Coconut Cake
Our coconut cake is deliciously fluffy, topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting, and sprinkled with sweetened coconut flakes. It’s perfect for all your best celebrations!
Are you a coconut lover? Of course, you are! That’s why you’re here, right?
As a huge fan of all things coconut, this coconut cake is one of my top favorites.
What’s not to love? It’s light, fluffy, and has the most amazing cream cheese frosting, with a generous sprinkling of sweetened coconut flakes on top.
It has the best coconut flavor!
My favorite part? I’m using a boxed mix to make this recipe super easy.
Turning a box of cake mix into a delicious cake or cupcakes is kinda my thing. It’s how I make my lemon poke cake and these red velvet cupcakes.
So, grabbing some Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker white cake mix for this coconut cake recipe was a no-brainer. Not to mention, it’s how my granny taught me to make it.
I’ve tweaked her recipe a bit, but honestly, I don’t think she’d mind. This cake tastes exactly like hers, right down to the cream cheese frosting.
If you’re a coconut lover like me and crave more coconut in your life, try our homemade mounds bars, coconut no-crust pie, German chocolate earthquake cake, or pineapple coconut margarita.
Tips for the Best Coconut Cake Recipe
Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese are at room temperature. This makes a smoother cake batter and frosting for the fluffiest cake and creamiest frosting.
Cream of Coconut: Don’t confuse cream of coconut (I love Coco Lopez brand!) with coconut cream. These are two completely different products.
Don’t Overmix: When combining the cake ingredients, mix just until everything is incorporated. You don’t want a dense cake with a dry, crumbly texture.
Additional Tips for First-Time Bakers
- Pan Options: This recipe works best in a 9×13-inch metal pan, but you could also try cupcakes. Just adjust the baking time accordingly.
- Frosting Consistency: Add milk gradually to achieve a spreadable consistency. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar.
- Toasting Coconut: For extra flavor and texture, consider toasting the coconut flakes before adding them on top.
How to Store Leftovers
Since the cake has a coconut cream cheese frosting, you’ll have to store it in the fridge. Cover the cake with some foil or put it in an airtight container, and it will stay fresh for 5-6 days.
Want to save some cake for later? Cover individual slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Can I use another flavor of cake mix?
Absolutely, you can use another flavor of cake mix! Switching up the flavor is a fantastic way to add your own twist to this delicious coconut cake.
Try using a yellow or vanilla cake mix for a classic touch, or go bold with a lemon or chocolate cake mix for a unique flavor combination.
I’ve even used French vanilla in the past with great results!
Can I use canned coconut milk instead of cream of coconut?
Nope, not with this recipe.
Cream of coconut is much sweeter and thicker, giving the cake its rich coconut flavor and perfect texture.
Canned coconut milk just won’t deliver the same results. Stick with cream of coconut for the best, most delicious outcome!
More Cake Recipes to Try
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix
- ¾ cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut, stirred
- ½ cup canola oil, or vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 ounces powdered sugar
- 8 ounces block-style cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 7 ounces sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, cream of coconut, oil, eggs, and sour cream. Mix until smooth and well combined.15.25 ounces white cake mix¾ cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut½ cup canola oil3 large eggs1 cup sour cream
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before frosting.
To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix until smooth and spreadable, adding more milk if needed.16 ounces powdered sugar8 ounces block-style cream cheese1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
- Sprinkle the sweetened coconut flakes evenly over the frosting.7 ounces sweetened coconut flakes
- Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Notes
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 slice of cake. Actual calories will vary.
- This recipe bakes best in a metal or ceramic baking pan/cake pan.
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This recipe is a variation of the one that used to be on the back of the Duncan Hines cake mix box. I haven’t seen the original myself, but I’ve heard about it and have been told this version is very similar.
- We updated the recipe, photos, and some of the tips in post on 2/22/25 based on reader feedback.
This cake came out way too dense and eggie. More like flan. Wondering if a dry ingredient was left out of this recipe. It seemed like there were too many wet ingredients to one box cake mix. I may try again using 3 eggs and no sour cream. I liked the idea of the cream of coconut
Hi, Betty!
I’m sorry this cake didn’t turn out as expected. All the dry ingredients are there. You could definitely try the cake the way you mentioned (using 3 eggs and leaving out the sour cream), and that should give it different texture.
If you want another variation to consider, try using a box of cake mix, 1 cup of water, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 1 (3.4-ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix, and ¾ cup of either sour cream or coco lopez. Use the same frosting. This way reduces the eggs and omits one of the other ingredients and still leaves you with a moist cake. Hope that helps! 😊
Try the original recipe box of white cake mix,
8.5 oz cream of coconut, 1 cup sour cream,
3 eggs,
1/4 cup oil and I use a little coconut extract
This cake tastes like what I would imagine it would be like biting into a wet heavy sweet dish spong and then frosting it with a heavy cream cheese frosting made it even worse, definitely not worth making
Good morning Julie, thank you for your unsolicited feedback. It’s clear from your comments you didn’t actually try the recipe. Therefore, I removed your 1-star rating. You only get to rate a product if you try it. That’s how rating systems work. Have good day.