If you’re a coconut lover, this coconut poke cake is right up your alley. It’s a soft, dreamy homemade white cake drenched in creamy coconut filling, topped with tangy cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut.
I’ve shared over 15 variations of poke cakes on my site, from classic jello poke cake to triple chocolate poke cake and banana pudding poke cake. There’s something for everyone. Coconut fans, this one’s for you!
I love sweet, tropical coconut flavor in so many desserts, from my coconut cream pie to coconut cupcakes. This coconut poke cake is one more to add to the list. With its creamy coconut filling and tender, soft white cake brimming with coconut flavor, it’s whether you’re looking for a dessert for a warm spring day or serving as part of a Thanksgiving dessert spread, this cake is fit for all occasions. If you’ve never made a poke cake before, don’t worry, I’ll show you how. And if you have, this is one recipe you’ll want to save for your next gathering.
I Love Poke Cakes, Especially this Coconut Flavor
- Easy to make. There’s no layers to assemble, and this poke cake bakes up fairly quickly. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool enough that you can smother it with the creamy coconut filling.
- Filled with coconut flavor. Literally! What makes a poke cake special is in the name: you’ll poke holes in the cake while it’s still a bit warm, and then pour over a filling (in this case condensed milk and coconut milk). Every bite is bursting with sweet coconut.
- Make it ahead. Poke cakes actually get better the longer they sit and soak up more flavor. It makes this coconut poke cake the perfect dessert to make ahead for a special occasion, whether it’s a potluck, birthday, picnic, or Easter dessert.
Ingredient Notes
These are some notes on the important ingredients in this coconut poke cake recipe. For the full printable ingredients list and recipe details, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card after the post.
- Egg – You’ll need whole eggs and egg whites. It’s easiest to separate the whites from the yolks when the eggs are cold from the fridge.
- Sour Cream – If you don’t have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute.
- Coconut Extract – I amp up the flavor in this cake with coconut flavoring extract in addition to vanilla extract. You can leave it out if you prefer a more subtle flavor.
- Coconut Milk – I use canned coconut milk for extra moisture and flavor in the cake. Make sure to stir it well. Also, make sure not to confuse coconut milk with coconut cream, which isn’t the same thing and will make this cake overly sweet.
- Shredded Coconut – Lightly toasted, for an optional topping. I’ll share my tips for toasting coconut below.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – Make sure it’s sweetened and not evaporated milk, which is unsweetened.
How to Make a Coconut Poke Cake
Making a poke cake is very easy. I like to get the cake in the oven first, and use the baking and cooling time to prepare the coconut cream filling and cream cheese frosting. Follow the steps below, and scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
- Remember to stir the coconut milk. Coconut milk tends to separate in the can, so I recommend giving it a good, thorough stir before adding it to the cake and filling.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Start by beating sugar with vegetable oil, butter, eggs, egg whites, and sour cream until well mixed.
- Mix and add the dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then, add the dry mixture to the wet batter, alternating with the extracts and coconut milk, until the batter is just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl while you go, ensuring everything is evenly mixed.
- Bake. Pour the cake batter into a greased 9×13” baking pan. Bake the cake at 350ºF for 25-32 minutes. Afterward, remove the cake and let it cool for 30 minutes. If you’ll be toasting coconut for the garnish (see below), leave the oven on for now.
- Poke the cake. While the cake is still warm, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes on top of the cake. Be careful not to poke through to the bottom.
- Toast the coconut. I like to toast the coconut while the oven is still preheated. It’s as easy as spreading the coconut in an even layer on a lined baking sheet, and baking at 350ºF oven for 5-8 minutes. Afterward, transfer the coconut to a plate to stop it from cooking further, and leave it to cool.
- Add the filling. Stir sweetened condensed milk with coconut milk to make the poke cake filling. Drizzle the filling evenly over the finished cake. You’ll need to let the cake finish cooling before you add any toppings. I sometimes speed up the cooling process by chilling the cake in the fridge until I’m ready to add the topping and serve it.
- Make the topping. First, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until it’s lump-free, about 2 minutes. Next, slowly stream in heavy cream and continue to mix until it’s smooth and liquidy. Keep beating until you reach soft peaks. Then, add powdered sugar and vanilla, and whip the frosting until stiff peaks form.
- Frost the cake. Now, spread the whipped cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake. Garnish with toasted coconut, and place the poke cake into the fridge for an hour or two before serving.
Julianne’s Tips
- Use a box of cake mix. If you’re short on time, you can make this recipe with a box of your favorite white cake mix instead of homemade cake. Add the coconut extract for more coconut flavor. You can also replace the filling with Jell-O coconut instant pudding mix.
- Don’t poke all the way through. Take care when poking your cake that the holes don’t reach the bottom of the cake pan. Poke about halfway through at most.
- Add the topping before serving. If you plan on making this cake ahead of time, consider leaving off the whipped cream cheese frosting until you’re ready to serve. It’s much fresher this way.
- Add rum. Turning this coconut poke cake into a piña colada poke cake is as easy as adding a small splash of rum (and/or pineapple juice) to the filling. You could also top the cake with canned or fresh chopped pineapple.
How to Store
- Refrigerate. Store this coconut poke cake refrigerated airtight. It’ll last for up to 3 days. Whenever possible, it’s best to wait and add the topping on the day you plan to serve it.
- Freeze. I recommend freezing this poke cake before adding either the filling or topping. Thaw to room temperature and then add the filling and topping. The cake can be stored airtight in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge before adding the whipped cream cheese frosting.
