This vegan coconut cake is bursting with flaky coconut and sweet coconut flavor. Slathered in dairy-free cream cheese frosting and sprinkled in shredded coconut, it's like a tropical getaway for your face!
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly oil and line the bottoms of a couple 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper.
Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
In a smaller bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk, coconut oil, vinegar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract.
Beat the ingredients together using an electric mixer at high speed, just until combined, about 1 minute.
Fold in the coconut.
Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans.
Bake the cake layers for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
Transfer the cake layers to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Beat the cream cheese, butter, and coconut extract together using an electric mixer at high speed. Beat until creamy.
Begin beating in the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Add as much powdered sugar as you need to give the frosting a creamy, spreadable consistency.
Invert one of the cooled cake layers on a plate and peel off the parchment paper. Spread the top of the layer with a thick coat of frosting.
Invert the second cake layer over the first and peel off the parchment paper.
Spread the remaining frosting all over the outside of the cake.
Press shredded coconut evenly into the frosting.
Slice and serve.