Quick Coconut Cake with White Cake Mix: A Lifesaver

Sneak Peek: Quick Coconut cake with a White Cake Mix can be a lifesaver when you need a delicious cake in a hurry. It features a triple hit of coconut with coconut milk, cream of coconut, and shaved coconut. A good drenching with cream of coconut makes this cake moist and flavorful. The topping contains no cream cheese.

piece of coconut cake on a pile of platesPin

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Have you ever remembered you were supposed to bake something for the office party, a school function, or your Bible study group at 10:00 the night before, just as you were ready to crawl into bed? Hopefully, I’m not the only one.

Most of the time, I’m too proud (unfortunately) to run by the store and grab something in a hard plastic container, so I keep a few tricks in my pantry. I got this Easy Coconut Cake recipe from Amie, one of my favorite co-workers.  The coconut freaks at my work go crazy when she brings this cake.

Six reasons why you will appreciate this recipe

  1. Because this recipe uses a cake mix, there’s no flour to be measured, no butter to cream, and no eggs to separate.
  2. No layers. Use a 13 x 9-inch pan. You won’t have to cool the cake on a wire rack after it comes out of the oven–leave it in the pan to cool.
  3. It travels well, especially if you have a cover for your 13 x 9-inch pan.
  4. No coconut extract is needed. The coconut flavor comes from the coconut milk, shredded or flaked coconut, and the cream of coconut poured over the cake.
  5. You don’t have to make frosting. (No powdered sugar dust storms in your kitchen.) Whipped topping saves the day.
  6. The recipe is easy enough to bake with kids.

Happy Cooks Speak Up

This cake was delicious!!!! I am normally a “home made” baker and never use cake mixes but I have to say this cake has a permanent place in my dessert rotation!!! The only slight change I made was toasting the coconut that goes on top. Made it for a Mother’s Day gathering and it quickly disappeared!!!”PATTY H.

Here’s what you need

Stocking up on a few staples helps produce this kind of last-minute magic. For this coconut cream poke cake, I make sure to keep the following in my cabinet: 

  • WHITE CAKE MIX + EGGS(don’t keep these in your cabinet) and vegetable oil
  • COCONUT MILK: You will need coconut milk to substitute for the water in the cake mix. You can use low-fat coconut milk, but I prefer regular coconut milk.
  • CREAM OF COCONUT: Look for this in the alcoholic mixer part of your supermarket. But this doesn’t mean it contains alcohol. It does not.
  • SHAVED COCONUT: Shredded coconut is a suitable substitute if that’s what you have.
  • FROZEN WHIPPED TOPPING: Because this cake is best made the night before, frozen whipped topping is better than real whipped cream. Don’t worry. There is so much coconut goodness going on nobody will notice the topping is not real cream.

These ingredients can be stored for months in the pantry or the freezer. It’s my kind of recipe, as I would rather do a hundred push-ups (I detest push-ups) than make a midnight run to the grocery store.

If you’re a fan of making cakes with ingredients straight out of your pantry, do give this Extraordinary Glazed Chocolate Cake Made in a Food Processor a look. Except for the eggs and butter, you can stock up on the other ingredients for emergencies.


Baking tips for this quick Coconut Sheet Cake Dessert

1. Substitute coconut milk for water in the cake mix

Coconut milk makes the cake taste more decadent and less like a cake mix. However, if you don’t have coconut milk, you can use water instead.

I don’t use a cake mix very often, but my attempts to make this cake from scratch were unsatisfactory. The light and airy texture of a cake mix will soak up the cream of coconut better than any of my recipes.

2. Heat the cream of coconut before pouring it over the warm cake

In my opinion, slightly heating the coconut cream helps the cake absorb it readily. It also makes it easier to stir the cream of coconut before you pour it.

3. Are coconut milk and cream of coconut interchangeable?

While we’re on the topic, coconut milk and cream of coconut are radically different and are not interchangeable. The cream of coconut contains more fat than coconut milk.

can of coconut milk compared to cream of coconut Pin

4. Sprinkled shaved coconut instead of shredded coconut on top.

Shredded coconut will still be delicious if you can’t find shaved coconut flakes.

