in shredded coconut for a winter wonderland snowball effect.

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 28

Total Time 1 28

Servings8 slices

Coursecake

CuisineAmerican

AuthorSloane

Equipment

Ingredients

For the coconut cake layers:

210 g (1 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour
162 g (¾ cup +1 tbsp) granulated sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
76 g (5 ½ tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
50 g (¼ cup) neutral oil
227 g (1 cup) coconut sour cream, or yogurt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
80 g (1 cup) unsweetened shredded coconut
2 egg whites

For the cream cheese frosting:

227 g (16 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
12 oz (1 ½ blocks) cream cheese, cold
340 g (3 cups) powdered sugar, sifted

For decorating:

unsweetened shredded coconut
rosemary sprigs
mini candy canes

Instructions

For the coconut cake layers:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line three 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Soak cake strips in ice water.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut up the butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until it resembles wet sand.
Add the oil, coconut sour cream, vanilla, and coconut extract, and mix until just combined.
Fold in the shredded coconut until evenly distributed.
In a separate medium bowl, add the egg whites. Use an electric hand mixer to whip them until medium peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans. Wrap the cake strips around the outsides of the pans.
Bake for about 25-28 minutes or until the cakes start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Immediately turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature or freeze until ready to decorate. (Frozen cake layers will be much easier to frost!)

For the cream cheese frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined. Once all of the powdered sugar is added, continue beating on low speed until no more lumps or pockets of air remain and the frosting is smooth.

For assembly:

Secure the first cake layer on the cake stand with a small amount of frosting on the bottom. Using an offset spatula, spread on an even layer of frosting, then place the second cake layer on top.
Spread an even layer (or crumb coat) of frosting along the top and outside of the cake, then place in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
Take the cake out of the fridge and spread a thicker layer of frosting on the cake.
Coat the whole cake in shredded coconut. Top with rosemary sprig "trees" and mini candy canes if desired.

Notes

Use cake strips to create flat cake layers. Soak these wilton cake strips in ice water before starting the cake batter. Just before baking, wrap the cake strips around the pan. The cold temperature on the outside of the cake will prevent the edges from baking faster than the center, resulting in an evenly baked flat cake.
Use cold cream cheese & room temperature butter. In order to create a sturdy, pipeable cream cheese frosting, pay close attention to the temperature of the ingredients. Cold cream cheese will ensure it's thick enough, while room temperature butter will ensure all of the ingredients cream together properly.
Sift the powdered sugar. I know it can be a pain, but trust me, sifting your powdered sugar before adding it to the frosting is so worth it! If you don't sift it, you'll need to mix the frosting on low speed for a long time to smooth it out. This also runs the risk of agitating the milk solids, creating a grainy frosting.

Nutrition Facts

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