Traditionally associated with the American South, this creamy cake usually consists of at least two thick sponges coated with a coconut-flavored pastry cream or a simple meringue. The whole cake is decorated with buttercream or a cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of desiccated coconut.

Once an irreplaceable element of every birthday party, the traditional coconut cake nowadays appears in numerous versions, which often employ citrus or almond flavors, or the slightly tart lemon curd.