-large flaked coconutPin

5. How to poke holes in the cake

I used a K-bob stick to make the holes.  Amie uses the handle of a wooden spoon for maximum absorption. You could also use a fork or a chopstick.

Amie's Triple Coconut Cake--spreading topping on cakePin

Frost the chilled cake with thawed whipped topping before sprinkling flaked icing on top.

cut coconut cakePin
This easy coconut cake has shredded coconut on top, not shaved coconut.

FAQ about Coconut Cake

1. Can you add coconut milk to a box cake?

Absolutely. Coconut milk intensifies the coconut flavor.

2. Can you make a coconut cake with a white cake mix?

Yes. Adding coconut milk instead of the liquid listed on the box, covering the top of the cake with coconut, and soaking the cake with cream of coconut will transform a plain white cake into a luscious coconut cake.

3. What is the difference between coconut milk and cream of coconut?

Fat. Think of whole milk vs. heavy cream.

4. What kind of equipment do I need to make a box cake?

An electric mixer with a large bowl will give the best results.

5. Can I use a yellow cake mix instead of a white one?

Yes. I don’t think it is as visually appealing, but it will work.

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Parting thoughts: If you like to make cakes starting with a cake mix, be sure to check out my sister’s Swiss Chocolate Cake iced with whipped cream. It is her most requested cake. Speaking of easy…how about a pie without a crust? Take a look at my popular Crustless Apple Pie.


Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.


piece of coconut cake on a pile of platesPin
Yield: 12 servings

Coconut Cake with a Cake Mix

This easy cake is a coconut lover’s favorite and it travels well. Perfect for your next work party.

Rate this recipe

(5 stars if you loved it)

5 from 136 votes
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Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 white cake mix I like the Betty Crocker brand
  • 1-1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 15 ounce can cream of coconut
  • 8 ounce container of whipped topping
  • 1 cup flaked coconut

Instructions

  • Prepare cake mix according to directions on the box, substituting coconut milk for water in the mix. I like to use a stand mixer to mix it up. Bake in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Amie and I both thought the cake was done at least 5 minutes before the box directions predicted. If the cake over bakes, the crust will be too dry to absorb the cream of coconut.
  • While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over the top of the cake with a skewer, a toothpick, a chopstick, or even a fork.
  • Warm cream of coconut for 1-1/2 minutes on HIGH in the microwave and pour over the cake. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
  • Frost with 1 container of thawed, whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip). Sprinkle flaked coconut on top. Keep refrigerated.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 333mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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Recipe Rating




121 Comments

  1. Sandy Depew says:

    1 star
    It needed to cook longer, I think, it is very thick and heavy, but toothpick came out clean, so I thought it was done. It actually sank in the middle when I took out of oven. It is about half as tall as it should be. This sucked.

    1. Hi Sandy,

      Sounds like you had a very bad day. I hope today goes better. If you would like to troubleshoot with me, send an email to: paula at saladinajar.com. That way we can figure out what went wrong and get you back on the right track with this delicious cake.

  2. Patty Heatherington says:

    This cake was delicious!!!! I am normally a “home made” baker and never use cake mixes but I have to say this cake has a permanent place in my dessert rotation!!! The only slight change I made was toasting the coconut that goes on top. Made it for a Mother’s Day gathering and it quickly disappeared!!!

    1. I bet you were popular on Mother’s Day!! Good job!

  3. So simple. I’ve made this twice. Delicious. Only advice is to make it the day before serving. Otherwise it’s too wet. Stays good for days (refrigerated). Thanks for a great recipe.

    1. Thanks Kathy. Great advice.

  4. Debbie P. says:

    I keep thinking that it may be a “plus” to add a teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter. Would You encourage or discourage this addition??

    1. Hi Debbie,
      A little bit of extract won’t hurt a thing. If you love coconut, I think it’s a great idea.

  5. Brenda W. says:

    Just made it and LOVE it! I used toasted shredded coconut on top and next time I might pour a tad more coconut creme over it. Like someone else said, the whipped topped is plenty vs a heavy frosting though a used a bit more than 8 oz. Definitely will make again!

