The most decadent, moist, and easy coconut cream cake makes a perfect dessert for Easter, Christmas, or any other special occasion. Best of all, it starts with a cake mix!
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If you love a classic Southern coconut cake or even a watergate cake but you’re looking for something easier, then you’ve come to the right place. This is the ultimate semi-homemade coconut cake recipe because it takes advantage of store-bought shortcuts. Better than a traditional layer cake, this sheet cake is so moist (thanks to cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk) with rich, buttery coconut flavor in every bite…and not a dry crumb in sight! It’s perfect for coconut lovers…and for those of us who want to enjoy a delicious dessert without spending all day in the kitchen.
Oh my goodness!!! This cake is absolutely delicious!!! I don’t eat many sweets but I helped my husband devour it!!! I will most definitely be making this again!!! We are serious coconut lovers, so I’m gonna add more coconut inside the cake next.
– Robyn
Why You’ll Love this Coconut Cream Cake Recipe
This easy coconut cream cake is a yellow sheet cake soaked with cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk. It’s actually quite similar to a tres leches cake. The decadent cream of coconut seeps into the warm cake through small holes poked in the surface — usually with the handle of a wooden spoon or the tines of a fork (hence the name “Coconut Poke Cake.” Then we top this dense cake with a light, fluffy Cool Whip frosting and sprinkle with another dusting of sweetened coconut. It’s so easy to prepare with the help of a boxed cake mix, and you can make it well in advance of your celebration to avoid any last-minute stress.
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
- Don’t confuse cream of coconut with coconut milk or coconut cream. You do not want to use coconut milk or coconut cream, which have very different tastes and textures. Cream of coconut is rich, thick, and sweet — similar to sweetened condensed milk. It’s made with coconut milk, sugar, and other thickening agents. Find a can of cream of coconut in the Hispanic foods or Asian food section of the grocery store. It’s often used in Latin desserts, ice cream, piña coladas, and other creamy drinks.
- I considered topping this delicious coconut poke cake with a traditional cream cheese frosting that you’ll often find on Southern layer cakes; however, I think this particular cake is best with the simple light and fluffy Cool Whip frosting. The whipped topping is a nice not-too-sweet, not-too-heavy balance for the rich, dense cake.
- Any variety of Cool Whip (or other whipped topping will work here) — sugar-free, lite, or regular. Just make sure that you use 2 small containers or 1 large container to equal 16 ounces.
How to Make Coconut Cake with Cream of Coconut
Making this simple, semi-homemade coconut cream cake could not be any easier! Using a store-bought box mix means less time in the kitchen and more time to enjoy this coconut lover’s dream cake. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Mix the boxed cake mix according to the package directions.
- Fold the flaked coconut into the cake batter.
- Transfer the batter to a prepared 9 x 13-inch baking dish
- Bake the coconut cream cake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the edges are golden brown).
- Whisk together the cream of coconut and the sweetened condensed milk until combined. The creamy filling is what sets this cake apart from the rest of the coconut cakes you may have tried in the past!
- Poke holes in the warm cake using the end of a wooden spoon or fork.
- Pour the coconut cream filling over the top of the cake and spread it out with a spatula. It looks like a lot of liquid, but trust me — the cake will absorb all of that creamy filling as it sits!
- Top the cake with a light and creamy coconut cream cake frosting — made with Cool Whip! With a final touch of coconut, it’s dessert perfection!
- Chill until ready to serve.
Preparation and Storage Tips
This coconut poke cake can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. It just gets better as it chills! Coconut cream cake needs to be refrigerated before and after serving. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
The cake can be frozen before adding the frosting. Simply cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. I do not recommend freezing leftovers, since the texture of the whipped topping will be off when thawed.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Coconut Cream Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box of yellow cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 (15 ounce) can of cream of coconut * (such as Goya or Coco Lopez brand)
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
FOR THE FROSTING
- 16 ounces frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
BAKE THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, and water. Beat for 2 minutes on high speed, and then gently fold in the coconut. Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
PREPARE THE SWEET COCONUT CREAM CAKE FILLING
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of coconut and the sweetened condensed milk. While the cake is still warm, use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Slowly pour the condensed milk mixture over the top, gently spreading it with a spatula and allowing it to soak into the cake. This looks like a lot of liquid, but it will gradually absorb into the cake — just go slowly. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack — it will continue to soak up the liquid as it sits. Once the cake is completely cool, prepare the frosting.
FROST THE CAKE
- Spread the whipped topping over the cake. Sprinkle with coconut.
CHILL
- Refrigerate the cake until you're ready to slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Coconut Cream Cake Recipe Variations
- For a golden, deeper flavor, you can toast (and cool) the shredded coconut before adding it to the top of the cake. The toasted coconut will have a slightly nutty flavor, which is also delicious.
- While it will have a slightly different taste, you can substitute a boxed white cake mix for the yellow cake mix.
- Add a teaspoon of coconut extract to the cake batter for extra coconut flavor.
- Mix a box of coconut-flavored instant pudding into the Cool Whip for a coconut cream pudding topping.
- If you want a more homemade taste, make a homemade whipped cream. Whip together heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until you can form stiff peaks.
- For another easy dessert, try my grandmother’s rum cake recipe with cake mix and this strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting!
More Easy Cake Recipes
Lemon Bundt Cake with Cake Mix
2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Pumpkin Cake with Yellow Cake Mix
2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Chocolate Bundt Cake {Using Cake Mix!}
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in April, 2020. It was updated in November, 2024.
Thanks Blair! We had a similar cake for our wedding and have always tried to recreate it. This is the closest one we have tried and will now become our special occasion go-to cake. Mystery solved….thanks!!
Yay! That’s amazing, Christy! So glad that you can continue to enjoy the taste of your wedding. 🙂
I have been looking for this recipe for years. I’m not a baker, but got this simple recipe many years ago when my children was small, 25 years ago. The only difference is I used a double boiler to cook the congence milk & coconut, don’t remember using whip topping, I like your way better. Thank you for posting, Carol ♥️
That’s wonderful, Carol! I’m so glad that you found this recipe again. It’s one of my favorite cakes, so it makes me happy that you’ll be able to enjoy it again, too!
Oh my goodness!!! This cake is absolutely delicious!!! I don’t eat many sweets but I helped my husband devour it!!! I will most definitely be making this again!!! We are serious coconut lovers, so I’m gonna add more coconut inside the cake next.
Thank you, Robyn! I love coconut cake so much, so this is a personal fav as well!
The cake looks good, I will make around Christmas time, thanks.
Awesome, Carol! It’s on our holiday menu, too! 🙂
Delicious as is, but wondering if unsweetened coconut could be used? Wanting to make this for a friend who loves coconut cake but can’t have a lot of sugar. I found a cake mix with no added sugar, so hoping the unsweetened coconut might work. Thanks
Hi, Kat! Yes, I think that would work well! The cake is plenty sweet on its own, so the unsweetened coconut would probably be a nice balance. Hope your friend enjoys!
The sweetened condensed milk was definitely too much for this cake. I would cut it in half or leave it out entirely. Otherwise it was wonderful!
Thank you for the feedback, Kay!