This Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe is simply 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 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.

Also, check out Big Beautiful Cakes.

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Amaretto Pound Cake. Cream Cheese Pound Cake — Two Step Pineapple Pound Cake

Table of Contents

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 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)

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 to bake. Setting the pan on a cookie sheet may affect the baking time. As well, using a light versus a dark tube pan will affect baking times. For my cakes, I bake in a light pan on a round cookie sheet.

Your tube pan or bundt pan needs to be at least a 12-cup pan. You can test it using water. If your pan isn’t large enough, don’t fill it with batter above 2 inches from the top. In this case, you can fill your pan not more than 2 inches from the top of the pan and use the remaining batter in cupcakes. Note your cupcakes will take less time to bake and need to be carefully removed when they’re done. Cooking time for the cupcakes will vary depending on how large they are. Start watching them at 20 minutes.

I’m not a fan of 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

This Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe is dense and buttery. It’s topped simply with a sprinkle of powdered sugar then served with whipped cream and berries.

Author: Paula

4.78 from 299 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 25

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: 16 slices

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). 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

Recipe from Paula @CallMePMc.com All images and content are copyright protected.

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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314 Comments

Karen says:

02.07.24 at 3:56 pm

Are you sifting flour first, and then measuring to get 3 cups? When using White Lily, do you increase each cup of four by 2 TBS? That is what White Lily instructs on bag, and I have done that with other pound cakes. Have you made this with the cold oven method at 300 Deg? Plan on making for friends birthday next week, and adding on the Cream Cheese Frosting glaze, and adding some chocolate dipped strawberries around the bottom perimeter. Cannot wait to try. Many thanks!

1. Paula says:
  
  02.07.24 at 4:19 pm
  
  Yes, sift first, then measure. I don’t use White Lily, but if that’s what it says on their product I’d go by it.
  I tested using the cold oven method numberous times (like 50 or more times) and didn’t find a difference in the cakes. I recommend following the time and temp in this recipe card.
  
  1. Kimberly Butler says:
    
    02.28.24 at 7:39 am
    
    Why don’t you use any liquid like milk, heavy cream, sour cream?. I’ve never made a pound cake without some type of liquid. I seen Martha Stewart use 12 eggs one time and no liquid but never tried it. Just curious, because I make all kinds of pound cakes and always used some type of liquid. Heavy cream is my favorite. Thank you for all your recipes. They look so inviting 💖.
  2. Paula says:
    
    02.28.24 at 9:14 am
    
    Sometimes I do use milk, heavy cream, or buttermilk. The ratios for this one with cream cheese just doesn’t need it.
Brenda S says:

02.02.24 at 11:58 am

I made this last night. It tasted absolutely divine! I used crisco and sugar to coat the inside of my pan. Came out so pretty!

Carol A. Edelen says:

11.20.23 at 7:34 am

Could this be made in loaf pans? If so, would it make two? (I’m afraid they would be too small???) How long to bake if in a loaf pan? I want to try it for Thanksgiving and give one away. Looks and sounds DELICIOUS!!!!!

1. Paula says:
  
  11.20.23 at 9:59 am
  
  It’ll fit in to 9×5-inch loaf pans and take 50 to 60 minutes to bake – I never have succes with baking in loaf pans though – they always fall in the center. That could just be my pans though.
  
Kimberly Kenney says:

11.02.23 at 12:46 pm

I’m trying this recipe as we speak. My poundcake should be done in a half hour. What do you put for a topping? Do you have a frosting recipe that would go with this? Thank you so much!!

Can’t wait to try it!!

Kimmie

1. Paula says:
  
  11.02.23 at 2:21 pm
  
  I’d do a simple cream cheese glaze and sprinkle coconut on it https://www.callmepmc.com/the-best-cream-cheese-frosting/
  
kathy says:

10.07.23 at 1:48 pm

Wish me luck! I am about to try making my first pound cake ever. I am following the recipe exactly using quality ingredients. The only change I am making is cutting the recipe in half and baking in a loaf pan (my hubby and I don’t need a large cake). I will let you know how it turns out!

1. Paula says:
  
  10.07.23 at 5:31 pm
  
  Awesome – hope you both love it!
  
D Williams says:

09.14.23 at 11:53 am

325 degrees regular bake or air bake (convection)? Thanks!

1. Paula says:
  
  09.14.23 at 4:24 pm
  
  regular bake
  
Lori says:

09.11.23 at 5:06 pm

Can you substitute anything for the shortening? I don’t use vegetable oils. I have coconut oil or lard. Thanks for answering!

1. Paula says:
  
  09.11.23 at 7:19 pm
  
  Butter would be the best substitution for shortening. Next would be solid coconut oil although it will change the flavor and texture slightly.
  
Patti says:

09.06.23 at 2:32 pm

Perfection. Our family’s new favorite! Best I’ve ever had. I have made it 3-4 times.

Helen says:

08.23.23 at 5:55 pm

Is this a high altitude recipe

1. Paula says:
  
  08.24.23 at 9:42 am
  
  No it isn’t. I’m in the (very hot and humid right now) South.
  
Sharon says:

08.23.23 at 2:29 pm

Can you cake flour instead of flour?

1. Paula says:
  
  08.24.23 at 9:44 am
  
  Yes the substition is Add an extra 2 tablespoons per cup of cake flour to equal the quantity in 1 cup of all-purpose flour.