  6. Lila Reed says:

    I made this for my 90 year old patient who loved coconut cake but I didn’t know how to make one! Oh my goodness! This was the perfect recipe! Thanks so very much ❤! It was simple for me and he loved it! Perfect!

    1. Wonderful! I can’t think of a better reason to make this cake. Thank you for writing.

  7. Liz Camacho says:

    5 stars
    I made this cake on 2/21/2021. My Family & I loved it 😋
    Thank you!

  8. Deborah Rickett says:

    This was the best coconut cake that I have ever made. It was so very moist and easy to make. I will definitely be making this cake again.

    1. Just reading your kind response makes me want a piece of this cake. It has been too long.

  9. 5 stars
    My mom absolutely loves coconut and she loved this cake!

  10. 5 stars
    One of my favorite childhood memories is watching the long tedious process of what I thought was the best cake ever. It is still my favorite memory, but too bad my Grandmother did not have this recipe. It is absolutely delicious and could not be any better. Use the tips! Permanent addition to my Easter menu

  11. Paula Sluder says:

    This is the BEST CAKE I have ever had or made ! We have a new favorite cake everyone loved it . I can’t believe how easy it is to make and how great it taste . Thank you !

    1. Fantastic Paula! Glad to hear it.

  12. Christine says:

    5 stars
    Just made this cake for the second time 🙂 First time around, I forgot the coconut milk. I’ve never used it before, but when I opened it, I was surprised to see it had the consistency of cake icing. Apparently, there are different kinds? I expected it to be watery, like what you pour out of a coconut. My cake batter ended up being a lot like marshmallow fluff and fell in one corner. It tasted great, but you might want to let people know to use the liquid kind of coconut milk.

  13. 5 stars
    Thanks for putting up a great and quick recipe. 🙂

  14. 5 stars
    I made this cake today, and it is AMAZING!

    Both my husband and I loved it. I did it exactly as told in here. But I don’t like this type of frosting, so I did a cream cheese frosting, using cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and the remaining of the coconut water. Also, I toasted the coconut. This cake is to die for!

  15. 5 stars
    Did u see on pinterest the easy breezy way to make coconut whipped cream?? I’m sure it world be fab on here as well! Great cake!!

  16. Megan's Cookin' says:

    5 stars
    Oh yea, and I love that scoop! 🙂

  17. Megan's Cookin' says:

    5 stars
    I have no problem using a cake mix, just depends on what I’m making. I learned a box mix can produce a much sturdier cake.. Now I must find some coconut lovers because I would love to make this cake!!! 5 stars from me and a Stumble. 😉

  18. 5 stars
    Oh, Paula! This is one of my favs! Bring this into work alot (by request). Your shaved coconut is an especially elegant touch! Love that you heated the cream of coconut before pouring it on. Great tip. Two things I do for cake mix’s to remove that cloyingly sweet taste is to add a few teaspoons of real sea salt and real, fresh squeezed lemon juice to batter. The acid really off-sets and neutralizes that “chemical” taste of the batter. Also, I love coconut milk so much, I add a few tablespoons to my chocolate smoothies (which are non-dairy). 🙂

  19. 5 stars
    My sister-in-law introduced me to this cake just a little different but so similar. I love it and so does all who eats it. I made your honey wheat bread recipe, it was good but didn’t rise much due to my home ground wheat I think. I think I try it with half the wheat and see how it works out for me. BTW your photos of this cake look wonderful.

  20. Coco in the Kitchen says:

    This might be the coconut cake recipe I’ve been looking for.
    I’m making it tonight!!!

