Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake
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This Coconut
Of all the pound cakes I’ve made and shared with you, I had not even thought about a Coconut Pound Cake until this spring when two different readers asked about one. They both wanted a Coconut Pound Cake for Easter.
After a busy Track season, Boy Scouts campouts, and birthday celebrations, I finally got to perfect this Coconut
My most favorite recipe to make is pound cakes. I’ve made hundreds and shared over 30 with you. (You can find the recipes here, Pound Cake Series.) I do recommend you read How to Bake the Perfect Pound Cake as well as How to Calibrate your Oven to get the very best results for your pound cake baking.
Also, check out Big Beautiful Cakes.
Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Most often, I’m asked, ‘Did you accidentally omit the baking powder or baking soda’? One important note: traditional pound cakes did not contain baking powder or baking soda. They were leavened simply with eggs and is my preferred method of baking pound cakes. Baking powder and baking soda change the texture (crumb) of cakes as well as, inhibit getting that nice crunchy ‘crust’ that is so desirable on pound cakes.
Perfectly sweet and supremely moist Coconut
Pound Cake Baking Tips
- As indicated above, I sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the top. I then served the Pound Cake with fresh berries and whipped cream.
- You could frost it with Caramel Sauce or Cream Cheese Glaze and toasted coconut if you prefer.
- Brands I recommend: Philadephia cream cheese, Crisco solid vegetable shortening, and White Lily or Martha White flour. Pans and more recommendations here.
- I have found solid vegetable shortening and sugar instead of flour to be the best for coating the pan to prevent sticking. By using sugar instead of flour, you won’t have white patches on the cake. You can use flour if you prefer.
- If you use a bundt pan instead of a tube pan, make sure it’s a taller bundt, about 5 inches tall.
Pans and such
I bake my pound cakes on a cookie sheet. Setting the pan on a cookie sheet may affect the baking time. Also, using a light versus a dark tube pan will affect baking times. For the record, I bake my pound cakes in a dark-colored
Your
I’m not a fan of using a non-stick spray for pound cakes. Some of the sides always stick pulling off that crust that I worked so hard to create. Instead, I like to use solid vegetable shortening and follow that with a dusting of granulated sugar. (Yes, sugar. Sugar doesn’t leave any white areas on the cake.) Alternately, I like the Wilton cake release. (When I started this pound cake series, I did use non-stick spray. However, after making so many and trying other methods, I do not use non-stick spray for cakes now. I have tried to go back and update those posts, but may have missed some.)
You can also find great recipes here
Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature, salted or unsalted, your preference
- ½ cup Crisco shortening
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted and measured correctly
- 1, 8 ounce package cream cheese (low or fat-free not recommended)
- 1 tablespoon coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 6 extra large eggs or 7 large eggs
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes sweetened, pulsed 4 to 5 times in a food processor
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a (10-inch, 12 cup) bundt or tube pan with solid vegetable shortening and sprinkle with sugar (or you can use flour). Alternatively, you can use Wilton Cake Release.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer beat butter, shortening, and sugar together. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Next, add the cream cheese and blend until fluffy. Again stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.
- Add eggs alternately with flour, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down the sides.
- Blend in the coconut and almond extracts.
- Stir in coconut.
- Pour into prepared baking pan.
- Place pan on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 85 to 90 minutes. Test cake with a wooden pick or skewer. Cake is done when dry crumbs or no crumbs come out on pick when inserted into the thickest part of the cake.
- Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes before inverting on serving tray.
- Frost, if desired, and serve.*See posts for details
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
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made this recipe over the weekend. Its very good. I used the tube pan as directed but I think next time I will use to small loaf pans.
The only pound cake I’ve made that came out perfect! Follow the directions exactly and don’t over-mix. So moist and not too sweet. I’ve made it without the coconut and flavoring and substituted vanilla flavoring. My go to recipe now. Thank you for all of the tips..
Yay!! So happy you liked it!
Hi
Instead of using the extracts , would it be ok to use fresh lemon juice?
Thanks
Yes
Loved this pound cake, used the sugar and Crisco to prepare the tube pan and it came out perfect, very moist. I did not use the almond extract.
Can I divide this up and bake in small loaf pans?
Yes.
Double checking: no leavening agent, baking soda or powder? Thank you..
Nope, the eggs are the leavener.
Are you suppose to use a tube pan? I do have one .
Do you grease the pan with shortening then cover it with sugar?
Thank you for the great recipe!
I prefer a tube pan over a bundt pan. It’s easier to remove in my opinion. I do grease then use sugar.
Hi Paula,
Why shortening instead of all butter? Also, coconut..sweetened or not? Thanks.
unsweetened coconut
I prefer shortening because it doesn’t interfere with the coconut flavor. You can use butter if you prefer.
Made this tonight! Very moist inside and just crunchy enough on the outside..perfect consistency! This doesn’t need a glaze, it’s again perfect LOL! My only wish was that I didn’t add the almond extract! It takes a bit away from the coconut flavoring.
How many 8 ounces of cream cheese? Sorry but it looks like 18 or 1 , 8 ounce block.
8 ounces
Such a great cake. I served with sliced strawberries and whipped cream with coconut extract (nice flavor). The girls loved it!!