Lemon Coconut Loaf with Pecans

This lush lemon loaf is delicious any time of day! You’re going to love this simple but amazing recipe.

This is a similar recipe to my German Chocolate Pound Cake, in that it starts with a canister of coconut pecan frosting. But that’s where the similarities end! 

Tropical Cakes are so Delicious!

I love a lush tropical cake. If you don’t believe me, just check out some of my other offerings on this page. I’ve got a delicious Pineapple coconut cake with lime. And my Hummingbird cake has tropical vibes, too. 

But today’s cake? Well, it takes some of those ideas and merges them into something you didn’t see coming – a lemon loaf, filled with coconut and the tiniest crunch of pecans. 

Lemon and coconut go together

And don’t you dare argue with me! Those two flavors were born to go together. The super sweet flaky coconut complements the tart, tangy lemon perfectly. 

That’s actually how I came up with the idea for this cake. I had a lemon cake mix. And you guys know I’m all about starting with a box of cake mix. 

I also had a couple of canisters of coconut pecan frosting left over after baking my Butter Pecan pound cake. 

At first, it didn’t make any sense in my imagination – to pair the two. But once I settled the issue in my head that I would turn this into a lemon coconut loaf. . .well, everything changed. 

I’ll tell you more about how this little experiment turned out in a bit but let’s start by breaking down the ingredients. 

Lemon Coconut Loaf Ingredients

You will find a full recipe card at the bottom of this post (perfect for printing) but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store. 

• coconut milk (room temperature)
• large eggs (room temperature)
• butter, completely softened
• lemon extract (or fresh lemon juice)
• lemon cake mix, any brand
• shredded sweetened coconut flakes
• coconut pecan frosting

How to Make this Luscious Lemon Coconut Loaf

This was such a simple one to make, y’all! I honestly can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner! 

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. 

Prepare two loaf pans by spraying with Baker’s Joy or other non-stick baking spray. 

Measure out a cup of the coconut milk. (I had some left over for another project!) 

Warm the butter for about 30 seconds until it starts to break down. You don’t want a liquid but it has to be softened.

Place the coconut milk, butter, eggs, and lemon extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. 

Blend for 2 – 3 minutes at medium speed until the eggs start to look a bit foamy. 

The coconut milk and butter will leave your liquids looking a tiny bit clumpy, perhaps, but don’t worry about that. Those baby bits of butter and coconut fats will be the perfect addition to your cake mix! 

Add the full canister of coconut pecan frosting, mixing very slowly until it has merged with the wet ingredients. 

Fold in one cup of coconut flakes. 

Now it’s time to add that dry lemon cake mix. 

Mix well until dry ingredients are fully incorporated with the other wet ingredients. 

Your batter will be lush and filled with texture. (It’s gorgeous!) 

Transfer to the two prepared pans. The batter should fill each loaf pan to the halfway point, perhaps a bit higher. 

(Note: If you like, you can add a piece of parchment paper to the bottom and sides of the loaf tin.)

Pop into the preheated oven and bake for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. The crust should be golden brown.

Place on wire racks to cool. 

After about 10 or 15 minutes you can turn out the loaves directly onto the wire rack to continue cooling. 

If you like, you can sprinkle cooled cake with powdered sugar. Slice and serve! 

You can store this loaf at room temperature if you like, but I think it’s delicious cold. It’s just a matter of preference. 

It will stay fresh at room temperature for 2 – 3 days. Refrigerated, you can eat it for 4 – 5 days. You can even freeze this in an airtight container up to two weeks. Allow to thaw naturally. 

What to Expect from this Lemon Coconut Loaf Cake

Well, I have a little confession to make. I know you’re not supposed to sample raw cake batter, but I couldn’t help myself. 

Call it curiosity. Call it impulsivity. I had to stick my finger in that luscious batter to see what we were dealing with. 

I’m here to tell you, this is it, folks. I thought, as I sampled that delicious lemon coconut batter: “This might be the best cake I’ve ever made.” 

