Tom Cruise Coconut Cake Recipe (Copycat Doan’s Coconut Bundt)
If Tom Cruise forgot to send you a cake for the holidays, don't worry! Just recreate his iconic Tom Cruise coconut cake at home with this copycat Doan’s white chocolate coconut bundt recipe. Moist, tender, and layered with shredded coconut and rich white chocolate, it’s topped with a fluffy cream cheese coconut frosting that’s as stunning as it is delicious. Perfect for birthdays, holidays -- or celebrity dessert fans.
Servings: 12 people (one 10" bundt cake)
Calories: 1134kcal
Ingredients
For the White Chocolate Coconut Cake Batter
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 2/3 cup (about 2 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut, divided
- 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate, divided
- Baking spray and a little flour to grease and dust the bundt pan
For the Cream Cheese Frosting and to Finish
- 1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 3/4 cups (1 pound) confectioners' sugar
- 2 cups (about 5 ounces) sweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions
Bake the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make the batter. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Beat until light. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is mixed.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and water. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the coconut milk mixture into the batter (dry, wet, dry). Add all but two tablespoons of the shredded coconut and mix just until fully combined. Scrape the bowl. PRO TIP: Coconut milk may separate in the can. A quick whisk in a bowl will emulsify if again.
- Grease the cake pan and pour the batter. Grease a 10" standard nonstick bundt pan with cooking spray or butter. Dust lightly with flour, and tap out the excess. Pour about 1/3 of the batter into the bundt and even it out with a spatula. Sprinkle in a layer of most of the white chocolate chips, reserving about 1/4 cup. Pour the rest of the batter on top of the chips and smooth evenly. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the reserved chocolate chips and coconut. PRO TIP: I never grease a bundt pan too early. The grease will often pool at the bottom of the cake pan. But be sure to grease yours very well.
- Bake the cake. Bake for 1 hour 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Ovens can vary, so start checking around 1 hour 10 minutes and test the cake in a few spots. Cool for 35 to 40 minutes on a wire rack. The cake should still be warm, but cool enough to handle. Run a small offset spatula around the inner and outer rings of the bundt pan to help loosen the cake from the cake pan. Now the moment of truth: in one swift, meaningful motion, turn the cake upside down onto a wire cooling rack. You may need to give it a couple of taps. Remove the bundt pan and cool fully. PRO TIP: Always take a bundt cake out of the cake pan while it's still slightly warm; this helps ensure it will not stick. If you flip the cake over and it is still stuck, don't worry. Just flip it right-side up again, work it loose with the offset, and try again. If the worst happens and the dome of the cake does stick, just scrape it out and do a patch job as best you can. It gets covered in thick frosting anyway!
Frost With Cream Cheese Frosting, Decorate, and Serve
- Make the buttercream frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on low until combined. Add the vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high for about 2 minutes, until fluffy and smooth. Scrape the bowl and beater, and beat again for 30 seconds to make sure everything is fully emulsified.
- Decorate. Use an offset spatula to frost the cake generally with the cream cheese buttercream, including the inner ring. You may not use all of the buttercream (I usually have a cup or so leftover.) Use your hand to cup and spread shredded sweetened coconut over the entire surface. Serves 10-12 people.
Video
Notes
Storing the Cake
The Tom Cruise copycat cake is extremely moist, and will keep covered at room temperature for about three days. I love storing a cake under a beautiful pedestal cake dome.
This cake also freezes very well, with or without the buttercream. Thaw at room temperature at least 6 hours in advance, not in the refrigerator--it can dry out the cake.
Removing a Cake From a Bundt Pan
Avoid the frustration of a stuck bundt. Here's how to unmold the cake from the cake pan so that it comes right out and doesn't stick:
- Always take a bundt cake out of the cake pan while it's still a little warm; this helps ensure it will not stick
- Use a nonstick bundt pan. NordicWare bundts are very reliable.
- Run a small offset spatula around the the cake pan and down the sides, to help separate the cake from the sides before flipping it over.
- If you flip the cake over and it is still stuck, don't worry. Just flip it right-side up again, work it loose with the offset spatula, and try again.
- If the worst happens and the dome of the cake does stick, just scrape it out and do a patch job as best you can. It gets covered in thick frosting anyway!
- The White Chocolate: Doan's bakery uses white chocolate chips. You can use white chocolate chips for ease and accuracy, but chopped white chocolate gives a better result. Real white chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and tastes wonderful. White chocolate chips are mainly artificial ingredients.
- The Coconut: Sweetened, shredded coconut is preferred here. Unsweetened coconut flakes will also taste and work just fine, but will be slightly less sweet.
- The Coconut Milk: Coconut milk adds more coconut flavor to the cake itself. But buttermilk makes an excellent substitute. If using buttermilk, eliminate the lemon juice, since buttermilk is already acidic.
Nutrition
Calories: 1134kcal | Carbohydrates: 144g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 654mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 112g | Vitamin A: 1303IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 3mg
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
