This easy coconut cake is perfect for any celebration, easy enough for weeknight meals, and it all starts with a box cake mix! It’s light and fluffy with a cool, sweet coconut topping that will win your heart after just one bite.
Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake and Piña Colada Bundt Cake are two of my favorite cake mix shortcut recipes that are easy to make and full of tropical flavors.
Pin This Recipe For Later
This is the coconut cake of your dreams!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Coconut Cake Recipe
- It’s sweet, rich, and has a slightly nutty flavor of coconut in the cake, and the creamy, cool coconut topping creates a flavor explosion that’s hard to resist.
- This cake is so moist and tender. Making coconut cake with a box mix as the base ensures a light, soft, and consistent texture.
- Box Mix Coconut Cake is super easy to make! Using a cake mix simplifies the baking process, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced bakers who are short on time.
- This cake is a definite crowd-pleasing dessert. Whether you make it for a birthday party, potluck, or family gathering, this cake will be gobbled up fast.
Ingredients For Easy To Make Coconut Poke Cake
- White Cake Mix – yellow cake mix or coconut cake mix can also be used.
- Whole Milk – for extra coconut flavor, coconut milk can be substituted.
- Granulated Sugar
- Shredded Coconut – sweetened coconut found in the baking section of the grocery store is what I recommend.
- Fresh Whipped Cream – Cool Whip or your favorite whipped topping is great to use.
Scroll Down For Measurements And Instructions
What Size Pan Is Recommended For This Cake?
I think this is the BEST tender and moist coconut cake, and making it in an 8×13-inch pan makes it extra easy. Here are three additional baking options:
- Layer Cake – after making the cake batter with either a hand mixer or stand mixer, line the bottom of 2 nine-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Divide the batter evenly between both cake pans and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes until the middle bounces back when lightly pressed.
- 11×13-Inch Sheet Pan – line the pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven until golden around the edges.
- Cup Cakes – line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill with the batter until about ⅔ full. Bake for 20–25 minutes.
Questions And Answers For Coconut Cake Made With A Box Mix
Even though this recipe specifically calls for a white cake mix, you can experiment with flavors like a yellow or coconut-flavored cake mix.
Yes! This cake actually needs to be made ahead of time. You can prepare it the day before and refrigerate it overnight to allow the flavors to meld together.
Sure. Freshly grated coconut can add an extra level of freshness to your cake. Make sure it’s finely grated to blend well with the cake and the topping. To amp up the coconut flavor, add ½ to 1 teaspoon of coconut extract.
It does. Because this cake has whipped topping or Cool Whip for the topping, it must be stored in the fridge after serving.
How To Cool Box Cake Mix Coconut Cake
Place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely before pouring on the coconut milk and frosting it with the whipped cream or whipped topping and coconut.
How To Store And Save
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, store the cake in the fridge covered. It will keep for up to three days.
Serving Ideas For Easy Cool Coconut Cake
This easy recipe for coconut cake is always on my Christmas and Easter dessert buffets. It’s my youngest son’s favorite birthday cake, too. This simple coconut cake recipe is perfect for serving on any special occasion, from family dinners to cookouts. And, since it requires minimal ingredients and steps, it allows anyone to whip up a delicious dessert with ease.
More Delicious Cake Recipes You’ll Love
- Million Dollar Pound Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Buttermilk Pound Cake With Brown Butter Icing
- BEST Lemon Pound Cake
- Peaches And Cream Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box of white cake mix
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups coconut plus more if you like
- fresh whipped cream (or Cool Whip)
Instructions
- Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box.
- Bake in a 8X13 pan.
- Cool cake for 20 minutes.
- Poke holes through the cake using a fork or skewer.
- In a sauce pan, heat milk, sugar, and ½ cup of coconut until boiling.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Spoon over cake and refrigerate at least 4 hours but best overnight.
- Combine ½ cup of coconut with whipped cream and spread over top of cake.
- Sprinkle remaining coconut over the cake.
- Dig In!! Store any leftover cake in the fridge.
Notes
- Even though this recipe specifically calls for a white cake mix, you can experiment with flavors like a yellow or coconut-flavored cake mix.
- Place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely before pouring on the coconut milk and frosting it with the whipped cream or whipped topping and coconut.
- If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, store the cake in the fridge covered. It will keep for up to three days.
Nutrition
My New eBook!
Top 25 Viral Recipes
Whether you’re cooking for two, feeding a busy family, or filling your home with friends, I’m cheering you on from my kitchen. I hope this eBook brings you comfort, creativity, and plenty of delicious moments around your table.
Southern Cooking: My Signature Recipes
GET THIS FREE GUIDE: Bright seasonal dishes, unfussy prep, and big Southern flavor!
WOW!! I made this recipe using a Duncan Hines Devils food cake mix and Thai unsweetened coconut milk (! used 1 full can), and followed the recipe. The hard part was waiting for the next day to try it. My husband said it was the best cake he’s ever tasted, including my crack cake! It tasted like a Mounds bar, but better. Thank you sooo much for the recipe Donya! I love your website and will be making this again for Easter. Have a blessed day!
Do you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut or does it matter.
I used sweetened.
~Donya
Donya, I made this several times, but the last time I made it I did some substitutions. The cake was already very, very yummy, but I thought with these few substitutions, it might taste even better. Here’s what I did.
I used a can of Coconut milk instead of the milk.
As there are 13.66 ounces in a can of Coconut Milk, this is enough “milk”.
Just add the can of Coconut Milk, 1/2 cup sugar and the 2 cups of coconut to a pan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 3 minutes.
Then spoon this over the cake.
(This is just as it says to do in the instructions using the milk.)
This gives the cake more coconut flavor, I think.
Since they’ve come out with Silk (dairy free) Coconut Milk found in the dairy aisle, I’ve used that, and it is ever so good. The can of Coconut Milk and the dairy aisle container of Silk Coconut Milk are both unsweet, therefore you will need to add the sugar. Hope you like these substitutions. And I say again, your recipe as posted is so very good and I will continue to use it and share it.
Thank you, Donya, for all your hard work.
Claudine in Fort Worth, TX
We were in a hurry to get our meal ready yesterday and the cake didn’t have time to stay in the fridge overnight. It was much better and more moist today! I appreciate your recipes!!
Glad you enjoyed the cake. Thanks for cooking with me!
~Donya
This was so easy to make and delicious to eat! Yummy!
Robert, thank you! And, I so appreciate the terrific rating.
~Donya
Coconut cake is definitely a favorite of mine. I'm looking forward to making this version.