Coconut Cream Poke Cake

A box of yellow cake mix, two cans, Cool Whip, and a shower of shredded coconut is really all it takes! This poke cake gets soaked in cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk while it’s still warm, which makes each slice impossibly moist and rich with coconut flavor. It comes together with about 10 minutes of hands-on time and only gets better as it chills.

Before You Get Started

A few things worth knowing before you start:

• Use cream of coconut, not coconut milk. Cream of coconut is thick, sweet, and rich; it’s not the same as the unsweetened canned coconut products. Look for Goya or Coco Lopez in the Hispanic or Asian foods aisle.
• Pour the soaking liquid slowly. It’s a lot of liquid, but the warm cake absorbs most of it. If you want a lighter result, reduce the sweetened condensed milk by about half.
• Toast the coconut for more flavor. A dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes turns the shredded coconut golden and adds a nice nutty depth. Let it cool before topping.

How to Make Coconut Cream Poke Cake

This is one of the easiest cakes you can make from scratch. Well, almost from scratch. The box mix does most of the heavy lifting, leaving you free to focus on the poke-and-soak method that makes this cake so special. Here’s how it comes together:

Step 1: Mix and Bake the Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes, then gently fold in 1 cup of sweetened flaked coconut. 

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.

Step 2: Make the Soaking Mixture

While the cake is still hot from the oven, whisk together the cream of coconut and the sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl or large measuring cup until fully combined. 

This sweet, creamy mixture is what sets this cake apart. It seeps into every hole and makes each bite incredibly moist.

Step 3: Poke and Soak

Using the tines of a fork, poke holes all over the surface of the warm cake.

Slowly pour the cream of coconut mixture over the top, spreading gently with a spatula and pausing to let it soak in as you go. The warm cake will absorb almost all of it as it cools. 

Set the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely before moving on.

Step 4: Frost and Chill

Once the cake is completely cool, spread the thawed Cool Whip over the top in an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining cup of shredded coconut (toasted, if you went that route in the tips above).

Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. The cake needs at least 2 to 3 hours to chill and set, but it’s even better after overnight.

Variations

There are a few easy ways to customize this cake without changing the spirit of the recipe:

Swap the cake mix. A white cake mix works in place of yellow. The flavor will be slightly lighter, but the texture stays the same. For even more coconut flavor, stir a teaspoon of coconut extract into the batter.

Add a pudding layer. Mix a box of coconut-flavored instant pudding into the thawed Cool Whip before spreading it over the cake. It makes the frosting a little denser and adds another layer of coconut flavor.

Try a different poke cake flavor. The same method works beautifully with other cakes:

• Oreo Poke Cake: uses chocolate cake and vanilla pudding for a cookies-and-cream version.
• Rum Cake: takes a similar approach with a buttery glaze that soaks into a Bundt cake.

Storage

Make-Ahead: This cake is an ideal make-ahead dessert. It can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve. The flavor and texture actually improve as it sits, with the soaking liquid working deeper into the cake over time.

Refrigerator: Coconut cream cake must be refrigerated before and after serving because of the Cool Whip frosting. Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freezer: The cake can be frozen before adding the frosting. Wrap the cooled, soaked cake tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then frost and serve. Freezing after frosting is not recommended because the texture of the whipped topping will be off when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cream of coconut, and how is it different from coconut milk or coconut cream?

Cream of coconut is a thick, sweet, syrupy product made from coconut milk, sugar, and thickeners. Think of it as the coconut equivalent of sweetened condensed milk. 

Coconut milk and coconut cream are both unsweetened products made from pressed coconut flesh and water; they differ mainly in fat content. 

All three come in cans and look similar on the shelf, which is where the confusion starts. For this cake, you need cream of coconut. Look for Goya or Coco Lopez in the Hispanic or Asian foods aisle of most grocery stores.

Can I substitute coconut milk or coconut cream for cream of coconut?

Not directly. Both are unsweetened, so swapping them in would significantly change the flavor and sweetness of the cake. If you can’t find cream of coconut, you can combine coconut cream with a few tablespoons of sugar and a splash of vanilla as a rough stand-in, but the result won’t be quite the same. For best results, it’s worth tracking down the real thing.

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

More Easy Cake Mix Cakes

• Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cake Mix
• Pumpkin Cake with Yellow Cake Mix
• Earthquake Cake
• Watergate Cake
• Lemon Bundt Cake with Cake Mix