Coconut Cream Cake
This dreamy Coconut Cream Cake is a coconut lovers dream. A white sheet cake is baked then holes are poked all over the top forming edible bowls to collect the coconut cream to be poured on over the cake while it’s still warm. It’s frosted with whipped cream and a combination of both fresh and sweetened flaked coconut for it’s crowning glory. It’s a cake that’s almost angelic and completely irresistible for the coconut fans in your life.
Easy Coconut Cream Cake Recipe
I’m a fan of all things coconut and it’s sheer decadence. Coconut cakes have a unique ability to become better and better the longer they sit. The same is true with this coconut cream sheet cake it gets better and better the longer it sits making it perfect for make ahead entertaining and holiday events. I can only make this cake when entertaining as it tempts me beyond my control. The ease of being able to prepare this in advance makes it an all-time favorite in my Southern kitchen. How to make a Coconut Cream Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)
- Prepare Pan – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch non stick metal pan or spray with baking spray.
- Cake Batter – Prepare the cake per the directions on the box, plus 1/2 cup self-rising flour. Mix in ½ of the 7 oz bag of sweetened flaked coconut into the batter by hand.
- Bake per the package directions until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
- Poke Holes in Cake – After removing the cake from the oven use a fork or bamboo skewer to poke holes over the top of the hot cake. Be generous.
- Coconut Cream Filling – Whisk together the cream of coconut with the sweetened condensed milk. Slowly pour over the hot cake, spreading the coconut milk into the holes as you go. Allow the cake to cool completely. Chill overnight
- Make Frosting – Beat together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and vanilla extract. until light and fluffy. Spread over the top of the cake.
- Coconut – Toss together the remaining sweetened flaked coconut with the thawed fresh coconut. Sprinkle evenly over the frosting.
- Chill for 1 day before serving.
How to Make the Best Coconut Cream Cake Recipe
- Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Coconut Cream Cake: One box of coconut or white cake mix, self rising flour, sweetened flaked coconut, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and frozen coconut.
- Kitchen tools you’ll need: 13×9 inch pan, measuring cups and spoons, hand mixer or stand mixer, offset icing spatula.
- Please note, cream of coconut and coconut milk are not the same thing. This recipe uses cream of coconut and it can typically be found with the drink mixers or the Asian foods section.
- If you prefer to make this cake completely from scratch, you may like use my white buttermilk cake recipe.
- When using a homemade cake, follow the recipe from the step of poking holes on the top with a skewer or the handle of a wooden spoon after baking.
- It may seem unusual, but poke cakes are filled as soon as they come out of the oven while hot. In doing so the creamy coconut goodness can fully saturate the cake. That’s what makes this coconut cream cake so very delicious.
- After pouring the rich filling onto the cake, it’s important to allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- I frost this cake with a cream cheese frosting, but if you prefer a shortcut you can use fresh whipped cream or frozen whipped topping that’s been thawed, instead.
- Where do you buy fresh coconut? Fresh coconut is unsweetened and lends a real homemade flavor to the topping for this cake. It’s usually located with the other frozen fruits in the freezer section of most grocery stores. If you’re unable to find it, substitute sweetened flaked coconut in its place.
- This cake can be made up to 3 days in advance. The flavor of coconut cake seems to get better and better with each passing day.
- Store leftover Southern Coconut Cream Cake in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Special Note for Making Easy Coconut Cream Cake
Since I began making this cake years ago, cake mixes have become increasingly less in volume. To counter this, I’ve updated the recipe to add 1/2 cup of self-rising flour to the cake batter. There’s no need, in this instance, to add any more sugar as the coconut cream filling is quite sweet. Add the flour along with the ingredients called for on the cake mix package and bake accordingly.
More Southern Style Cake Recipes to Make
Sheet cakes are one that bakers of all skill levels can make with success. They store easily and if they have a hard cover, you can even stack things on top of them to save space in the refrigerator. More sheet cake recipes you may like to try:
- Double Fudge Mississippi Mud Cake is topped with marshmallows and a fudgy icing.
- Easy Carrot Cake Recipe is a must-make for Easter.
- Citrus infused Lemon Burst Poke Cake.
- Peaches and Cream Poke Cake is filled with fresh peaches.
- Hawaiian Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake with how-to video.
- Mandarin Orange Cake from Simple Joy.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Coconut Cream Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box of coconut cake or white cake mix plus ingredients to prepare
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 1 7 oz package sweetened flaked coconut, divided
- 1 15 oz can cream of coconut
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 6 oz package frozen fresh coconut, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch non stick metal pan or spray with baking spray.
