Pina Colada Poke Cake

Pina Colada Poke Cake - one fantastic cake with all of the flavors of your favorite Summer drink! Coconut, pineapple and rum make it truly irresistible! 

I had this crazy idea of making a cake inspired by my favorite summer cocktail: Pina Colada. What's not to be crazy about? Coconut, pineapple and rum - this desserts is screaming Summer!

Best idea ever! And you won't believe how easy it is to make! I will even let you use a box cake mix for a shortcut!

It all starts with a super simple yellow vanilla cake (you can use a box cake mix as a time saver) that's baked in a 13" x 9" pan. After the cake cools, you poke it with a back of a wooden spoon or a wooden dowel so the toppings can saturate the cake. It's a genius idea and helps all the flavors mingle! So good! For the toppings, I mixed crushed pineapple with it's juice and cream of coconut (I used the same product as in this coconut latte). This mixture fills the holes in cake. The last thing you need to do is to mix whipped cream of Cool Whip (hello, another time saver!) with rum or rum extract for one glorious finish! Spread it on top and chill the cake for at least 2 hours. It will help all the flavors come through and I personally think that this cake tastes better cold. Just like the cocktail!

For garnish, I used large coconut flakes but you can use shredded coconut as well. Maraschino cherries make for the perfect final touch on top of each slice.

This cake looks festive which makes it a great dessert for get-togethers and celebrations. But take the first bite and it will make you swoon with all of the flavors! Crazy delicious!

Pina Colada Poke Cake

Author: Anna

Pina Colada Poke Cake - one fantastic cake with all of the flavors of your favorite Summer drink! Coconut, pineapple and rum make it truly irresistible!

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 35 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 15 large slices

Calories 220 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¾ cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1.5 cup crushed pineapple with juice
• ▢ ¾ cup cream of coconut
• ▢ 1 cups tub of Cool Whip OR 1 and ½ of heavy whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons rum or 1 teaspoon of rum extract

Instructions

 

to make the cake (if using cake mix - use instructions on the box):

• Grease and flour a 13" x 9" baking pan. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda).
• In another mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla and oil.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. No need for an electric mixer here - I used just a whisk!
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Tap the pan gently against the counter to release any air bubbles.
• Bake the cake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown on top and the toothpick inserted in few places comes out clean.
• Cool completely in the pan in room temperature.
• When the cake is cool, poke the surface with the round end of a wooden spoon or a wooden dowel.
• Pour half of the cream of coconut over the cake, spreading all over the top.
• Top with crushed pineapple and spread evenly, gently pressing the mixture into the holes.
• Top with remaining cream of coconut.
• Add rum or rum extract to the whipped cream of Cool Whip and gently stir in. Spread the topping over the cake.
• Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight. This cake is better served cold.
• Garnish with large coconut flakes or shredded coconut and Maraschino cherries.
• Store covered in fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

The total time includes the chilling time. © 2015, Crunchy Creamy Sweet. Copyright 2014-2015. All rights reserved. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. Please ask for my permission if you want to republish this recipe, or any images, and provide a link back to this post for the original recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Vitamin C: 5.3mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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