Coconut Pound Cake

The heady aroma of coconut infuses buttery cream cheese pound cake in our easy coconut pound cake recipe. The batter whips up easily with only a hand mixer and, because it’s designed for a smaller 8-cup fluted tube pan rather than a big, full-sized 12-cup pan, it’s less of a cake commitment. Serve it with a scoop of pineapple or mango sorbet for an especially tropical treat.

Coconut Pound Cake Ingredients

• Butter and cream cheese: Softened butter and cream cheese whipped together with sugar hold some air and lend lightness to balance the richness of the pound cake batter. They will combine easily if both the butter and cream cheese are thoroughly softened before beginning to make the batter.
• Sugar: Though the coconut is already sweetened, granulated sugar provides a foundation of sweetness in this pound cake batter.
• Eggs: Eggs provide the batter with richness and elasticity, and help bind the cake together.
• Vanilla: Pick up one of our recommendations for the best vanilla extract brands. You could also use homemade vanilla extract to give a lovely flavor to this coconut pound cake recipe. If you want to really amp up the coconut flavor you can replace some or all of the vanilla extract with coconut extract.
• All-purpose flour: Versatile all-purpose flour is the base of this coconut pound cake recipe. Check out our guide on different types of flour and when to use them.
• Coconut: Sweetened shredded coconut, sometimes called angel flake, provides the bulk of the coconut flavor in this recipe and is also the decoration on top. You can substitute fine shreds of unsweetened coconut, if you like, but know that without the added sugar the coconut might absorb some moisture from the batter and make the cake feel heavy.
• Confectioners’ sugar: A scattering of more coconut and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar are all the decorations this coconut pound cake needs, but if you want to you could make a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze and scatter toasted coconut on top.

Directions 

Step 1: Make the cake batter

Sheri Silver for Taste of Home

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour just until combined; fold in 1/2 cup of the coconut.

Step 2: Bake the cake

Sheri Silver for Taste of Home

Coat an 8-inch fluted tube pan with cooking spray; dust with flour. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 325°F for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle the top with confectioners’ sugar and additional coconut if desired.

Sheri Silver for Taste of Home

Coconut Pound Cake Variations

• Add some chocolate: Fold in a handful of semisweet or dark chocolate chips to the batter with the coconut. To make a version of this cake with the flavor profile of an Almond Joy candy bar, throw a handful of slivered almonds into the batter along with the coconut and add a drizzle of the chocolate glaze from our chocolate chip pound cake recipe.
• Add fruit: Fold in dried pineapple tidbits or slivers of dried mango into the cake along with the shredded coconut.
• Use a different pan: Divide the batter into greased and floured loaf pans, mini loaf pans or muffin tins instead of the fluted tube pan. Follow the same doneness cues, but note that because the batter is in smaller containers it will bake faster.

How to Store Coconut Pound Cake

This coconut cream cheese pound cake does not need to be refrigerated if it will be consumed within a few days. You can leave it on the counter wrapped in plastic wrap or covered with a cake dome (find more tips on how to store baked goods). If the cake won’t be eaten right away, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to about a week.

Can you freeze coconut pound cake?

Yes, coconut pound cake with cream cheese freezes beautifully. Wrap leftover slices of cake individually in plastic wrap or wax paper and freeze them, stashed in a freezer bag or airtight container, for up to two months. You can also freeze an entire coconut pound cake.

Coconut Pound Cake Tips

Sheri Silver for Taste of Home

What is the difference between a pound cake and a regular cake?

Pound cake is typically more dense than regular cake and topped with a glaze rather than frosting. Traditionally, it was made with a pound each of butter, sugar, flour and eggs—hence the name “pound cake”!

What’s the best way to grease a fluted tube pan?

The best way to ensure that your coconut pound cake comes out of the pan cleanly is to grease it well from the start. We recommend using shortening to grease Bundt pans, even those with nonstick coating. To grease a Bundt pan, take a dollop of shortening on a paper towel and wipe the interior of the pan. You want to get into every nook and cranny. Then dust with flour and tap away the excess.

Can I bake this cake in a larger pan?

Yes, you can bake this amount of batter in a 10- to 12-cup fluted tube pan, though the resulting cake will be shorter. You can also double the proportions of ingredients and bake it in a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. Follow the same doneness cues; the bake time will be closer to an hour and a half.

Can I make this coconut pound cake cake gluten-free?

Substitute your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the wheat flour. The flour is the only ingredient in this recipe in which gluten would be an issue.