- Cake: Prepare the cake per the directions on the box, plus 1/2 cup self-rising flour. Mix in ½ of the 7 oz bag of sweetened flaked coconut into the batter by hand.
- Bake per the directions until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
- Coconut Cream Filling: After removing the cake from the oven use a fork or bamboo skewer to poke holes over the top of the hot cake.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cream of coconut with the sweetened condensed milk. Slowly pour over the hot cake, spreading the coconut milk into the holes as you go. Allow the cake to cool completely. Chill overnight.
- Frosting: Beat together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and vanilla extract. until light and fluffy. Spread over the top of the cake.
- Toss together the remaining sweetened flaked coconut with the thawed fresh coconut. Sprinkle evenly over the frosting.
- Chill for 1 more day before serving.
Notes
- Use one can Cream of Coconut sometimes referred to as Coconut Cream in this cake. The name may vary by brand. NOT coconut milk.
- Since I first began making this cake years ago, cake mixes have decreased in volume. To counter this, I’ve added self rising flour to the ingredients. Add the flour along with the ingredients called for on the cake mix package and bake accordingly.
So delicious!
Are you supposed to use coconut cream or cream of coconut? I am making this fir Easter so need to know ASAP. Thanks !
Thanks!
Are we to use coconut cream or cream of coconut for the cake? 🙂
SO, ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO USE CREAM OF COCONUT (LIKE THE MIXER) OR COCONUT CREAM, UNSWEETENED?
This is a link to one brand of cream of coconut. Use any brand that you like.
This is not a review. Would like to know what the reason is for mixing sweetened flaked coconut with frozen fresh coconut thawed. I can not find frozen fresh coconut in my area.
It adds an element of freshness to this cake that is SO worth it. It’s in the fruit section of the frozen foods.
Re the coconut cream—in Canada we have canned coconut milk, either full fat or reduced fat. It is very thick, not like the coconut milk beverage .We may be able to buy coconut cream but it is not in a can but a package. Will the full fat canned coocnut milk be OK?
The coconut cream used in his recipe is full fat so, it should work.
OMG… OMG…… That was the BEST coconut cream cake ever it was just like a tres leche cake. I will say I did use coconut milk and not the cream because It was more expensive I just added more heavy cream so it worked out perfect. I will save this recipe forever.
Just for clarity – Coconut Cream is the cream extracted from a coconut with No added sugar/sweetners. The ingredients on a can of Coconut Cream should be coconut, water and maybe a stabilizer such as guar gum. Coconut Cream can be difficult to find in some groceries. Most often it will be with the Asian foods, but also may be found with Latin foods. Cream of Coconut is like coconut cream, but it does have added sugar. Cream of Coconut can usually be found with cocktail mixers. Based on the comments from Melissa and the video, she used Coconut Cream, Not Cream of Coconut.
The frozen unsweetened coconut can be difficult to find in a regular grocery in the Midwest (like Kroger), but you may have luck at Trader Joe’s or a specialty grocery (Asian).
This cake was a big hit! My son said it was the best cake ever had.
Such a huge favorite at my house.
SO moist and a real treat!
A new favorite dessert in our house! This is so good!
I’m always drawn to recipes that use cream of coconut. So good!
The perfect dessert for coconut lovers! The cake is moist and perfect!
I am a huge coconut fan and this was my first time making a cake like this! Totally irresistible! Can’t wait for another excuse to make it!
This was incredible!
Heavenly! I love coconut so much.
Would this work as a Bundt cake? If so, what adjustments would I need to make?
This is designed to be a sheet cake.
Hi,
My sister in law just had hip surgery, she has not told me when would be a good day to bring her this cake yet, but I wanted to have enough time for the cake to sit.
Can it sit more than 2 days in the fridge before serving? If it can how long can it sit in the fridge before I have to freeze it?
Yes! I often make it 3 days in advance.It’s one of those cakes that gets better and better. I sure hope she gets to feeling better soon!
You can make this cake using any kitchen tools you like. If you’re referring to the “Helpful Kitchen Items” one spatula is obviously for serving this or any cake and the silicone spatulas are for preparation of any recipe. I’m certain you already know, neither affects taste.
Hi, Would like to try this cake, but the new cake mixes are 15.25 oz instead of 16.25. How should I adjust the cake portion of the recipe. Hope to hear back soon, as I would like to bake this for graduation next week. Enjoy your recipes very much.
Thanks in advance, Linda M
Hi Linda, they keep changing them. I typically add 1/4 cup self-rising flour to the cake mix to stretch it a bit. In the case of this sweet cake, no need to add any sugar.