This Coconut Poke Cake is easy to make, loaded with coconut flavor, and the perfect dessert for your spring and summer celebrations.
Coconut Poke Cake
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I’ve always loved Disney movies; my Nana would always take my brother, best friend, and I to the movies to see them when we were little and I loved collecting those soft cases when the VHS came out.
Nowadays, Matt and I usually see the animated Disney films when the digital copy is released. And that’s exactly how we enjoyed Moana, at home, on the couch, with a slice (or two) of this Coconut Poke Cake!
Moana is my favorite Disney movie in a long time. I loved Moana as a character, and what I loved, even more, was that there wasn’t a love interest. I thought it was fantastic that Moana led the story with a little help from some friends.
I thought Moana was an exceptional role model for children, it was a great balance of pursuing your dreams and fulfilling your responsibilities to your family and community. It was about growing up and taking chances and seeing the best in people (or angry fire monsters).
The music is fun and wonderful and I might be a little biased because I adore Lin-Manuel Miranda (but who doesn’t), and Auli’i Cravalho is a breakout talent that I can’t wait to see more from!
Moana and her people harvest a lot of coconuts, so with the movie coming out for purchase tomorrow, I wanted to amp up the coconut love with this delicious Coconut Poke Cake! It’s made from an adapted cake box mix, baked in a 9×13-inch pan, then soaked with coconut milk and topped with a creamy whipped frosting and shredded coconut.
Check out these other Moana inspired posts!
Orange Pineapple Coconut Smoothie | The Love Nerds / Moana Cupcakes | Cupcake Diaries
Moana Paper Pennant Banner | Simply Made Fun / Moana Mocktail | Play Party Plan
Pineapple Sugar Cookies | Your Everyday Family / Tropical Banana Crush Slush | The Benson Street
Moana Felt Flower Headband | My Mom Made That / Tattoo Shirt Sleeve Tutorial | Sew What Alicia
Coconut Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 box (3.4 oz) coconut cream instant pudding mix
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
Frosting
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut cream instant pudding mix
- 3 tablespoons shredded coconut
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Add all ingredients except coconut milk to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until toothpick comes clean from the center of the cake.
- Poke holes in the warm cake and pour the coconut milk over the cake, make sure to shake and stir the coconut milk first. Use a spoon to spread the coconut milk around to help it get in all the holes. Let soak for 2 hours.
Frosting
- Add heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and pudding mix to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cake and sprinkle with shredded coconut.
~Karen says
March 21, 2017 at 7:36 amI too found Moana one of my new favorite Disney movies. I love your reasoning. Total facts. I love strong women that can stand alone. That’s how I raised my 3 daughters—now adults.
Going to see Beauty and the Beast today. I know, I know—typical! It’s my favorite all time Disney movie though!! Long story short—the original movie allowed me to find my childhood again!! So it’s ok—this time!! LOL
LOVE the idea of this cake. Will be making it. Huge coconut fan.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LIFE!! 🌺
Rebecca says
March 22, 2017 at 1:54 pmI hope you loved Beauty and the Beast, we did! And I hope you enjoy the cake!
Karen Nordyke says
April 8, 2017 at 6:07 amLOVED IT!! I wanna go 400,000 more times!!!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
March 22, 2017 at 12:05 pmPoke cakes are the best! Love this coconut version!
Rebecca says
March 22, 2017 at 1:47 pmThey truly are, thanks, Jennifer!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
March 22, 2017 at 3:12 pmI haven’t seen Moana yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing it! Love the cake!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
March 24, 2017 at 9:30 amBeautiful cake. Love coconut flavor treats.
Barb Burch says
June 19, 2017 at 2:38 pmThis cake is absolutely delicious!!!!! So moist, so flavourful and most importantly, so easy!! I couldn’t find coconut instant pudding so I used vanilla and then added coconut extract. Thanks for the recipe, even my daughter who doesn’t like coconut couldn’t stop eating it:)
Rebecca says
June 23, 2017 at 5:13 pmI’m so glad you guys enjoyed it, maybe she’ll become a coconut lover afterall!
Kathy hojnacki says
September 4, 2017 at 9:07 amDoes this cake have to be refrigerated ?
Rebecca Hubbell says
September 4, 2017 at 9:22 amHi Kathy, If you’re going to consume within a few hours of frosting, then it should be fine left out, otherwise, I would put it in the fridge until about an hour before you’re ready to enjoy it!
Kathy hojnacki says
September 4, 2017 at 2:06 pmSince there were no instructions with your recipe to refrigerate I left it out overnight. Can u tell me if it is now safe to eat?
Rebecca Hubbell says
September 4, 2017 at 2:16 pmHi Kathy, it’s perfectly safe to eat if left out, the frosting might just be softer than expected.