Easy Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake
This Easy Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake is a simple, easy trip to the islands. A delicious pina colada cake is loaded with coconut pudding and topped with whipped cream and coconut flakes.
If you love pineapple and coconut, then get ready for the ultimate dessert that’s perfect for family gatherings. We love to make this one for parties and get-togethers. Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes, we let the power of being adults go to our heads and make it just because!
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This super easy, super delicious recipe comes together in a snap, and it’s full of tropical flavor. There’s nothing about it that you won’t love.
- It’s full of pineapple and coconut flavors which are the perfect summer flavors if you ask me.
- All the ingredients for this coconut cake are easy to find in the baking aisle at your local grocery store.
- It’s super-rich with pudding and whipped topping and tasty tropical flavors.
- It’s a perfect dessert that everyone always loves.
🛒Ingredients
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- Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Pineapple Cake Mix
- Coconut cream instant pudding
- Milk
- Cool Whip, thawed
- Coconut, shredded
See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Easy Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake
Making this recipe is so easy that even beginners can do it.
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray the bottom of a 9×13 cake pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2: Bake the Cake
Bake the cake according to the package directions. Then, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Poke the Cake
Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake, being careful to keep them about an inch apart and only going about halfway through the cake.
Step 4: Add the Pudding
Prepare the coconut cream pudding with cold milk according to the package directions, mixing until just before it begins to thicken. Then, pour the mixture over the cake and fill the holes. Spread any remaining pudding on top of the cake, then refrigerate the cake for about half an hour.
Step 5: Finish the Cake
Remove the cake from the refrigerator, then spread the whipped topping evenly over the top, being careful not to mix it with the pudding on top of the cake. Then, top with coconut shreds or flakes.
Step 6: Chill
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. Enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this pina colada poke cake recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Your Favorite Cake and Pudding – Use any combination of your favorite cake and pudding flavors.
- Toasted Coconut – Toast your coconut before adding it to the top of the cake.
- Walnuts – Try adding chopped walnuts to the cake.
Check out our other pineapple coconut poke cake. It’s full of crushed pineapple!
🥄 Equipment
You don’t need much to make this easy poke cake. It only takes a few items.
- Large bowl
- Baking dish
- Measuring cups and spoons
🥫 Storage
Store this cake covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
💭 Tips
- Be sure not to poke your holes too close together or too far into the cake. You don’t want it to fall apart when you cut it.
- I like to use the wooden spoon handle to poke my holes, but you can also use a large smoothie straw.
- Be sure the pudding hasn’t thickened before you pour it over the cake. If it’s too thick, it won’t fill the holes.
- When adding the whipped cream, don’t press too firmly. You want to make a layer of whipped cream without mixing it into the pudding below or breaking up the cake.
- Want to add more pineapple flavor? Pour a can of drained pineapple chunks over the cake before you add the pudding.
- To decorate this cake, you can either place shaved coconut or maraschino cherries on top of the cool whip for a festive touch.
- Instead of coconut pudding, you could soak your cake in a can of cream of coconut for a sweet flavor.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this pineapple poke cake recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this easy dessert recipe.
It will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator.
No. The pudding doesn’t defrost well.
You sure can. The beauty of poke cake is that you can change up the entire thing just by changing the cake and pudding.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy a delicious poke cake? Then, try these delicious recipes:
🧾Easy Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
📌 PIN IT!!
Easy Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake
Equipment
- large bowl
- Baking dish
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Pineapple Cake Mix plus ingredients stated on box: 1 cup water, 3 eggs, ⅓ cup oil
- 8 ounces Lite Cool Whip thawed
- 2 cups milk, cold
- ½ cup coconut, shredded you can toast this if you like you can toast this if you like or add more than 1/2 cup
- 1 5.1 ounce package coconut nut cream pudding
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, prepare the cake mix as directed on box with the eggs, water, and oil. Mix until there are no more lumps.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake as directed on package, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once it is done baking, remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Then use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake. Make sure not to poke too deep or too close together as you don’t want the cake to fall apart when cutting.
- Now prepare the coconut cream pudding as per directions on box with cold milk. Mix until just before it begins to thicken then pour the mixture over the cake and fill the holes. (You don’t want to wait until it is too thick and won’t fill the holes properly.) Spread the remaining amount on top of cake.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before adding the whipped topping.
- Remove from fridge then add the whipped topping and spread evenly across. Don’t press too hard and don’t mix into the pudding.
- Top with coconut shreds or flakes.
- Place in fridge for another 2 hours, or overnight.
- Serve and enjoy