More Poke Cake Recipes
Coconut Poke Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 15 pieces
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
For coconut lovers only! A white coconut cake with coconut pudding. Topped with Coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups (285g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ½ cup (118 ml) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (350g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (7.5g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (4.5g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup (315ml) coconut milk, well stirred
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (optional topping)
For the filling
- 12-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup coconut milk (leftovers)
For the topping
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, cold
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, butter, eggs, and sour cream. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Alternatively, add half the dry ingredients, the extracts, and half the coconut milk at a time and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate. Repeat until all ingredients have been added. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish,and pour the batter in the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 25-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 30 minutes. Once the cake has cooled a bit but is still warm, take the end of a wooden spoon or another round object and poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Toast the coconut in the preheated oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread the coconut evenly on the pan. Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the desired color is reached. Transfer to a bowl or plate to stop the cooking process. Cool completely.
- For the filling, combine the sweetened condensed milk with the coconut milk and stir together. Drizzle over the finished cake. Cool completely before adding the topping or chill in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
For the topping
- Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until the cream cheese is smooth and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Slowly drizzle in the heavy whipping cream and continue beating until the cream cheese resembles a liquid mixture.
- Continue to add the remaining heavy whipping cream and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over the cooled cake, and top with toasted coconut. I recommend serving chilled, chilling for at least 1-2 hours before serving.
Notes
Storage
-
- Refrigerate. Store this coconut poke cake refrigerated airtight. It’ll last for up to 3 days. Whenever possible, it’s best to wait and add the topping on the day you plan to serve it.
- Freeze. I recommend freezing this poke cake before adding either the filling or topping. Thaw to room temperature and then add the filling and topping. The cake can be stored airtight in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge before adding the whipped cream cheese frosting.
Substitutions
- Sour cream can be substituted with Greek yogurt
- Coconut milk should be a can of coconut milk, not refrigerated coconut milk. If you don’t like the taste of this, I suggest to not add it over the top of the cake and just use the sweetened condensed milk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 546
- Sugar: 43.4 g
- Sodium: 340.5 mg
- Fat: 31.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 7.8 g
- Cholesterol: 78.4 mg
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I love this recipe! It has a moist, rich, coconut taste. Made it for my Mom’s Birthday. She loved it. I had to put the coconut through a food processor to make the pieces small because she can’t chew without teeth. Just wondered if you can freeze the left overs? If so, how long can it stay in the freezer. It is just the two of us and I am diabetic.
Hi Debra, to be honest I have not tried freezing it. I would be concerned how the pudding would thaw. You would honestly have to try and it see. Another option is splitting the cake into two smaller pans, maybe 8×8. Then you can freeze just one of the baked cakes for another time, and maybe add the filling and topping after thawing. If you are doing a half batch, split the ingredients for the pudding and topping in half as well since you’re making a smaller cake.
Looking at the ingredients it lists egg whites but no eggs. Please advise
That’s correct, this recipe uses only egg whites.
Planning on making it tomorrow-sounds delicious but how much coconut do you toast in oven?
I would ay 1 cup is probably enough unless you like a lot of it
UH-Mazing!!! Made for the first time for a Memorial Day family gathering thinking I would have left overs (a lot of coconut haters out there) and it got DUSTED! Everybody loved it! Soooooo, I made another one a couple of days later. This is very coconutty. It reminds me of my grandmother’s homemade coconut cream pie which I’ve never been able to duplicate. I never got the crust right and I always had issues with my meringue. I suggest making the whipped topping from scratch rather than using Cool Whip. I also suggest making the cake and letting the flavors marinate over night. I tried a small piece the night I made it and it tasted like I was eating Hawaiian Tropic sun tanning oil. It really needs to marinate before enjoying. This is a keeper! I will be making this again for our 4th of July gathering. Thank you!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this review!! Thank you!
when do you add the egg whites? didn’t see it in the video, thanks
Hi Brenda, apologies for the confusion. I combined the eggs and egg whites into the same bowl. So I add them at the same time.
I have not made this yet but I surely will as I love coconut cake. Could you use coconut milk in the cake batter instead of regular milk? Great recipe and thanks!
Hi Doris, I don’t see why not! Enjoy!
Made this cake the other day. The only problem I had was the pudding didn’t go down in the holes. It still tasted amazing!!!! Any suggestions? I will be making it again!!!! Thanks
This cake would be a HUGE hit in my house! It looks beautiful and delicious.
Thank you Pam! I hope you get a chance to try it!
This cake is like a dream come true Julianne! Perfect for Spring! Pinned!
Thanks so much Trish! You are the best!
This cake sounds amazing! And totally worth a trip to Walmart, which I have to agree with you, is not fun. I’ll be the first to admit that I have never heard of the show Archer! My husband pulled the same trick with the movie “Goodfellas” – don’t tell him, but you *can* see it too many times!
HAHA! Totally!
Yes! I just recently made another trip to Walmart for Coconut pudding and I am totally hooked!
There is a human that doesn’t like cool whip? What? This looks soooo scrumptious! I’d pay $25 for a slice with my coffee this morning. Yes I would. Nice photos!
Totally. People get angry about it! I am not one of them. Happy Easter Debbie!
I’ve never had a poke cake before but I really want to try this coconut version. Looks delicious
Careful Rochelle, once you try a poke cake, you will be TOTALLY HOOKED!
I am loving your easy poke cakes! Never apologize for coconut. Coconut is life. This is perfect for Easter! Pinned 🙂 and happy Friday!
HAHA! You got it!