This Coconut Bundt Cake is a delicious dessert with an incredible coconut flavor. Moist and dense and topped with cream cheese frosting, this bundt cake is perfect for Easter parties.
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Bundt cakes are hands down my favorite type of cake to make. They look extra fancy because of the shape, but they are literally one of the easiest cakes to bake.
We make this Funfetti bundt cake and this salted caramel bundt cake quite often because they taste amazing and are so easy to make. The other day, I was craving a coconut cake, so I reached for my bundt pan.
Since Easter is soon, I decorated the cake with orange chocolate-covered strawberries to look like carrots.
Why This Coconut Cake Recipe Works
This coconut cream bundt cake is easy to make. It has the perfect amount of coconut flavor and is topped with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut.
You're going to love how simple this recipe is. All you need is one bowl and a few ingredients.
Plus, this cake looks so pretty when it is finished. And the best part is that it tastes amazing, too! Serve it at spring parties, and WOW all your guests.
Key Ingredients Needed
This coconut bundt cake recipe is easy to make and doesn't require any fancy ingredients or tools. It starts with doctoring up a cake mix to taste and look like a fancy bakery cake.
- White Cake Mix - Using a store-bought mix saves time in the kitchen. You can also use a yellow or vanilla cake mix.
- Instant Coconut Pudding Mix - Adding a pudding mix helps to deepen the flavor and also gives it a pound cake texture.
- Oil & Sour Cream - Gives the cake more moisture, flavor, and a dense texture.
- Eggs - Helps to hold all the ingredients together.
- Coconut Extract - Boosts the coconut flavor in the cake mix.
- Coconut Milk - This can be used instead of the liquid called for in the box directions. You can use canned coconut milk or refrigerated coconut milk, although the canned will have a stronger coconut flavor.
- Shredded Coconut - Gives a fun texture to the cake. You can use unsweetened coconut or sweetened coconut in this cake recipe.
- Cream Cheese Frosting - Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and a few flavorings create the dreamiest frosting.
- Toasted Coconut - Adds extra flavor and color to the cake compared to regular shredded coconut.
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries - Use orange melting wafers to give the strawberries a fun "carrot" look.
How To Make Coconut Bundt Cake
Three times the coconut makes this the best coconut cake you will ever have. Follow our simple directions for doctoring up a cake mix.
- Prep the pan. Preheat the oven and spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. I prefer Baker's Joy because it allows the cake to slide right out after baking.
- Make the cake batter. Add the cake mix, dry pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, extract, oil, and coconut milk to a mixing bowl. Beat for about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the coconut. Gently stir the shredded coconut into the cake batter.
- Bake and cool. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Place a plate on top of the cake and then gently flip it out.
- Decorate and serve. Mix together the frosting ingredients until it is light and fluffy. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake.
BruCrew Tip: Decorate with toasted coconut and chocolate-covered strawberries, if desired.
Storage Recommendations
A tall cake carrier with a lid is a great option for storing and transporting bundt cakes. You can also cover the cake with plastic wrap and use toothpicks to keep it from sticking to the cake.
- On the Counter - The unfrosted cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- In the Refrigerator - Place the frosted cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- In the Freezer - Wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic wrap and foil, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost and decorate right before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to grease the bundt pan very well. A baking spray that has flour added to it is what I recommend.
- Do NOT let the baked cake sit in the hot pan longer than 15 minutes. As the cake begins to cool, it can stick to the pan.
- Use toasted coconut to decorate the top of the cake. Learn how to make toasted coconut with these three easy methods.
- Use vanilla frosting, marshmallow buttercream, or coconut frosting to frost the cake if you do not like cream cheese frosting.
- Other topping decorations that would be good on this cake are robin eggs, Mounds bars, or Almond Joy candy bars.
FAQs
Yes, this is a great cake to make 1 to 2 days ahead of time because the flavor of the cake deepens with time.
The unfrosted cake does not need to be refrigerated. If the cake is topped with cream cheese frosting, it needs to be kept in the fridge because of the dairy.
Wrap the cooled, unfrosted cake in layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months, then defrost completely before frosting.
You can use regular milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half in place of the coconut milk.
More Coconut Desserts
- Chocolate Coconut Pie
- Lemon Coconut Cupcakes
- Coconut Icebox Cake
- Coconut Fruit Dip
- Coconut Cheesecake Brownies
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Recipe
Coconut Bundt Cake
This Coconut Bundt Cake is a delicious dessert with an incredible coconut flavor. Moist and dense and topped with cream cheese frosting, this bundt cake is perfect for Easter parties.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 - 3.4 ounce box instant coconut pudding
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded coconut
For the Frosting
- 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons cream of coconut
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon rum or coconut extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
For the Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- 1 bag orange candy melting wafers
- 12 large strawberries
- ½ cup toasted coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour in it.
- Place the cake mix, dry instant pudding mix, sour cream, extract, eggs, oil, and coconut milk in a mixing bowl. Beat for 1 minute on low speed and 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Stir the shredded coconut in by hand.
- Spoon the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out onto a plate to cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese, butter, cream of coconut, extract, and salt until creamy. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until completely mixed and light and fluffy.
- Reserve ⅓ cup frosting. Frost the cake with the remaining frosting. Use a piping bag, icing tip 1M, and reserved frosting to make 6 swirls on top of the cake.
- Sprinkle the cake with the toasted coconut.
- Melt the orange melting wafers according to the package directions. Dip room temperature strawberries into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper until set.
- Garnish the frosting swirls with the orange strawberries. Place the rest of the strawberries in the center, if desired.
- Keep the cake refrigerated when not serving it. Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to grease the bundt pan very well. A baking spray that has flour added to it is what I recommend.
- Do NOT let the baked cake sit in the hot pan longer than 15 minutes. As the cake begins to cool, it can stick to the pan.
- Use toasted coconut to decorate the top of the cake. Learn how to make toasted coconut with these three easy methods.
- Use vanilla frosting, marshmallow buttercream, or coconut frosting to frost the cake if you do not like cream cheese frosting.
- Other topping decorations that would be good on this cake are robin eggs, Mounds bars, or Almond Joy candy bars.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 623Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 283mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 4gSugar: 57gProtein: 5g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*This post was first published in March 2014. The photos were updated in April 2019, and then the post was updated in January 2024.
Julie
I've made this cake before & it was delicious! I'm having a hard time finding coconut pudding. Would Vanilla work as a substitute?
Jocelyn
I'm so happy to hear you are enjoying this cake! Yes, vanilla pudding would be a great substitute if you can't find the coconut pudding.
Anita Green
Stumbled on this website while searching for a good Coconut Bundt cake recipe for Easter, and couldn’t be more pleased with the end result! I have two medium-sized Bundt pans so I made two smaller Bundts, and baked them just until the toothpick was barely clean. I did not buy the cream of coconut, but used the coconut milk as a sub. This cake is moist, flavorful, and beautiful to look at! This will be my new go-to recipe, so thank you very much, Jocelyn!
Jocelyn
I am so happy to hear that you found our website and loved the coconut cake. It's one of my favorites too, so I'm thrilled you loved it just as much! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know! 🙂