Coconut Frosting

5 from 1 vote

This easy coconut frosting recipe is a tropical twist on my delicious Ermine frosting. It adds coconut milk, shredded coconut, and coconut extract to create the perfect balance of sweetness and natural flavor!

Prep Time15

Waiting time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 580kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Coconut Frosting

200 g Granulated sugar
40 g Flour
240 g Coconut milk use high fat coconut milk
226 g Unsalted butter 82% fat content European-style butter, use it softened
½ tablespoon Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon Salt
90 g Shredded coconut
Pure coconut extract optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Combine sugar and flour in a saucepan and cook at medium heat for 2 minutes. Then, slowly add the coconut milk and cook for a further 3-5 minutes until the mixture thickens like a pudding.
Place this paste into a shallow bowl and cover the entire surface with plastic wrap to avoid skin forming on top. Let it come to room temperature.
Then, soften your butter. Buttercream can only be made with the right temperature butter that is neither cold, nor soft or runny.
Prepare a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, use your electric hand mixer.
Cream the room-temperature butter at medium-high speed for 3 minutes until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture.
Then, add the room temperature paste into the butter in 4 batches, then whip it for another 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and increases in volume
Lastly, add the vanilla extract, salt and shredded coconut and continue whipping for another minute until it is smooth and silky.
For an even stronger coconut flavor, consider adding pure coconut extract made from natural coconut extractives.
At this point, the Coconut frosting should have the perfect pipeable fluffy texture. If, for some reason, it is too thin, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Note that the frosting texture is best when the butter is at the right temperature (room temperature), and the mixture is freshly whipped. I like to use the frosting immediately or store it at room temperature in a piping bag for a few hours. If stored in the refrigerator, you will need to bring it back to room temperature before using it and might need to give it another minute or two to whip in the stand mixer to increase the volume again.

Notes

The recipe above is enough to frost 12 cupcakes generously.

To frost cakes, you will need approximately 2x for a 6-inch cake, 2.5x for a 7-inch cake, and 3x for an 8-inch cake (depending on how much frosting vs. sponge ratio you prefer on your cakes and whether you are using any other filling in between the layers).

Ingredient notes:

Measure your ingredients with a Digital scale for accuracy.
Use good quality high fat (82%) butter for making buttercream.
It is key to use high quality vanilla for the best flavor, feel free to try my homemade vanilla extract.
This frosting already has a medium coconut flavor, however, you can further enhance it with coconut extract. Make sure to only use high quality pure coconut extract which has a lovely natural coconut flavor.

Technique notes:

Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone cannot cover all the necessary details, and science behind baking.
The temperature and texture of the butter are key when making this frosting. Wait until it is soft, however, avoid last-minute microwaving.
Do not add the coconut milk flour cooked paste before it reaches room temperature. If it is too hot, it will melt the butter, resulting in a buttercream soup.

Nutrition