Coconut cake is a layered cake made with coconut worked into the batter, frosting, or both, typically using coconut milk, shredded coconut, or coconut extract for flavor. It's especially associated with the American South, where it's a traditional centerpiece for celebrations, frosted with a coconut buttercream or a whipped cream and coconut mixture and often finished with shredded coconut on the outside. Similar coconut-based cakes and desserts appear throughout the Caribbean and other coconut-growing regions, under different names and forms. The base is usually a plain butter or white cake; the coconut is what defines the flavor and finish.