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You all go crazy for my coconut loaf cake, so I already know this coconut poke cake is going to be your next one. It’s creamy, dreamy, and so easy it barely counts as baking. It starts with a box of white cake mix, gets soaked in a creamy coconut mixture while it’s still warm, and chills in the fridge until every bite is soft and cool and loaded with coconut.
Love coconut? Be sure to check out my coconut macaroons and coconut cream pie, too. And if you’re building a whole dessert table, my Easter dessert ideas are full of make-ahead favorites like this one.
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Pin ItThis cake is SO good. It honestly rivals my other cake recipes, and you know I love them all. I was shocked my kids went bonkers over it because they’re usually so picky, especially with coconut. They could not stop eating it.
What Makes This Coconut Poke Cake So Moist
Most poke cakes start with a box mix and water. Mine doesn’t. I use buttermilk in the batter instead, and then again in the coconut soak, and that one swap is the whole difference. Buttermilk gives the cake a softer, richer crumb that holds up to all that liquid instead of turning to mush.
Then there’s the soak. Coconut milk whisked with sweetened condensed milk gets poured over the cake while it’s still warm from the oven, so it sinks straight down into the holes instead of pooling on top. It chills for a few hours, the whole thing sets, and you end up with something cool and creamy that tastes even better the next day.
A few things worth knowing before you start:
- It’s a 9×13, so it feeds 12 easily. Perfect for a potluck or a holiday table.
- Total hands-on time is about 15 minutes. The rest is baking and chilling.
- It has to chill at least 2 hours, so plan ahead or make it the night before.
- No frosting, no piping bags, no layers. Cool Whip and shredded coconut and you’re done.
Coconut Poke Cake Ingredients
White cake mix: The base that makes this cake quick and easy to whip up. Anywhere from a 13 to 14.5 ounce box works.
Eggs: I always use organic pasture raised eggs for the best quality.
Buttermilk: Used in both the cake and the coconut soak to keep everything extra moist. It’s the same trick behind my buttermilk cake, which is one of my most-made recipes. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own. Follow my homemade buttermilk method.
Coconut milk: Use full fat canned coconut milk, not the kind in a carton. It separates in the can with a thick layer on top and thinner liquid underneath. Use all of it and whisk it smooth.
Sweetened condensed milk: Brings a rich sweetness that pairs perfectly with coconut. This is what turns the coconut milk into a proper soak. I use it to make the BEST caramel sauce, too.
Cool Whip: Light, fluffy, and the easiest whipped topping to spread.
Sweetened shredded coconut: The finishing touch, and a little texture on top.
How to Make Coconut Poke Cake
Mix the batter. Combine the white cake mix, eggs, and 1 cup buttermilk until smooth.
Bake. Pour the batter into a buttered 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, checking at 20.
Make the soak. Whisk together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk until completely smooth.
Poke and soak. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over with a fork and pour the coconut mixture evenly over the warm cake. Pour it slowly so it has time to sink in.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Overnight is better.
Top and serve. Spread Cool Whip over the chilled cake, sprinkle with shredded coconut, then slice and serve cold.
Eden’s Recipe Tips
Pour the soak while the cake is warm, not hot and not cool. Warm cake drinks it up. A cooled cake lets it sit on top.
Toast the shredded coconut before you sprinkle it on. It takes 4 minutes in a dry skillet and it changes the whole cake. Nuttier, prettier, and it gives you a little crunch against all that softness.
Check the cake at the 20-minute mark. If it isn’t golden and set in the center, give it another 5 minutes.
Skip the Cool Whip if you’d rather. Whip cold heavy cream with a little powdered sugar until soft peaks form and use that instead. Just know it won’t hold as long in the fridge.
Don’t skimp on the chill. Two hours is the minimum, and overnight is when it gets really good.
If you like an easy cake that does the work while you’re not looking, my pistachio cake is the same kind of low effort, big payoff situation.
Coconut Poke Cake Variations
This one takes beautifully to a few small changes, and none of them make it harder.
Toasted coconut poke cake. Toast the coconut and use it on top. This is how I make it most often.
Pineapple coconut. Add a drained 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple to the Cool Whip before you spread it on. It tastes like a piña colada in cake form and it’s so good in the summer.
