Tom Cruise Coconut Bundt Cake (Copycat Doan’s Bakery Recipe) » Hummingbird High
About The Tom Cruise Coconut Bundt Cake
Every holiday season, actor Tom Cruise sends his friends and favorite coworkers from the year the “famous Tom Cruise coconut cake.” The cake is a white chocolate coconut bundt cake from Doan’s Bakery in Los Angeles, CA.
This white chocolate coconut bundt cake recipe is inspired by the famous Tom Cruise coconut cake! The bundt cake is made with a moist and tangy sour cream cake studded with white chocolate and flavored with both coconut and vanilla. The cake is then frosted with a creamy cream cheese frosting, covered with lightly toasted coconut flakes.
For more fun and unique bundt cake recipes, check out Hummingbird High‘s bundt cake recipe collection! Popular recipes include this Chocoflan Recipe, Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake, and this Banana Pudding Bundt Cake From Scratch (No Cake Mix!) recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make the famous Tom Cruise coconut cake recipe, here’s everything you need to make it:
- nonstick baking spray
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- sour cream
- coconut extract
- pure vanilla extract
- granulated sugar
- unsalted butter
- large eggs
- white chocolate
- sweetened OR unsweetened shredded coconut
- cream cheese
- confectioners’ sugar
Scroll to the recipe card to see the exact quantities of the ingredients for the recipe! For now, let’s talk about some key ingredients, where to find them, and any potential substitutions:
Ingredient Sources and Substitutions
- Nonstick Baking Spray: Nonstick baking spray is similar to nonstick cooking spray. However, it typically includes flour mixed into the fat/oil of the spray. The flour helps prevents baked goods from sticking in detailed bundt pans. I use Bak-Klene ZT All Purpose Release Spray. Avoid using a baking spray made with butter, coconut oil, or shortening—these don’t release bundt cakes as easily!
- All-Purpose Flour: You can use a 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour replacer to make the recipe gluten free. I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Flour Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is the best salt for baking recipes. But you can replace the kosher salt in the recipe with table salt. Just use half the amount listed in the recipe when you do!
- Sour Cream: The original Doan’s Bakery uses sour cream to make their coconut bundt cakes. I recommend using sour cream for the authentic experience! In a pinch, you can use alternatives like crème fraîche or unsweetened unflavored yogurt. Although you can use zero or low fat versions of those ingredients, I don’t recommend doing so. Fat adds flavor, so you’re making your cake less flavorful.
- Coconut Extract: I used McCormick Coconut Extract that I found at my local grocery store. If you want to buy something online, I’ve used LorAnn Coconut Bakery Emulsion and Watson Coconut Extract for past recipes and liked the results! If you don’t want to source coconut extract, you can skip it completely or replace it with pure vanilla extract. Your cake will taste less coconutty though.
- Shredded Coconut: Both sweetened or unsweetened shredded works in this recipe. Use unsweetened coconut if you prefer a less sweet dessert.
- White Chocolate: For this recipe, I recommend using chopped white chocolate from a baking bar like Ghirardelli Classic White Baking Bar. I don’t recommend using white chocolate chips—they tend to melt into the pan, making it hard to turn out the bundt cake!
How To Make The Recipe
Here are the basic steps to make this white chocolate coconut bundt cake from scratch:
- Prep the ingredients for the bundt cake. (Prep Time: 10 minutes)
The most time consuming part about ingredient prep is chopping the white chocolate. You need to finely chop the chocolate into small ⅛- and ¼-inch pieces. Any larger, and you’ll risk the chocolate sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking and sticking to the pan! - Make the coconut white chocolate bundt cake batter. (Work Time: 15 minutes)
- Prep the bundt pan for baking the cake batter and pour the batter into the pan. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
- Bake the cake. (Bake Time: 65 to 75 minutes)
- Cool the cake before frosting.
You need to cool the cake completely before frosting. If you frost the cake while it’s still warm, the frosting will melt! I actually like to make the cake a day ahead of frosting and serving it. That way, I know the cake is cooled completely! - Prep the ingredients for the coconut cream cheese frosting. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
- Make the frosting. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
- Frost the coconut bundt cake. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
And here are some photos of key steps and processes in the recipe:
Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ
FAQ: Troubleshooting Unexpected Results
Help! My bundt cake got stuck in the pan. What did I do wrong?
Reason #1: You used white chocolate chips.
I mentioned in the Ingredients section above to avoid using white chocolate chips for this recipe. Any white chocolate chips that sink to the bottom of the cake when it bakes causes the cake to stick in the pan.
Reason #2: You used a butter, coconut oil, or shortening-based cooking spray.
Did you use a cooking spray that was butter, coconut oil, or shortening-based? I wrote above that those cooking sprays don’t work as well as cooking sprays made out of liquid oils like canola or vegetable.
Reason #3: There was something wrong with your bundt pan.
Second, let’s talk about your bundt pan. I also discussed the importance of using a nonstick bundt pan up top. But nonstick pans with scratched up surfaces don’t work as well as newer ones with smooth surfaces. Furthermore, if you don’t clean and maintain your nonstick pans properly, they have a tendency to accumulate grime and residue that can act like glue. Gross, right?
