My coconut lime bundt cake is a soft, rich coconut cake filled with fresh lime zest, topped with a creamy lime glaze with mint and sweet toasted coconut. It’s like an island holiday in a bundt pan!
I love desserts with a tropical twist, especially in the summertime. Try my easy banana pound cake and retro pineapple upside-down cake next!
Today we’re making my coconut lime bundt cake. Or is it a mojito bundt cake? You be the judge. This is a sweet coconut bundt cake bursting with fresh lime zest, glazed with a silky icing filled with more lime, toasted coconut, and a hint of mint. My house smelled like we were partying in the Caribbean, which is never a bad thing.
Why You’ll Love This Lime and Coconut Cake
- Rich coconut flavor. My secret? I use cream of coconut in place of milk, and less sugar to balance out the sweetness. The result is a soft, rich cake scented with coconut. Matched with real lime juice and zest, it’s the best.
- Perfect for summer. This cake recipe gives off major tropical vibes, making it a wonderful summertime dessert. Just add a scoop of ice cream!
- Great for a crowd. I bake this cake in a bundt pan, and it’s ideal for parties and get-togethers. Not only does it look pretty on the dessert table, but you can easily get up to 16 slices out of a bundt cake, which makes it great for holidays like Easter, Memorial Day, and the 4th of July.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I don’t know about you, but anytime I cook anything tropical (like jerk chicken or lime coconut bundt cake), I always have the Beach Boys stuck in my head. Bermuda, Bahamas, come on, pretty Mama… 🌴 With ingredients like zesty lime and coconut, can you blame me?
Below, you’ll find notes on these and the other important cake ingredients. Scroll to the printable recipe card for the full details, followed by step-by-step recipe instructions with photos.
- Dry Ingredients – You’ll need pantry staples like all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed from one whole lime.
- Butter – Take the butter out of the fridge so that it can soften to room temperature before you start.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar works best, but light brown sugar is fine, too.
- Eggs – These can also be at room temperature.
- Cream of Coconut – Not to be confused with coconut cream, which isn’t the same product. Cream of coconut is sweetened, while canned coconut cream is unsweetened (similar to sweetened condensed milk vs. evaporated milk). Shake it well before opening the can, and then give it a good stir before adding it to the batter.
For the Glaze
- Milk – You can use any dairy or non-dairy milk you’d like.
- Fresh Lime – You’ll need the zest and juice from another lime. Zest the lime before you juice it!
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar.
- Mint – I use dried mint, and a little goes a long way. If you want to use fresh mint, make sure to mince it finely, and you’ll need more of it (about 3x the amount of fresh mint to dried).
- Toasted Coconut – You can buy shredded, toasted coconut from the baking aisle, or toast it yourself (see below).
How to Toast Coconut (2 Ways)
Here’s how to toast coconut two ways. It’s very easy and it takes minutes, no matter which method you use! Afterward, make sure to cool the coconut completely before you add it into your glaze or use it to garnish the coconut cake.
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and spread the coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or so, stirring often, until it’s browned and toasted.
- Skillet – Add the coconut to a pan and toast it over medium-low heat for 3-6 minutes, until it’s lightly browned.
Recipe Tips
- Take care not to overmix the cake batter. Too much mixing deflates the batter and leads to a dense cake. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until they’re combined.
- Grease and flour the pan. Bundt cakes are notorious for sticking, so it’s super important to grease the pan well and coat the inside with flour. Remember to tap out any excess flour before you add the batter to the pan.
- Don’t let the cake cool completely in the pan. On the subject of sticking… make sure to invert your coconut lime cake after it’s cooled for 10 minutes in the pan. Set a timer, if needed, so you don’t forget! Do NOT let the bundt cake cool completely in the pan, or it will get stuck.
- Loosen the edges. Before you invert the cake, gently run a knife around the edges of the pan to help loosen the sides.
Proper Storage
- At room temperature. Store the glazed lime coconut cake in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or you can keep it in the fridge. In this case, I still recommend serving the cake at room temperature.
- Freeze. Freeze the leftover bundt cake whole or in slices. Double-wrap the cake in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months, and thaw at room temperature for serving.
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a bundt cake pan with non-stick spray and dust the inside with flour; tap out any excess and set aside.
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Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
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Mix the wet ingredients. In your mixer’s bowl, beat together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes or until creamy. Add the eggs and continue to mix until bright yellow and smooth. Slowly pour and mix in the cream of coconut and lime juice.
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Combine. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet batter. Beat until well incorporated.
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Fill the pan and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I recommend checking a few minutes early, since oven temperatures can vary.
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Cool. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then, gently run a butter knife around the edges to loosen it. Carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely before glazing.
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Prepare the glaze. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, lime zest, lime juice, and powdered sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Adjust the consistency if needed; add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or a splash of milk to thin it out. Stir in the dried mint at the end, if using.
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Glaze the cake. Spoon or spread the glaze over the top of the cake. Garnish with the toasted coconut. Slice and serve.
Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make a Coconut Lime Bundt Cake
I cannot wait for you to sink your fork into this moist coconut and lime cake. There are so many delicious layers of flavor between the toasted coconut, citrus, and mint. Follow these steps to pack all of that into a bundt pan:
- Prep the pan. This step is key when baking a bundt cake to prevent the cake from sticking. Grease the bundt pan generously with nonstick spray (you could also use Crisco) and afterward, dust the inside with flour to coat.
- Sift the dry ingredients. Set the pan aside, and then sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar together, and add the eggs. Once that’s yellow and smooth, slowly mix in cream of coconut and lime juice.
- Combine. Now, fold the flour mixture into the wet batter until that’s combined, and transfer the batter to your prepared bundt pan.
- Bake. Bake your coconut lime cake for 45-50 minutes at 350ºF, until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool. After resting in the pan for 10 minutes, invert the cake onto a cooling rack so it can finish cooling completely before you glaze it.
- Add the glaze. When you’re ready, whisk milk with lime juice, lime zest, and powdered sugar, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. Lastly, stir in the mint. Spread or drizzle the glaze over the cake, garnish it with the toasted coconut, and serve.
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