Pineapple Coconut Dream Cake 🌴🍍
Here’s a **moist, tropical, crowd-pleasing** Pineapple Coconut Dream Cake recipe — light, fluffy, and full of creamy coconut-pineapple flavor. It uses a cake mix base to save time, delivering incredible flavor with minimal effort.
🍰 Ingredients (9×13 inch Cake)
Cake:
- 1 box yellow cake mix (or white cake mix)
- 1 cup crushed pineapple **(with juice)**
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Filling:
- 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple (with juice)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Topping:
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1 container (8 oz) whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
- ½ cup shredded coconut (toasted or plain, for garnish)
🧁 Instructions
- 1. Make the Cake
Preheat oven to **350°F (175°C)**. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, pineapple (with juice), oil, eggs, and coconut until combined. Pour into the pan and bake for **28–32 minutes**, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake **cool completely** in the pan. - 2. Prepare the Filling
In a small saucepan, combine crushed pineapple (with juice), sugar, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, **stirring constantly**, until thickened (about 5 minutes). Let it cool, then spread evenly over the cooled cake. - 3. Make the Creamy Topping
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pudding mix and milk; beat until thick. **Fold in whipped topping** gently. Spread over the pineapple layer. - 4. Garnish & Chill
Sprinkle coconut on top (toasted for extra flavor if you like). **Chill at least 2–3 hours** before serving — it’s even better overnight.
🌺 Tips & Serving Suggestions
- For extra decadence, drizzle with a little **pineapple syrup or coconut cream** before serving.
- You can make it into a **layer cake** by dividing batter and filling between two 9-inch round pans.
- Keeps well in the fridge for up to **4 days**.
This cake is pure tropical bliss! Would you like me to give you a **from-scratch** (no cake mix) version too? It’s a little more work but incredibly rich and buttery.