  21. KAREN MILLER says:

    i love your recipe unfortunately i did have cream of coconut so i made 2 round cakes made 4 layers, added coconut extract to the cake mix. then for the frosting i combined whipped cream cheese frosting and cool whip with 2 tsps of coconut extract it was a big hit thank you

  22. I made this cake for my wife’s birthday. We both love coconut. I made two layers of cake from the single cake mix so the bottom of each layer was perfectly drenched with the cream of coconut with a thin layer of home-made whipped cream between them, on the sides and on top, as well. Topped it off with sweetened coconut shavings. She said it was the best cake she ever had. …even beat her mother’s cakes, but she can’t tell her. Very easy to make, my first, in fact.

  23. Hi! Lovely recipe. Love to try it. Though was wondering, can the cake be removed from the baking tray and than pour cream of coconut. Would that work. Want to try this for a birthday cake

    1. I don’t think it’s quite as good as a layer cake. But maybe you’ll have better luck than I did.

  24. Made Aimee’s Triple Coconut Cake today for an evening church family cookout. I went straight by recipe except for shredded coconut on light Cool Whip frosting. Did not start making cake until after church and was concerned 4 hours in refrig would not be enough to meld the coconut flavor. Wonderful!! It was a hit. Would not compare to scratch 3 layer coconut cake or pound cake made with cake flour, etc. Each stands alone and is enjoyed in different settings. Glad I came across this recipe. Will most definitely make again.

  25. This recipe sounds fantastic, especially for coconut-lovers. Instead of using Cool-Whip topping or fresh whipped cream as a topping, I’m thinking that the old standard “Seven Minute Frosting” might be really good and I will try it when I make this cake. Now, for some reason to make the cake…

  26. Just wondering has anyone ever tried this recipe with a chocolate cake mix? The white looks real pretty and I am sure its good, but doesn’t chocolate and coconut sound so scrumptious???

    1. This looks close to a recipe I make that uses condensed milk combined with cream of coconut! Extremely too sweet but people love it! However I like the idea of using coconut milk (unsweetened) in place of the water in the cake mix. QUESTION: my. Ox cake uses 1 cup of water and your saying use 1 and 1/4 cup of the coconut milk?

      1. Hi Diana,
        Since this uses a cake mix, there will always be variations. I would start with the same amount of coconut milk as the amount of water your cake mix requires. If it seems a little dry, you’ll know to increase it the next time. I hope you like it (although cream of coconut is also very sweet, but people love it!)

  27. Danny Rhyan says:

    Paula,
    By the way, in the interest of time and a laziness affliction I used Bakers flaked coconut and it was fine.

  28. Danny Rhyan says:

    Paula,
    My daughter is a coconut aficionado and so I used your recipe for her 30th birthday cake. After the party the cake pan looked as if a swarm of locusts had descended upon it. Everyone raved. What a great recipe! What really makes this cake is the cool whip (going to try real whipped cream next time). Using cool whip provides an excellent and subtle balance between the richness of the cake and that of a delicate, less heavy topping. You hit a home run with this one. I have already been requested for a repeat performance for Easter dinner.
    Kudos and thanks again.

    1. Thanks Danny,
      I’m sure real whipped cream would be fabulous! Perfect with your Easter dinner.

  29. Amazing cake. Came out exactly like the picture

  30. second time i’ve made this cake … it’s just out of the oven at 1am for a party tomorrow night, along with pineapple upside cake (think, hawai’ian theme) … first time was for hubbs 65th birthday two august’s ago …. this cake is so light and sooo decadent and so delicious; i had to send most of it home with other people (there are just two of us here and i was NOT GOING TO EAT IT ALL!) …. I have been looking forward to making it again so tomorrow night cannot come fast enough … thank you for this amazing recipe … darlene

    oh, yea, ps … this is the first *food* i’ve made on pinterest …

    1. i should have added, i also use whipped cream — no reason *scrimping* on the calories …. the real thing, for sure!!!

  31. Simply Devine!!!
    Made this yesterday for Thanksgiving. Made it as a layered (3) cake with pineapples between the layers. Made cream cheese icing and topped it off with freshly grated coconut. I will make this cake a thousand times. Next time it will be two layers only. Three was too big.

    Box cake was used….everyone thought I made it from scratch.

