Governor Nelson's Coconut Cake

This is a poke cake taken to the tropics. A yellow cake mix baked in a sheet pan gets holes poked all over with a fork, then gets drenched in a double soak of sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut. Every channel in the cake fills with that thick, sweet liquid, creating a dessert that’s almost pudding-like in its moisture.

Five ingredients. That’s it. The cake mix handles the baking, and the two canned milks do all the flavor work. Cream of coconut (the sweetened kind used for piña coladas, not unsweetened coconut milk) is what gives this cake its intense tropical sweetness and rich coconut flavor that goes all the way through.

Whipped cream spread over the cooled cake and a generous snowfall of flaked coconut on top finish the look. Keep it refrigerated so the whipped cream holds and the soaked cake stays cold, which makes each slice taste almost like coconut ice cream cake.

Kitchen Tips

• Poke the holes while the cake is still hot so the milks soak in faster and deeper
• Pour both milks slowly and evenly over the entire surface. Give each pour time to sink in before adding more
• Let the cake cool completely before adding the whipped cream, or it will melt and slide right off
• This tastes best after chilling overnight. The flavors meld and the texture becomes even more lush

Variations

• Toast the coconut flakes in a dry skillet before sprinkling on top for a nuttier flavor and golden color
• Use chocolate cake mix instead of yellow for a chocolate-coconut poke cake
• Fold a tablespoon of rum extract into the whipped cream for a boozy coconut rum cake vibe