This Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe is crazy delicious. Dense and buttery this pound cake is topped simply with a sprinkle of powdered sugar then served with whipped cream and berries. This rich, dense, buttery cake is dessert perfection.
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 test and perfect this Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake.
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.
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- Two Step Pineapple Pound Cake
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- Amaretto Pound Cake
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- Cold Oven Brown Sugar Whipping Cream Pound Cake
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- Kentucky Butter Sauce Pound Cake
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- Vanilla Red Velvet Marbled Pound Cake Recipe
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- Vanilla Red Velvet Marbled Pound Cake
Most often, I’m asked ‘did you accidentally omitted 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 Cream Cheese Pound Cake starts with a basic Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe. To this, I added coconut extract, almond extract, and flaked coconut. I didn’t want large pieces of coconut in the cake. Therefore, I pulsed the flaked coconut in a food processor until it was ground fine. (about .5 centimeters in length for lack of a better example)
Coconut Cream Cheese 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 with 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.
You can also find great recipes here or at Meal Plan Monday or Weekend Potluck.
Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature, salted or unsalted, your preference
- ½ cup solid vegetable 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 recommended brand
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 6 extra large eggs or 7 large eggs
- 1 cup flaked coconut 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). Alternately, 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
Alyssa says
For the coconut in the food processor can I just blend it up in the blender if I don’t have a food processor
Paula says
Yes, you can. Or, you can leave it as is. I just don’t like the bigger pieces of coconut, personally.
MJinUt says
How would you alter this for high altitude?
Paula says
I’ve never baked at high altitude and have no way to but I did find this article that should help. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
Joseph says
Beautiful cake! Smells so wonderful.
Lisa says
I am making this today. I assume my cream cheese should be room temperature so it blends well and us fluffy?
Paula says
Yes, it does.
Joyce Powell says
Hello Paula…I believe you stated this cake is the same as your regular cream cheese pound cake but the difference is you added the coconut and the flavoring …..I printed your cream cheese pound cake and in that recipe you called for 1-1/2 cup butter and no mention of the shortening….my husband does not like coconut but this cake was much better than the plain one….it is much better, denser and crumbwise….so if or could I leave out the coconut and still use the butter AND shortening would it still be the same texture and all but only without coconut….or could or should I use just the butter ??????
Paula says
Yes, you can omit the coconut in this recipe. (You don’t have to add anything in the place of it.) A lot of times it’s the texture of coconut not necessarily the flavor so you can either use the coconut extract or use vanilla or almond. I personally love almond extract in pound cake.
Denise says
This coconut cream cheese pound cake is phenomenal! I substituted all butter instead of shortening and I also substituted vanilla for the Almond extract. Just not a fan of almond extract.
Laurel says
I love all things coconut . This cake has great flavor and a wonderful crunch .
Rlee says
Can you use butter instead of shortening?
Paula says
yes
Angie says
Hey I was wondering could you use cake flour for this recipe.
Paula says
Yes, you can.
MaryAnn Bryant says
I notice you use all purpose flour but there is no baking powder, soda or salt listed in the recipe.
I want to make this, unsure about the ingredients. What would be the time for 2 loaf pans vs the tube or bundt pan?
Thank you
Paula says
There’s no baking powder or soda, it’s leavened with the eggs.
It’ll take about an hour in loaf pans. Not knowing the exact size of yours and material I recommend to Start watching it at 45 minutes.
Carole says
I am planning on making this cake later today or tomorrow… can someone clarify if you use 3c of sifted flour or 3c flour then sift. Also what is meant by measured correctly?
Paula says
Always sift then measure flour. If you’ll click on ‘measured correctly’ it’ll take you to my post on how to measure flour.
Carolr says
Thanks for confirming … I wanted to ensure that I wasn’t adding too much flour. I saw some comments that flour was not sifted
LDPANIKKAR says
Do yon have suggestions for icing?
Paula says
I would do a simple glaze like this, you add coconut extract https://www.callmepmc.com/coffee-cake-pound-cake-recipe/
Dee says
This is a great cake! I used 1/2 cup of sugar an 1&1/2 cups of stevia, (health restrictions) and that’s all I changed.
This is a real treat though!!!
We are having it as our Christmas dessert with whipped cream and strawberries!
