If you love coconut, you’ll adore this Coconut Cream Poke Cake. Bursting with coconut flavor and exceptionally moist, it’s ideal for holidays, potlucks, and summer picnics.
Coconut Cream Poke Cake
I created this recipe when I wanted to try something new in the kitchen. Coconut sounded perfect, and a poke cake is always fun to make, so I combined the two. The result is a coconut cream poke cake that’s rich in flavor and incredibly satisfying.
This cake is lovely with a hot cup of coffee, and it shines at gatherings. Because it starts with a boxed white cake mix, it’s quick to prepare for events. The texture is super moist, and the coconut flavor is front and center without being overpowering.
Even if you aren’t a devoted coconut fan, this cake often wins people over. The poke-cake technique—poking holes in the baked cake and pouring a sweet filling over it—lets the coconut mixture soak in and keeps every slice tender and flavorful.
Coconut Cream Poke Cake: Ingredients & Substitutions
To make this coconut poke cake, gather the following ingredients. Substitutions and notes follow where helpful.
Ingredients
- White cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla – any brand of white cake mix works; choose a neutral-flavored mix since the coconut elements provide most of the taste.
- Coconut cream instant pudding mix – added to the cake batter to enhance coconut flavor.
- Cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk – combined to create the sweet, soak-in filling that makes a poke cake so decadent. Cream of coconut is thicker and sweeter than coconut milk; look for brands like Coco López or Goya.
- Cool Whip (or other whipped topping) and sweetened coconut flakes – to finish the cake with a light, creamy topping and extra coconut texture.
Coconut Cream Poke Cake: FAQs
Active prep is about 10 minutes, baking takes around 32–35 minutes, and the cake benefits from chilling for several hours—ideally 8 hours or overnight.
One 9×13-inch cake, typically cut into 18 to 24 slices depending on portion size.
No—cream of coconut is recommended because it is sweeter and richer than coconut milk, and it helps create the proper soaked texture for this recipe.
Chilling for 8 hours or overnight is highly recommended. It allows the cake to absorb the coconut filling fully and improves texture and flavor. If you’re short on time, a few hours will still work, but the results are best after longer chilling.
Other recipes you may enjoy
- Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake – a moist, spiced poke cake loaded with cozy flavors.
- Piña Colada Poke Cake – a tropical version featuring pineapple and coconut for a vacation-like bite.
- Raspberry Zinger Poke Cake – tart raspberry and fluffy topping combine for a nostalgic treat.
- Tres Leches Cake – a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with whipped cream for an indulgent finish.
- Waffle Cherry Brownie Poke Cake – an over-the-top, playful mashup dessert.
Coconut Cream Poke Cake
Equipment
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rubber spatula or wooden spoon
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hand mixer
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mixing bowl
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9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix (15.25 oz)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 box coconut cream instant pudding (3.4 oz)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 can cream of coconut (15 oz)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
- 8 oz container Cool Whip, thawed
- Sweetened coconut flakes, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, coconut cream instant pudding, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 32–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven.
- While the cake is still warm, poke holes across the top using the round end of a wooden spoon. In a medium bowl, combine the cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Slowly pour this mixture over the cake, aiming to fill the holes so the cake soaks it up. Let the cake cool completely.
- Once cooled, spread the thawed Cool Whip evenly over the top and sprinkle with sweetened coconut flakes to taste.
- Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Allow adequate chilling time so the cake can absorb the coconut mixture; two hours is the minimum, but eight hours or overnight gives the best results.
- This cake often tastes even better the next day after flavors have melded.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
Originally published on April 17, 2013. Updated on February 22, 2022.