    1. Cori,
      Freshly grated coconut? How can it get any better than that? Great idea along with the pineapple. Must try both. Thanks for writing.

  32. Irene Crewell says:

    This is the FIRST thing I pinned that I have actually made!! It was incredible. I followed all instructions, however I made home made whipped cream for the topping and sprinkled with bagged coconut. (I have an abundance I needed to use) This is not overkill with flavor what so ever, and it comes out like a gourmet cake!!! It received an A++ from my husband and my 80 year old mother that lives with us. Then teenager still has not ventured beyond chocolate…Thanks for posting!!

  33. Oops, now I see it in the picture. 15 oz. :+)

  34. Our grocery has two sizes of the cream of coconut. Did you use the 7.5 oz or 15 oz size in your recipe?

  35. Living in a big city(LA) you think cream of coconut would be easy to find. Naturally i started out in the asian section of my local Ralphs but no luck. My local japanese and korean market also only carry coconut milk. However i remembered when i tried my hand at pina coladas! If you check the Pina colada/MArgarita section of your grocer or head to “bevmo” you can find “Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut”!!

    Can’t wait to make this cake for my Grandma’s 81st bday!!!

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe,
    Michanne Q.

    1. Michanne,
      Hope your Grandma likes it as much as we do. Love, love cream of coconut. Like to add it to yogurt, and it’s also good in V-8 when it has been heated.

    2. @Paula, We also use cream of coconut in a Rum slush drink ( ;
      I can of cream of coconut, then fill the can with your favorite Rum, then use 52oz Orange juice, then fill that “O.J.” container to fill it with 52oz of Pineapple juice. Stir it until well mixed…. and freeze it overnight in a XL Tupperware container.
      Scoop out with an ice cream scoop and pour sprite or 7-up over it! This is really good in the summer months (=

      1. Hi Michanne,

        That sounds really good, with or without the rum. Wish it was summertime right now. Thanks for sharing.

  36. Christine says:

    Ok, tried it again with a different brand of coconut milk-Thai Kitchen this time. It was much more runny and what I would expect coconut milk to look like. The consistency of my cake mix was still very marshmallowy, lol, and is bumpy in the middle after baking-is that normal?

  37. Christine says:

    No, it was thick all the way through. It defintely said “Coconut Milk” on the can. I googled it and it sounds like different brands can be different consistencies, although there is nothing on the can to indicate any difference. My Wal-mart only had the one brand, it was called “Golden Star”. I will check Kroger next time, maybe they have something different.

  38. Christine says:

    5 stars
    Just made this cake for the second time 🙂 First time around, I forgot the coconut milk. I’ve never used it before, but when I opened it, I was surprised to see it had the consistency of cake icing. Apparently, there are different kinds? I expected it to be watery, like what you pour out of a coconut. My cake batter ended up being a lot like marshmallow fluff and fell in one corner. It tasted great, but you might want to let people know to use the liquid kind of coconut milk.

    1. Christine,
      Did you mix/shake up the coconut milk really good? The cream does rise to the top. It is like milk once you mix it up. You weren’t using cream of coconut in the cake itself, were you? That only goes on top. It IS the consistency of cake icing and is quite sweet.

  39. This looks great. I also hate being disappointed when ordering a piece of coconut cake only to get a plain white cake with just coconut on the outside, no real coconut flavor throughout. This looks like it will solve that problem. Only, I couldn’t find coconut cream at any of our local grocery stores. However, I found coconut putting mix (instant). So I’ve got the cake (with coco milk) in the oven. Will blend pudding mix, and pour that over the cake before the pudding sets. Hopefully it will do the trick. (I’ll letcha know!) Thanks for the recipe!

    1. It was a little less “coconutty” than I’d guess coconut cream to be. However it still tastes good. It was also a bit hard to get down INTO the cake, but I just spread it, let it soak a bit, spread it some more, let it soak etc. Made for a good cake. Will keep looking for the “right” stuff though!

