Sour Cream Coconut Cake Recipe with Moist, Tangy Crumb

Starting from a box mix, this old-fashioned Simple Sour Cream Coconut Cake is easy to make and truly delicious.

Moist from sour cream and packed with coconut flavor, this cake is always a standout on dessert tables at holiday parties and family gatherings.

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coconut Cake Recipe

This simple cake, made from a boxed mix, is elevated for coconut lovers. It’s quick to prepare — the active time is short — yet the result tastes like a homemade favorite.

Using defrosted frozen coconut gives the cake meatier pieces and a fresher coconut flavor than dried flakes. The thicker pieces create a more pronounced tropical bite that pairs beautifully with the sour-cream-based frosting.

The easy frosting, made with sour cream and sugar, soaks into the cake as it chills, producing an exceptionally moist texture and a lightly tangy, coconut-forward topping.

Like other soak-style cakes, such as Heath Bar Cake or Snickers Cake, this one improves with time as the frosting absorbs into the crumb. Refrigerating the cake enhances both moisture and flavor.

Layer Cake vs. 9 x 13 Cake

This recipe works as either a round layer cake or baked in a 9 x 13″ pan. For practical storage and even soaking, a 9 x 13″ pan is often easier to refrigerate and yields more consistent moisture across the cake.

When made as a layer cake the sour cream coconut frosting can sometimes run toward the center, leaving the outer edges less soaked. For the most even results, the sheet-pan version is preferred.

Ingredients Needed:

• Butter-flavored yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 7 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup water
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 12 ounces frozen coconut, defrosted
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 8 ounces whipped topping (Cool Whip), defrosted

3 Day Sour Cream Coconut Cake

This recipe comes from an old community cookbook that recommends refrigerating the finished cake for 3–4 days to allow the frosting to fully soak in. While that yields the deepest flavor and moisture, refrigerating 24–48 hours is usually sufficient to enjoy a very moist, flavorful cake.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Prepare cake batter following the directions on the box (for example, Duncan Hines butter golden cake mix). Pour into a greased 9 x 13″ pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely.

For the frosting, combine 2 cups granulated sugar, 8 ounces sour cream and 12 ounces defrosted frozen coconut in a bowl. Mix well, then chill the mixture for a short time so it firms slightly.

Reserve one cup of this coconut mixture. Spread the remaining mixture evenly over the cooled cake.

Fold the reserved cup of coconut mixture into the defrosted whipped topping until smooth, then gently spread this layer over the first coconut-sour cream layer. Cover the pan and refrigerate at least 4 hours; overnight is preferable for maximum moisture.

When fully chilled, slice and serve cold. The cake offers a refreshing tropical flavor with a tender, soaked crumb—perfect for summer gatherings or holiday dessert tables.

More Easy Cake From A Box Mix Recipes:

• Cupcakes from a Box Mix — moist and reliable for birthdays.
• Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake — a rich, cream-cheese-topped treat.
• Homemade Cake Bites — a hybrid of cake and cheesecake, great covered in chocolate.
• Cake Mix Rum Cake — full of warm rum flavor for special occasions.