It was done in half the time because I used a small Bundt pan and used the remainder of the batter in a small loaf pan and 2 cupcakes…we HAD to for quality control purposes ya know,?!?😂
Next!!!
Teresa Wathan says
I thought it was excellent. Very moist. Maybe cut back a little on the almond flavor. I will make it again. Next time I will cut the recipe in half and use just one regular pound cake pan. Since it is a lot for just two people.
Gayle says
How about making the full recipe and wrapping the second loaf for the freezer. Just a thought. 😉
Melanie says
Saw this recipe and I want to try it! Everyone in my family loves coconut! However, we have Celiac Disease and need to eat gluten free. Has anyone tried this recipe with a gluten free baking mix? Just thought I would ask. I have a really excellent product that can be substituted cup for cup into a recipe instead of flour.
Paula says
I really keep meaning to test this with gluten-free flour just haven’t yet. Melanie, please let me know what you use and how it turns out.
Melanie says
Hi Paula, I just finished plating the gluten free version of your Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake. It looks wonderful. I used all of your hints for measuring and mixing and the cake is just perfect. I haven’t tasted yet because I have to take it to a gathering but for gluten free it is usually about how it will bake instead of flavor. It has the nice crunch around it as well. I also used the sugar with the shortening for the coating and it came right out. I used Cup4Cup Multi Purpose Flour Gluten Free. My daughter gave me this and said all her favorite gf places in Nashville used it. For sweets as well as pizza dough etc. I wish I could send a picture! I will try to send one more reply after we taste it and how the crumb is. Thanks!
Paula says
Great info!! Thank you so much!! I’d love to see it if you want to email me at callmepmc@gmail.com. Don’t trouble yourself to send it though. Thank you so much for all the info!
Margaret says
I always use GFJules. BEST FLOUR. I’ve tried em all. I love baking. When I found this flour it changed life. I’ve always said my favorite food group is Cake. Celiac stopped me for awhile until this flour. No I get no money for this, I just like to tell others who may have celiac. We want goodies too. 😄
Paula says
Thank you!
Brenda Napier says
I was anxious to try and so glad I did! Delicious, moist and so coconutty!
Rhonda says
Can this be baked in a 9×12 pan
Paula says
yes 9×13-inch. Here’s my text for a pound cake in a 9×13-inch pan. https://www.callmepmc.com/can-i-bake-a-pound-cake-in-a-9×13-inch-pan/
UmMa says
I made this tonight and the taste is great; however, the top crust really pulled away from the cake. The cake seemed to shrink down away from the crust as it cooled after taking out of the oven. Any suggestions on what I did wrong??
Tara says
This is very common for pound cakes made with cream cheese, sour cream and heavy whipping cream.
I am not sure about the science behind it, but this type usually “crust up” pretty good.
Also,I prefer to use bundt pans with this type cake. So when you flip it out, all the PERFECT imperfections are on the cake platter. 🙂
Tara
Janice says
I am making this today for a birthday. Sounds so delicious. Should this cake be stored in refrigerator?
Paula says
It doesn’t have to be refrigerated.
Diane M Cammer says
lOOKS SO GOOD. GOING TO TRY IT.
THANKS.
Patricia O says
This recipe looks delicious. Can it be made with gluten-free flour or almond flour? I have several gluten-free friends who I’m sure would love this. Thanks.
Paula says
I haven’t had good luck with using gf flour in a pound cake.
Darlene says
Did yoh make it gluten free?
JoAnn Solberg says
Delicious, made this in a 9×13 glass dish and finished it off with an almond glaze. It was fun to share
this awesome cake with friends!
Linda says
Loved this Pound cake. Could I add fresh blueberries to the recipe? Any recipe adjustments needed?
Paula says
You can compare it to this one https://www.callmepmc.com/fresh-blueberry-pound-cake-recipe/ You can add 2 cups fresh or frozen. Make sure your pan is large enough to accommodate the extra 2 cups and don’t fill more than 3/4 full. If you have extra when you fill it, you can make cupcakes with it.
Janel says
Can i use vanilla extract in place of the almond extract? I don’t like the flavor of slmond extract AT ALL! Thanks!
Paula says
Yes, you can.
LG says
Followed the recipe, but it came out dry.
Paula says
It was cooked too long. I recommend you calibrate your oven https://www.callmepmc.com/how-to-calibrate-your-oven/ and cook it 10 to 15 minutes less.