Pina Colada Party Cake

This is the dessert version of a vacation. White cake mix gets boosted with toasted coconut, pineapple juice, and rum extract, baked, then soaked with a pineapple-sugar syrup that turns the cake into something somewhere between a sponge and a tres leches. The frosting layer brings everything together with another hit of rum flavor and a final shower of toasted coconut.

The poke-and-soak technique with the hot pineapple syrup is the move that elevates this from a doctored cake mix to a real dessert. Hot syrup poured over a cooled cake (with fork-pricked holes) sinks deep into the crumb, distributing pineapple flavor throughout instead of just on the surface. The cake ends up moist, fragrant and impossible to put down.

Rum extract is the trick that gives this cake its pina colada signature without any actual alcohol. The concentrated flavor reads as rum on the tongue but doesn’t bake off the way real rum would, and it makes the cake friendly to all ages. Using actual rum is a fine substitution if you want a boozier version, but the extract is the more reliable choice.

Toasting the coconut on both layers is what saves this cake from being one-note sweet. Untoasted coconut is just sweet and white; toasted coconut has nutty browned-butter flavor and a darker visual that makes the finished cake look almost professional.

Pro Tips

• Toast all the coconut at once on a dry baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir halfway and watch closely.
• Use egg whites only as the recipe calls for. Whole eggs make the cake yellow and slightly dense.
• Make sure the cake is cooled before adding hot syrup. Hot syrup on hot cake makes a soggy mess.
• Refrigerate frosted cake for the cleanest slicing. The cake firms up once chilled.

Variations

• Substitute real dark rum (¼ cup) for the rum extract in the cake batter for a boozy version.
• Add ½ cup crushed pineapple (drained) to the cake batter for visible fruit pieces.
• Garnish with maraschino cherries on top for a more classic pina colada presentation.
• Use coconut cream instead of frosting and top with toasted macadamia nuts for a fancier finish.