  40. 5 stars
    Thanks for putting up a great and quick recipe. 🙂

    1. You’re welcome, Megan. Definitely one of my favorites.

  41. Persephone says:

    I just stumbled upon this today, looking for some ideas for coconut cakes for my birthday on Saturday. I’m vegan and have celiac, so mine is a bit revised. Here’s what I did that is now in the oven, in case anyone reading has similar needs:

    1 Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
    2/3 cup coconut milk
    1 mashed dark banana
    1 Tbsp. flax meal + 3 Tbsp. hot water
    (the banana = 2 eggs, the flax + water covers the 3rd called for)
    2/3 cup coconut oil
    1/4 cup apple sauce
    2 tsp. vanilla extract
    1 tsp. almond extract

    My cream of coconut is warming on the stove as the cake is baking. 🙂

    I’m going to be making this topping for it: http://coconutoilcooking.com/coconut-oil-blog-posts/homemade-vegan-cool-whip/

    We’ll be eating this Saturday! I’ll let you know how it turns out! THANK YOU for the inspiration!

    1. I hope your coconut cake was fabulous. Sure sounds good.

  42. 5 stars
    I made this cake today, and it is AMAZING!

    Both my husband and I loved it. I did it exactly as told in here. But I don’t like this type of frosting, so I did a cream cheese frosting, using cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and the remaining of the coconut water. Also, I toasted the coconut. This cake is to die for!

  43. This was fantastic. I’ve been complaining for years about coconut cake; I would see it on a restaurant menu, and get excited, order it, then be disappointed in the lack of coconut flavor. Basically, pastry chefs seem to think that a white cake with boiled frosting has the right to be called “Coconut Cake” if you slap a little coconut on the outside. Grrr! 🙁 THIS cake, though, is really flavorful! I did make one change: I don’t like Cool Whip, so I used a stabilized whipped cream, and I flavored it with coconut flavoring. It’s very easy: 4 oz cream cheese (room temp), 1/4 C sugar, 1/2 tsp coconut flavoring, pinch table salt. Cream them with your electric beater/mixer, then add 1 C heavy whipping cream, and beat until stiff peaks. Makes the perfect amount to frost this 9×13 cake. I also lightly toasted the flaked coconut. Sublime! Thanks for sharing this. It’ll be my “go to” coconut cake from now on.

    1. Terri,
      I’m so glad you shared your recipe for the frosting! It sounds much more flavorful and also longer-lasting. Thanks for sharing.

  44. Hi Paula,

    For some reason I wasn’t able to reply to your email but – It’s not the calories that bother me about the cream of coconut ingredient – it’s just that my family and I don’t like cakes too sweet and so I was hoping it was only like cream (unsweetened) but its source being the coconut. Because the recipe calls for using a cake mix, there’s no way to subtract some sugar from the cake to make up for the sweetness in the cream of coconut. I also agree that the cream of coconut sounds like it would make the cake extra special.
    From what you tell me the cream of coconut is very sweet so I’ll probably opt for coconut extract (I’ve had good results with that before).

    – Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

    Regards,
    Sonia

    1. Sarah Cowan says:

      Hi Sonia, I think that cakes mixes are generally too too sweet so when I use them I always add about 1/2 cup cake flour, a dash of salt and whatever the leavening on the box is, about an extra 1/2-1 tsp. I have been doing this for years since I volunteer at a homeless place every week and they always want me to bring in one of my cakes. The extra flour makes the cake less sweet and able to stand up to an intensely sweet frosting, which they love. I think today I will try this one. I’ll let you know how it works out!

  45. This recipe sounds fantastic!
    Will the coconut cream make the cake any sweeter? I believe the coconut milk is unsweetened (right?) but – I’ve never used cream of coconut & don’t know it it’s sweetened but I’m asking because I prefer cakes that aren’t too sweet.
    (Hope you can let me know because this would be for my sister’s birthday coming up in about a week.)

  46. 5 stars
    Did u see on pinterest the easy breezy way to make coconut whipped cream?? I’m sure it world be fab on here as well! Great cake!!

    1. Kris,
      Actually, I pinned the coconut whipped cream but haven’t tried it yet. Have you? pr

    1. Vicki, Great job with the coconut cake!

      Our house is still under construction but as soon as it is finished, I’ll send a picture.

