1-Preheat your oven: preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease, flour, and line three 8-inch round cake pans. This preparation step is key to preventing sticking and ensuring even baking, just like in the detailed directions we’ve got here.

2-Mix dry ingredients and butter: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the softened butter pieces one at a time, mixing until the mixture looks sandy that’s the reverse creaming method that creates a soft crumb. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, then gradually add this to the dry mix, scraping the bowl as you go.

3-Folding and Baking the Batter: Once your batter is mixed, gently fold in the sweetened shredded coconut and coarsely chopped pecans for that signature texture and flavor. Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs not wet batter. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting them onto wire racks.

4-Prepare the frosting and assemble: For the frosting, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth, then add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until it’s creamy. To assemble, level the cake layers if needed, spread frosting between them, apply a crumb coat, chill for 15 minutes, and finish with a generous layer. If you want, pipe swirls and press on chopped pecans and toasted coconut for decoration.