Okay, I said that a few times before: like with my Coconut pineapple cake. And my Italian Cream cake. 

But this time. . .well, let’s just say my hopes were very high. And they remained high after I saw how these cake baked it. 

It took everything inside of me not to slice these cakes while hot. But I know for a fact that lemon cakes are better completely cooled. Cold, even. So, I did my best to wait. 

I’m thrilled to report that it was worth the wait!

I’m over the moon for this delicious lemony cake. I think it was the coconut milk that did it. It took the recipe right over the edge. And that zesty lemon flavor. . .yum!

The one thing I wasn’t sure about (the caramel in the frosting) ended up being the thing that made all the difference. I was afraid it would overwhelm the lemon flavor. On the contrary, it enhanced it. And those moist crumbs. . .delicious!

I say this a lot, but this is definitely going on my top ten list. I can’t wait to bake this for my friends. I think I might just take this to my next writer’s meeting. This is one of those quick breads you can make in a hurry!

Variations on this Lemon Coconut Cake Recipe

You guys know I’m always changing up delicious recipes to further enhance them. I mean, this is a baking blog, after all. Bakers love to experiment. That said, here are a few things I might try adding to this sweet bread next time: 

Pineapple: I don’t know how or if it would work, but I’d like to try to add some pineapple. I might pull back some on the coconut milk so there’s not too much liquid in the cake. Maybe even skip it altogether and add a can of crushed pineapple in place of the coconut milk. Who knows. Regardless, it’s going to be worth a try. 

Blueberries: I love lemon and blueberries together, though I’ve never tried them with the coconut element added. I suspect this would send the cake over the edge! The pop of flavor from those berries would probably be divine! 

Toasted coconut on top: I had this idea before I popped the loaves in the oven, that it might be fun to add some fresh coconut on top. I wasn’t sure if it would burn, since the loaves have to bake for so long. If I try this next time I’ll probably leave the loaves uncovered for the first half hour, then place a piece of foil over them for the final half hour of the bake, so the coconut doesn’t burn. (I love toasted coconut so anything I can do to add more coconut flavor is all right by me!) 

Turbinado sugar: To add more crunch to the top of this tropical lemon loaf recipe, you could sprinkle with turbinado sugar or coconut sugar before baking. 

Lemon curd or Lemon Syrup: To really enhance the lemon flavor, serve this loaf with fresh lemon curd. Slather it on and dive right in! Another option is a lemon syrup, which you could drizzle on top. (Or poke holes into the loaves and let the syrup run down into the loaf.)

Lemon glaze and coconut shreds: You can always top this lemon coconut bread with a lemony glaze and some shredded coconut. Delicious!

Cream cheese frosting on top: Lemon and cream cheese just go together!

Other Lemony Delights from Out of the Box Baking

I’ve got a bunch of other lemon-themed desserts on this blog. Here are some fan favorites: 

Lemon Pound Cake Cookies: They’re light, they’re fluffy, and they’re packed full of lemony goodness. These little Lemon Pound Cake Cookies are delicious and incredibly easy to make! Talk about a great recipe!

Lemon Lush (Lemon Oreo Dessert): If you love the light, bright flavor of lemon in a rich trifle-like dessert you’re going to adore this lovely Lemon Oreo Lush. It’s simple to make and loaded with your favorite cookies—Oreos!

Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake: If you love delicious coffee cake and you’re also a fan of blueberries, I’ve got an amazing recipe for you. This easy bundt cake is the best of both worlds, a luscious blueberry coffee cake made with rich sour cream!

Luscious Lemon Bars: They’re tart, sweet, crisp and creamy. These luscious lemon bars are all of the above. . .and then some!

Strawberry Lemon Creme Scones: The juicy berries, the tartness of the lemon zest. . .wow! Talk about a flavor explosion! This is one of those delicious dessert recipes you can whip up in a hurry!

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious tender coconut lemon loaf cake recipe. 

See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

The Lazy Gastronome

Busy Monday

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.