  47. My dad has been bugging me to make a coconut cake for a few weeks now, and I really want to try this out!
    But as far as I know, we don’t have white cake mix in supermarkets here in Australia. The closest things we have are vanilla mixes or butter cake mixes. Is there a way I could adapt one of those, or would I have to make one from scratch? (in which case, do you know of any good recipes?)
    thanks 🙂

  48. Blog is the New Black says:

    I found your site via Annie’s Eats… so happy!

    This looks amazing! I love coconut!

  49. I am going to make this for my dad’s birthday. I wanted to use mason jars and make individual servings. I am going to make a lemon cake in a jar also. His two favorite desserts. I will have to experiment with baking times.

  50. Can’t wait to make this cake for a party tomorrow night. Do you suggest leaving it in the pan to serve out of or can I put the whole cake on a platter before putting on the topping?
    Thank you.

  51. O
    M
    Gosh ……

    I made this for a monday night activity we have with some friends and all i (and they) can say is OMGOSH …. this is awesome, delish, more delish and more awesome …..

    thank you sooooo much ….. on the other hand, i hate you for this cake …. LOL ….. darlene

    1. Darlene, Glad to share the misery of having such deliciousness to tempt me in the house.

  52. Oh.

    My.

    God.

    and YUM!

  53. I made it yesterday and blogged about it tonight. Oh my word! DELISH! Thanks for the recipe.

    Hugs,
    Kat

  54. I just got my BFF’s Mothers recipe for this cake,( after asking at least 20 times!) She uses a YELLOW cake mix and adds 1 teaspoon vanilla & 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring to the mix. Also her’s calls for adding1/2 cup of coconut to the batter. Then, to her poked holes(with a meat fork),she mixes 1/3cup Evaporated milk,3/4 cup water & 1/2 cup powdered sugar and pours over top of cake, cool & frost & sprinkle. I think it taste like a giant “Macaroon!” so wonderful! I have never used, but will try the Goya milk and cocoL`opez cream of coconut on my first try!!!! Thanks for the easy tip!

    1. J.S. I love your description of the cake as tasting like a giant macaroon. Can’t think of anything much better.

  55. It looks extra coconut-ty… !

  56. Tres Delicious says:

    Brilliant idea. A coconut milk for a cake. Sounds great.

  57. Jenn@eatcakefordinner says:

    My friend gave me a recipe like this to try, but she combines sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut together to pour over the cake. I might just have to try your version and her version. I love the idea of using coconut milk in the cake instead of water.

    1. Jenn, Sweetened condensed milk AND cream of coconut?? Wow, that would be some sweetness for sure. Kinda makes my sweet tooth ache to think about it. Let me know which you like best if you try them both.

  58. Megan's Cookin' says:

    5 stars
    Oh yea, and I love that scoop! 🙂

  59. Megan's Cookin' says:

    5 stars
    I have no problem using a cake mix, just depends on what I’m making. I learned a box mix can produce a much sturdier cake.. Now I must find some coconut lovers because I would love to make this cake!!! 5 stars from me and a Stumble. 😉

  60. Sasha @ The Procrastobaker says:

    Oh good grief, I am one of those coconut lovers and this is going to be very much in my dreams until I get to make it a reality! Sadly ive never seen cream of coconut here in the UK, only coconut cream which i understand is different. One day hopefully 🙂 and when that day arises…THIS is going to be devoured! Beautiful recipe indeedy

  61. 5 stars
    Oh, Paula! This is one of my favs! Bring this into work alot (by request). Your shaved coconut is an especially elegant touch! Love that you heated the cream of coconut before pouring it on. Great tip. Two things I do for cake mix’s to remove that cloyingly sweet taste is to add a few teaspoons of real sea salt and real, fresh squeezed lemon juice to batter. The acid really off-sets and neutralizes that “chemical” taste of the batter. Also, I love coconut milk so much, I add a few tablespoons to my chocolate smoothies (which are non-dairy). 🙂

  62. I absolutely love coconut so I can not wait to try this recipe! How did the texture come out? Did the milk and cream give the cake the same texture as a tres leche cake?