Coconut cream poke cake. Swap the coconut milk for a 15 ounce can of cream of coconut and cut the sweetened condensed milk to 1/3 cup. Sweeter, thicker, and a stronger coconut flavor.
Almond coconut. Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the batter and top with toasted sliced almonds. It tastes a little like an Almond Joy.
Holiday version. Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut and a scatter of white chocolate curls. It looks like snow, and it’s beautiful on a Christmas dessert table. Set it next to my Baileys Irish cream cheesecake, and you have a whole dessert table.
How to Store Coconut Poke Cake
Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It genuinely gets better on day two as the soak keeps working its way through, the same way my no-bake cheesecake does.
To make it ahead, bake, soak, and chill the cake up to two days before your party, but wait to add the Cool Whip and coconut until the morning you’re serving. The topping stays fluffiest that way and the coconut doesn’t go soft.
If you want to freeze it, freeze the soaked cake before you top it. Wrap it well, and it will keep for up to two months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then add the whipped topping and coconut before serving. Freezing it after it’s frosted makes the topping weep as it thaws.
What to Serve With Coconut Poke Cake
This is my favorite kind of dessert to bring to a party because it travels in its own pan and it wants to be made the day before. It’s lovely at an Easter brunch, perfect for a summer potluck or a backyard barbecue, and honestly wonderful at Christmas when everyone else is bringing something heavy and chocolate.
Set it out cold with coffee and something bubbly. If you’re doing a bigger spread, a dessert charcuterie board alongside it makes the table look like you did so much more than you did. That’s my favorite trick.
Coconut Poke Cake FAQs
They’re three different things and this trips everyone up. Coconut milk is canned, unsweetened, and pourable, and it’s what I use in this recipe. Coconut cream is the thick unsweetened layer, sold on its own in a can. Cream of coconut, like Coco López, is sweetened and syrupy and made for cocktails. All three work in a poke cake, but they’re not one to one swaps.
Yes, and a lot of poke cake recipes do. Use a 15 ounce can and cut the sweetened condensed milk down to about 1/3 cup, because cream of coconut is already very sweet. You’ll get a richer, sweeter cake with a stronger coconut flavor.
You can. Bake any white or vanilla sheet cake in a 9×13, like the base of my funfetti sheet cake, then poke and soak it the same way. The mix is here because it’s fast and reliable, but a scratch cake works beautifully if you’d rather.
Almost always because the cake had cooled too much, or the holes weren’t deep enough. Poke while it’s still warm, go most of the way down with the fork, and pour slowly in a few passes instead of all at once.
Two days ahead for the cake and soak. Add the Cool Whip and coconut the day you’re serving.
Yes. Make two 9×13 pans rather than trying to bake a double batch in one larger pan, which will bake unevenly and never soak right in the middle.
No. Sweetened whipped cream works and tastes fresher. It just softens faster, so add it closer to serving. Cool Whip is what I reach for when I’m making it ahead for a party.
More Cake recipes
If you make this coconut poke cake, come back and leave a 5-star rating and a comment. It helps other readers so much, and I truly love hearing how it turned out for you. Coconut lovers, this one’s for you.
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Coconut Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 14 ounces white cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup buttermilk, divided 1 cup (for the batter) and 1/2 cup (for the sauce)
- 15 ounces coconut milk, rich and creamy
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 8 ounces Cool Whip , thawed
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix, eggs, and 1 cup buttermilk. Beat until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 25 minutes, checking at 20. The cake is done when the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, make the coconut soak. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk until completely smooth.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven and is still warm, use a fork to poke holes all over the surface, going most of the way down.
- Slowly pour the coconut mixture over the warm cake in a few passes, letting it seep into the holes before adding more.
- Cover the cake and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to serve, spread the thawed Cool Whip evenly over the top of the chilled cake.
- Sprinkle generously with sweetened shredded coconut. Toast it first for more flavor.
- Slice and serve cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You have coconut milk in the picture and recipe notes. But says to use cream of coconut. Can you clarify please and thank you!
Can you frost with whipped cream instead of wipped toppin?
I would use Cool Whip in the bucket for this.
This would be such a refreshing dessert for a warm spring or summer day! My whole family loves coconut, and we’d especially enjoy this with the toasted coconut topping. I love the idea of dressing up a cake mix with buttermilk; that’s a great way to add more moisture and flavor. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe!