Moist and fluffy coconut cake, homemade lime curd, creamy coconutty topping, and toasted flakes of coconut–this Coconut Lime Poke Cake is the perfect dessert to welcome spring OR summer!
When it comes to favorite tropical flavor duos, coconut and lime are definitely at the top of my list. The combination of subtly sweet coconut with refreshingly tart lime is absolutely subLIME.
See what I did there?
(I know, I’m a nerd.)
ANYwho…before I out myself as too big of a nerd, why don’t we just get to the dessert of the week already…
Coconut Lime Poke Cake.
So many people RAVED about this cake on Easter! Even my uncle who’s rather picky when it comes to food (that’s putting it nicely), said that it was the best cake he’s ever eaten. But really, who WOULDN’T go crazy for a fluffy coconut cake that’s filled with lusciously tart lime curd and covered with a supremely creamy coconut topping?
While there are three components involved in making this cake, it’s super easy to make. I promise!
First, you’ll start with the lime curd to give it enough time to cool off. Just combine some egg yolks, one egg, sugar, butter, salt, lime juice and zest in a medium saucepan, and stir over medium heat until it thickens up into a pudding-like consistency. Make sure to whisk it constantly to avoid burning or egg scrambling. If you do see little bits of cooked egg white, don’t worry. The lime curd gets strained through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any cooked bits of egg as well as the zest. Straining it also creates that silky smooth texture.
While the lime curd cools, it’s time to make the cake which starts off with a cake mix. Now I know cake mixes are a controversial topic in the field of baking, but hear me out first. I only use them when the cake involves several different elements. Also, cake mixes have come a long way, and it’s tough to beat their flavorful, fluffy results and convenience.
Although it starts with a cake mix, I like to add a few special ingredients to increase the deliciousness factor. The first ingredient is cream of coconut. This infuses the cake with coconut sweetness, and it’s usually found near the alcoholic beverages since it’s typically used as a mixer. If you can’t find it, you can also use coconut milk. Coconut milk doesn’t have the sweetness of cream of coconut, but it’ll still add some coconut flavor.
Another important ingredient is coconut cream instant pudding mix. This will not only add some “coconuttiness”, but it’ll also keep the cake extra moist. Speaking of moist, both sour cream AND vegetable oil are added to the batter, which means you won’t find a dry crumb in the house with this cake.
After the cake is done baking, allow it to cool for at least an hour. Take a wooden spoon and use the end of the handle to poke rows of holes, an inch apart, into the cake. Make sure not to poke all the way to the bottom. You only need to poke about halfway into the cake. If the lime curd has cooled completely, put about a third of it into a ziplock bag with the tip cut off and fill each of the holes you just poked. This makes it SO MUCH easier to get the lime curd all the way into the holes. Once every single hole has been filled, spread the rest of the lime curd over the cake.
Now it’s time to make the BLISSFUL coconut topping. Start by whipping some heavy cream until fluffy and voluminous. Then combine a block of cream cheese and some more of that delicious cream of coconut until smooth. Gradually add a cup of milk by beating in about 1/4 cup at a time. This will ensure that you don’t end up with any lumps. Next, add the coconut pudding mix and coconut extract, beating until completely combined. Finally, fold in the whipped cream that you made earlier.
To spread the coconut topping on top of the lime curd, I recommend dropping spoonfuls of it evenly over the cake, then using an offset spatula or butterknife to spread it out. The lime curd has a tendency to move and smush toward the edges of the cake as the coconut filling is spread on top of it. Dropping the spoonfuls first helps to minimize the amount of spreading, preventing the lime curd from shifting too much.
The whole thing needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours to allow all of the layers to firm up. Just before serving, sprinkle the entire cake with toasted coconut. You want the coconut to be extra crispy when people take a bite of your divine coconut creation, so the longer you can hold off on sprinkling the coconut, the better.
Coconut Lime Poke Cake
Ingredients
Lime Curd:
- 7 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lime juice
- 3 Tablespoons lime zest
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
Coconut Cake:
- 1 (15.25 oz) box white cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant coconut pudding mix
- 4 egg whites
- ⅔ cup milk
- ⅓ cup cream of coconut*
- ⅔ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Coconut Topping:
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup cream of coconut
- 1 cup milk
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant coconut cream pudding mix
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
- ½ cup shredded coconut, toasted
Instructions
Make the Lime Curd:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the lime juice, zest, and salt. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 4-8 minutes minutes.
- Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF; spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir all of the cake ingredients together until smooth; batter will be thick. Pour the batter evenly into the baking dish, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs attached. Allow to cool for 1 hour.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke even rows of holes into the cake that are about an inch apart.
- Place a third of the lime curd into a ziplock bag and cut the tip off. Fill each poked hole with the lime curd, then spread the rest of the curd evenly on top.
Make the Topping:
- In the cold bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to another bowl and return bowl to mixer.
- Switch the whisk attachment out for the paddle attachment, and beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the cream of coconut and mix until creamy. Gradually stir in the milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all milk has been added, switch to whisk attachment and add pudding mix and coconut extract. Whisk on high for 2 minutes, or until mixture is smooth and thickened.
- Add 1/4 of the whipped cream to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the rest of the whipped cream into the mixture.
- Drop spoonfuls of the topping evenly over the cake, then spread with an offset spatula or butterknife. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle the entire cake with toasted coconut. Cake will stay fresh covered in the refrigerator for up to one week