    1. Nyssa, I’ve never made a tres leche cake so I’m not sure how it compares. It is extremely moist, even damp where it soaked up a lot of the cream. Reminds me of a trifle in a pan actually.

  63. tasteofbeirut says:

    A wonderful treat! I bet this cake made a lot of people happy!

  64. Paula!! The cake looks wonderful, I am honored you put it on your website. I can’t wait to try it using the coconut milk (since you didn’t bring us a sample at work). I really NEED that scoop you have the shaved cocnut in…I love it!!! Where did you find that thing?

    1. Amie, I’ve had it for awhile but I got the scoop at Ashers in Arlington.

  65. What a wonderful cake. It looks so moist, and since coconut is one of my favorite flavors of all time, I’m bookmarking this to make soon. I featured this post over at my blog today. Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂

    1. Thanks so much for the link Ali. paula

  66. The Café Sucré Farine says:

    Yum, Paula! You crack me up about the midnight run to the store, only because I am the same way! This looks amazingly delicious!

  67. I have been wanting to make this cake, only a full layer cake. My grandmother used to make a coconut cake that used a real coconut. I watched her make it once and she used the coconut milk in the cake and she used the coconut, shredding it. It was really rich and moist.

  68. 5 stars
    My sister-in-law introduced me to this cake just a little different but so similar. I love it and so does all who eats it. I made your honey wheat bread recipe, it was good but didn’t rise much due to my home ground wheat I think. I think I try it with half the wheat and see how it works out for me. BTW your photos of this cake look wonderful.

  69. Another fantastic recipe!!! 🙂 This makes me think about my grandmother. She used to make a delicious cocunut cake every Thanksgiving. This one goes in my recipes to try file.

  70. A very tempting cake……..I love baking cakes but not very much into coconut…But your creation caught my eye….awesome..!!!

  71. TheKitchenWitch says:

    I adore coconut! And I hate baking, so the fact that this recipe uses a mix is a double-yes! I am so making this.

  72. Wow, Paula, this looks and sounds fantastic. I love that you can use a mix, because like you, sometimes I’m scrambling for something quick to make and hate buying something when I can bake!

  73. That’s a beauty, for sure!

  74. *Just Fran* says:

    Simple and delicious. Perfect for a non-baker like me. 🙂 I have never used Cream of Coconut, but you can be sure it will be added to my next grocery list.

  75. Betty @ scrambled hen fruit says:

    I do love coconut, and this cake is beautiful! It sounds easy too, but I don’t have all of the ingredients on hand. I’m almost tempted to run out to our new 24hr. Walmart that just opened last week. It’s a novelty to be able to shop after nine o’clock! The shaved coconut is really a nice touch! 🙂

  76. Oh, dear Paula,

    Sitting here at 8:30 pm trying very hard to loose 6 more pounds and ignore the gnawing in my stomach and I happen upon your post and this enticing and delicious looking cake. Good thing I don’t have the ingredients and that I also would rather do push-ups than run out to the grocery story late in the evening because I I just might have shuffled into the kitchen and whipped up this recipe.

    The three coconut ingredients are on my next food shopping list and I will be trying this in the near future. Until then… it’s salad in a jar for me : )

  77. Thank you again! You rock the coconut bomb… now just one ?… can I please use shredded coconut or does it have to be the larger pieces? I know I always have shredded on hand so that’s why I ask, but of course you’re the expert here so if I need to go get the bigger pieces I shall. Thanks so much in advance for your response. 🙂

    1. Kristen, Of course you can use the shredded coconut. The shaved just looks a little fancier but nothing at all wrong the with shredded or flaked. Thanks for asking.

  78. How simple yet delicious looking! I love baking from scratch as well, but you’re right, the white cake never seems to come out right. I think the coconut substitutions will make was a delightful treat. This looks so easy, and the fact that pantry items are used makes it a great treat for last minute needs.