This Coconut Poke Cake is filled with a creamy combination of condensed milk and coconut milk, before being covered with whipped topping and shredded coconut— the coconut poke cake recipe is moist, flavorful and perfect for summer!
Coconut Poke Cake
I feel like I'm really late to the poke cake game as it wasn't a dessert that I grew up with. In fact, I hadn't even heard of the term "poke cake" until a few years ago.
On a whim one day I decided to make my first poke cake by poking holes into a cake that I was baking and filling the middle with sweetened condensed milk before frosting. The cake ended up being incredible. Each bite was moist and delicious!
Since then I've made a variety of different flavored poke cakes, with coconut poke cake being my favorite. The combination of sweetened condensed milk and canned coconut milk is AMAZING when added to a traditional white cake-- though you could easily make this coconut poke cake recipe with coconut, strawberry or even chocolate cake mix!
I use Cool Whip topping to keep my coconut poke cake light, but you could substitute another premade or homemade frosting. This poke cake recipe is as easy as it gets.
Coconut Poke Cake Recipe
Coconut Poke Cake Ingredients:
- 1 box White Cake Mix (plus box ingredients)
- 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 4 oz Shredded Coconut
- 8 oz Whipped Topping, thawed
How to Make Coconut Poke Cake:
1. Prepare and bake the cake in 13x9" pan according to box directions.
2. Allow to cool until just slightly warm.
3. Use a spoon handle to poke holes evenly across the cake.
4. Combine coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk and whisk until well blended.
5. Pour mixture over cake making sure it gets down into holes.
6. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to allow the mixture to set up.
7. Spread whipped topping evenly over cake.
8. Garnish with shredded coconut and optional maraschino cherries.
What is Poke Cake?
Poke cake gets its name by poking holes in an already baked cake, and then filling the holes with either condensed milk, pudding, jello or another liquid or puree before frosting. The cake soaks up the liquid making each bite moist and flavorful! Poke cake first became popular in the 1970s when Jell-O advertised it as an easy dessert idea.
- 1 box White Cake Mix plus box ingredients
- 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 4 oz Shredded Coconut
- 8 oz Frozen Whipped Topping thawed
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Prepare and bake cake in 13x9" pan according to box directions.
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Allow to cool until just slightly warm.
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Use spoon handle to poke holes evenly across cake.
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Combine coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk and whisk until well blended.
-
Pour mixture over cake making sure it gets down into holes.
-
Refrigerate cake for 15 minutes to allow mixture to set up.
-
Spread whipped topping evenly over cake.
-
Garnish with a shredded coconut.
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Other Summer Recipes You Might Like:
- Pineapple Sorbet
- Cherry Slushie (Copycat 7-Eleven)
- Fruit Cocktail Popsicles
- Cherry Dump Cake
- Peach Cobbler with Cream Cheese
- Limeade
Flyingkids
This looks delicious! Condensed milk makes magic to any pastry. Yum.
The Furnshop
This is looking amazing. I just love this coconut poke cake recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing this post.
Anne van Schellenbeck
I baked this for July 4th and made an American flag out of blueberries and strawberries. The cake was a hit, everyone loved it.