Coconut Cream Cake

Everyone loves a good coconut cream cake. Rich and full of tropical coconut flavor, it’s brimming to the edges with moist, sweet coconut flakes. Our coconut cream cake recipe is a definite winner. Thanks to the versatile flavor of coconut and the year-round ingredient availability, this cake can be made to enjoy when you want something fruity in the winter. It’s relatively easy to throw together (the most time-consuming part is waiting for it to cool). Enjoy with fresh berries, homemade coconut ice cream (this recipe includes chocolate and almonds for an out-of-this-world pairing) or all on its own.

Ingredients for Coconut Cream Cake

• White cake mix: This is the cake base; choose your personal favorite.
• Wet ingredients: This is a cream cake, so you’ll be using a larger amount of wet ingredients as compared to the dry. The list includes egg whites, water, sweetened condensed milk and coconut extract.
• Coconut: Sweetened, shredded coconut is used for both the cake and the topping.
• Whipped cream: You can use either reduced-fat or regular full-fat whipped topping for a richer taste and texture.

Directions

Step 1: Bake the cake

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Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13×9-inch pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together cake mix, egg whites, water and coconut on low speed for 30 seconds. Then beat on medium speed for two minutes. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick check comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cake cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Make the cream

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Mix together milk and coconut extract. Using a large meat fork, poke holes throughout the cake. Then gently spread half of the milk mixture over cake; let stand for three minutes. Spread with the remaining milk mixture and cool for one hour. While this is cooling, lightly toast shredded coconut in a pan on low heat, stirring frequently. Let this cool completely before the next step.

Step 3: Top and chill

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Next, spread the cooled cake and cream with whipped topping; sprinkle with toasted coconut. Cover well and refrigerate until completely cold, about four hours.

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Coconut Cream Cake Variations

• Opt for coconut milk: For a deeper coconut flavor, try using a full-fat can of canned coconut milk.
• Top with nuts: Chop walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts and sprinkle over the top along with the toasted coconut.
• Use coconut whipped cream: Opt out of the reduced-fat whipped topping that this recipe originally calls for and instead make your own coconut whipped cream. The extra step is totally worth it.

How to Store Coconut Cream Cake

While other cake recipes are fine to leave out on the counter, this coconut cream cake recipe requires fridge storage. For best results, keep the cake in its baking pan and cover the top tightly with plastic wrap.

How long does coconut cream cake last?

Coconut cream cake is best enjoyed within 4 days. You can freeze it if you’d like it to last longer. To do so, place the cake, unwrapped, on a baking sheet in the freezer. Let it freeze until solid, about 4 hours. Once frozen through, wrap well in plastic wrap or a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 4 months.

Coconut Cream Cake Tips

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How do I keep my coconut cream cake from getting soggy?

This cake naturally has a lot of moisture. If you’d like to keep the cake portion from getting too soggy, use cake strips while it’s baking. Cake strips are simply just strips of fabric or insulated foil that wraps around the edges of your cake tin or pan. They work to stop the edges from getting too hot, too quickly, which in turn keeps the entire cake baking on even timing. The result is a cake with a middle that’s just as cooked as the edges, which helps when you go to add the cream portion of this recipe.

Do I have to use a cake mix?

No, you don’t. While this recipe is easy in part because of that white cake mix, you don’t have to use it. Sub out any white cake recipe that’d you like, or peruse through other coconut cake recipes, and mix and match this recipe to make it your own.

Can I make this vegan?

Yes. You’ll need to swap out the egg whites (sub aquafaba or silken tofu for a similar texture) as well as the condensed milk and whipped topping. You can sub both of those ingredients with full fat coconut whipped cream, making this a cake that is easily made vegan.