Coconut Cream Cake
This Coconut Cream Cake is soft, luscious and filled with rich coconut flavor topped with creamy frosting and sweet shredded coconut for a stunning dessert centerpiece.
Servings 16 pieces
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box of coconut cake or white cake mix plus ingredients to prepare eggs, oil and water OR whole milk
- 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 to room temperature
- 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: Using an electric mixer on low speed, prepare the cake per the directions on the box adding 1/2 cup self-rising flour. Stir in ½ of the 7 oz bag of sweetened flaked coconut into the batter by hand.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake per the directions until the top is golden brown 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 or the handle of a wooden spoon 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 the milk mixture over the hot cake, spreading the coconut milk into the holes as you go. Allow the cake to cool completely. Chill for several hours or overnight.
- Coconut 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
- Please Note: 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.
- Filling: Use one can Cream of Coconut sometimes referred to as Coconut Cream in this cake. The name may vary by brand. This is NOT the same as coconut milk.
- Frozen Coconut: Fresh frozen 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.
- Make the Cake from Scratch: You can make the cake completely from scratch using my white buttermilk cake recipe. You can add 1-2 teaspoons coconut extract for more coconut flavor. You should still follow the recipe beginning with the step of poking holes on the top and filling.
- Frosting: I frost this cake with a cream cheese frosting, but if you prefer a shortcut, you can use fresh whipped cream or Cool Whip, instead.