White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake Recipe

Many people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but personally, we think that dessert is the most important meal. Okay, maybe most people won't classify it as an actual meal, but we think it deserves to be one! This white chocolate coconut bundt cake is the perfect way to cap off any evening and get that little bit of sweet after a meal. This cake features a fluffy white chocolate cake and a cream-cheese-based frosting covered by desiccated coconut to add even more flavor.

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes came up with this sweet recipe that's a must-try. "This cake feels so decadent, and I love the fun decoration with desiccated coconut! It's moist, sweet, and packed with delicious coconut flavor," Brookes raves. She also explains why white chocolate works better than regular or white chocolate. "I like adding white chocolate to the frosting as its sweetness balances with the tanginess of the cream cheese really well," she says.

If you bake a lot, you may already have some of these items in your pantry. You will need butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, coconut extract, sour cream, coconut milk, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cream cheese, white chocolate, powdered sugar, and desiccated coconut. "I'd say the sour cream and coconut milk are key ingredients in the cake as they add a lot of moisture and richness," Brookes notes.

Before getting to the actual work, take out a 10-inch bundt pan and grease it with butter or spread. Then, turn the oven to 350 F and allow it to preheat.

Next, get a mixing bowl and add the dry ingredients. This includes flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and then set to the side.

You'll need to bust out the electric stand mixer for this step. Toss in the butter and sugar and turn the mixer to medium speed. Continue mixing the butter and sugar until they form a smooth and creamy batter — this should take about 4 minutes or so. Then, add 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract and coconut extract. After that, just add one egg at a time, making sure to beat after each addition.

You still need to add a few more items to the mix. Toss in the sour cream and the coconut milk and beat again with the contents of the bowl to combine.

Once mixed, sift in the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. "When adding the flour, be careful not to overmix," Brookes notes. "You want to mix on a low speed until just combined, so you don't overwork the batter."

Since the batter is ready, transfer it to the prepared bundt pan carefully. Please note that the batter will only fill up the bundt cake pan about ¾ of the way full.

Pop the bundt pan into your preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. You can check doneness by inserting a skewer into the center of the cake and make sure it comes out clean. After you remove the bundt cake from the oven, let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes to begin cooling. Then, invert it on a wire rack, where it can cool completely.

Great bundt cakes have great frosting, and that's precisely the case with this one. To begin making the frosting, add the white chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments. Continue heating until the mixture melts.

Then, set the mixture to the side and let it cool slightly. Side-note: "You could absolutely use store-bought frosting to make the cake a little quicker and easier," Brookes shares. 

You'll need to use the electric stand mixer that you did for the cake or you can use an electric hand whisk for this step. Add the remaining ¼ cup of softened butter and the cream cheese, and beat together until smooth.

Then, throw in the melted white chocolate and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mix. Continue beating until smooth.

Gradually sift in the powdered sugar and continue beating as you go. Once you add all the powdered sugar, continue beating the frosting for 5 minutes, so it gets smooth and creamy. 

Once the cake finishes cooling, spread the frosting, and stick the desiccated coconut to it. Then, serve and enjoy. "It's great served with some fresh berries, ice cream, or even with a little caramel or chocolate sauce drizzled over the top," Brookes shares. "Leftovers will keep well at room temp for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days."