Pineapple Coconut Cake With Yellow Cake Mix

Errbody!!! Put your palms in the air for this pineapple coconut cake and wave ‘em like you just don’t care. We are in Palm Springs this week and I can just feel the cool breeze of a palm leaf swaying by the pool.

But don’t worry, we can still bring a little bit of summer to you, wherever you might be, with this super fun Palm Leaf pineapple coconut cake recipe. It’s made from a box – in other words totally easy to make and I’ll teach you how to cut and create these adorable palm leaf cupcake toppers. They are sure to make warm breeze quickly fill the room.

As much as I love making cakes from scratch, I secretly or not so secretly LOVE boxed cake mix. We also made this popcorn cake with cake mix, this ombre birthday cake and even this large stacked cake with cake mix. It reminds be of being a kid with those deliciously sweet bakery cakes served up in tinfoil pans. But, we definitely added a little pizazz to this good ‘ole pineapple coconut cake with yellow cake mix.

Pineapple Coconut Cake Recipe

To make this pineapple coconut cake you will need:

•  9 x 13 baking pan
• 2 boxes yellow cake mix, you’ll be making 2 separate pieces of the pineapple coconut cake with yellow cake mix for the layers
• 1 cup coconut shreds, divided
• 2 tsp coconut extract, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line your cake pan with parchment paper.

2. Using a medium sized bowl, follow your cake mix directions for the cake batter. Mix in 1 teaspoon coconut extract and ½ cup coconut shreds.

3. Pour coconut cake batter into your prepared baking pan and follow your cake box directions to bake your cake.

4. After your cake has finished baking, allow to cool for 20 minutes, then remove from cake pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. While your first cake is cooling, prepare and bake your second cake with yellow cake mix per directions above.

6. Allow both of the pineapple coconut cake pieces to completely cool before assembling.

How To Make The Coconut Cake With Pineapple Filling

Make the pineapple coconut cake even better with pineapple filling! You’ll need:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4-6 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup pineapple topping
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• green food gel

1. To make the coconut cake with pineapple filling start with the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium until it’s light and fluffy.

2. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, you want a smooth, spreadable consistency. Then mix in vanilla and coconut extracts.

4. Before adding your pineapple filling remove, 1 cup of your frosting and *set aside.

5. Fold in the pineapple filling to your remaining buttercream to create the pineapple coconut cake.

*You’ll color your plain buttercream a light green color with a little green gel food coloring.

Make Your Palm Leaf Cake Template

Here’s where the fun begins. You can create any shape you’d like with your pineapple coconut cake, we choose a palm leaf to remind us that summer is here!

Create your own palm leaf cake template with:

• Palm Leaf template, there are plenty of options right here
• Sharp knife
• 1 box green fondant
• 6” round cake board, for the bottom of your cake

1. Choose what kind of palm leaf you’d like your cake to be and trace onto a piece of 8 ½ x 11 card stock. Cut out your template. I used a Philodendron leaf for my cake template. You’ll want to try and stay away from intricate leafs, they’re so much harder to cut and cover with fondant. Trust us on this. ;)

2. Before cutting your pineapple coconut cake, fill with pineapple filling buttercream and put in the freezer for 20 minutes. This will make it so your cakes don’t smoosh around when you’re trying to cut out your cake.

3. Remove the coconut pineapple cake from the freezer and place your template on top. Carefully cut out your cake using your template. This was actually super easy to do and a long sharp knife is the best tool.

4. Next, crumb coat your cake with your light green buttercream and place back in the freezer for 10 minutes.

5. Remove cake from freezer and it one more layer of green buttercream before covering with fondant.

How To Make Fondant Into Palms

1. Roll out your green fondant to ¼” thick. Using your palm leaf template you’ll cut out one palm leaf for the top of your cake. to make fondant into palms is fairly easy to do, much like rolling out cookie dough to cut.

2. Next measure the height of your cake and cut strips of fondant for the sides of your cake. I only covered the outside sides of the cake with fondant, not the cutouts, for a fun contrast of color.

3. Gently cover the sides of your cake with your fondant strips. Once complete top with your fondant palm leaf.

4. Make any adjustments as needed. I ended up having to carve small areas of the cake to fit the fondant top.

Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes

Extra! Extra! For more fun, because your palm leaf cake needs some cute little friends. Adjust the recipe just a bit up top and make a batch of pineapple coconut cupcakes to match.

With your remaining green fondant, use a small heart shape cutter and cut out several green hearts for the body of your palm leaf mini toppers. Next, with a knife (I used the stem of a rose cookie cutter) cut out 2 notches on each side of your heart to create the Philodendron leaf. Use as toppers for your pineapple coconut cake and cupcakes with pineapple filling. Your palm leaf cake are ready for a summer soiree no matter how balmy it might be outside today.

(Project recipe, styling, and photography @A Subtle Revelry by Brandi Van Leer).