So the next time you make a bundt cake, test your bundt pan for grime. What does that mean? Run your fingers through all its nooks and crannies. If your pan is perfectly clean, your fingers should have no whatsoever. If they come off feeling (even just a little bit) greasy, wash your pan (preferably with a liquid grease dissolver like Dawn Dish Power Dissolver) and dry it thoroughly before using it in a bundt cake recipe.
Reason #4: You waited too long to turn out your bundt cake.
The recipe instructs you to turn out the cake about 10 minutes after pulling it out from the oven; both the pan and cake should still be warm (if not hot!) to touch. If you let the cake cool completely, it has a tendency to get stuck in the pan!
FAQ: Questions About Storing The Cake
How To Store Tom Cruise Coconut Cake
Store the bundt cake, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 3 days at room temperature. After that, tightly wrap any leftover slices in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 more days.
Can you freeze the cake?
Yes, with reservations. You can freeze the cake after it’s been baked, but before glazing it. Tightly wrap the entire cake in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature before glazing and serving.
Best Recipe Tips
- For this recipe, I recommend using chopped white chocolate from a baking bar like Ghirardelli Classic White Baking Bar. I don’t recommend using white chocolate chips. Any white chocolate chips that sink to the bottom of the cake causes the cake to stick in the pan, making it hard to turn out the bundt cake!
- Use lots of baking spray when prepping your pan. Like, an uncomfortable amount. To prevent a bundt cake from getting stuck in its pan, you need to use a LOT of cooking spray. And when I say a lot, I *mean* A LOT. When done prepping the pan, you are going to be uncomfortable with the amount of cooking spray in the pan.
- Speaking of which, most cake recipes instruct you to prep their baking pans first. However, it’s better to grease a bundt pan right before filling with batter. That’s because bundt pans require a LOT more grease than traditional cake pans. And all that grease has a tendency to slide down the sides of the pan and pool at the bottom. But by greasing the bundt pan immediately before filling it, you avoid that issue entirely!
- Make sure to turn cake out while it’s still warm. Several legit sources recommend cooling the your bundt cake for only 10 minutes before turning it out. And it’s true—a warm cake is easier to turn out than one that’s cooled completely.
Get the Recipe:
Tom Cruise Coconut Bundt Cake (Copycat Doan’s Bakery Recipe)
This is the famous Tom Cruise coconut bundt cake that he gifts every holiday season! The bundt cake is made with a moist sour cream cake base studded with white chocolate and topped with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut.
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For The White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake
For The Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
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First, make the coconut bundt cake. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
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Mix the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and the coconut and vanilla extracts.
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Cream the sugar and butter, then add the eggs. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one has been fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
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Add the dry and wet ingredients, then the white chocolate. With the mixer still on low, add the the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the wet ingredients in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined, then scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, then beat on low for an additional 30 seconds. Add the white chocolate and distributed evenly throughout the batter, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
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Prep and fill the bundt pan. Generously spray a 12-cup capacity bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Set the filled bundt pan on the sheet pan.
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Bake the bundt cake. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
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Cool the bundt cake. After 10 minutes, place a serving plate or second wire rack over the bundt cake and flip the cake to turn it out of its pan. Cool completely before frosting.
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Toast the shredded coconut. Spread the shredded coconut in a large nonstick frying pan over low heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, using a spatula to toss the flakes occasionally, until fragrant but still pale. Remove from heat and scrape the coconut flakes onto a plate to stop them from cooking further.
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Make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, and extracts. Beat on medium-high for 5 minutes, until very soft and creamy.Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and salt and beat until just combined.Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula once more. Then, beat on medium-high for 5 minutes, until completely smooth.
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Frost and decorate the bundt cake. Use an offset spatula to cover the top of the cake with the frosting completely. Garnish with the shredded coconut, pressing the coconut gently into the frosting to adhere.
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Serve and store. Serve at room temperature. The assembled bundt cake can be stored at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 3 days. Press a sheet of plastic wrap against any cut surfaces to prevent the cake from drying out.
- For this recipe, I recommend using chopped white chocolate from a baking bar like Ghirardelli Classic White Baking Bar. I don’t recommend using white chocolate chips. Any white chocolate chips that sink to the bottom of the cake causes the cake to stick in the pan, making it hard to turn out the bundt cake!
- Use lots of baking spray when prepping your pan. Like, an uncomfortable amount. To prevent a bundt cake from getting stuck in its pan, you need to use a LOT of cooking spray. And when I say a lot, I *mean* A LOT. When done prepping the pan, you are going to be uncomfortable with the amount of cooking spray in the pan.
- Speaking of which, most cake recipes instruct you to prep their baking pans first. However, it’s better to grease a bundt pan right before filling with batter. That’s because bundt pans require a LOT more grease than traditional cake pans. And all that grease has a tendency to slide down the sides of the pan and pool at the bottom. But by greasing the bundt pan immediately before filling it, you avoid that issue entirely!
- Make sure to turn cake out while it’s still warm. Several legit sources recommend cooling the your bundt cake for only 10 minutes before turning it out. And it’s true—a warm cake is easier to turn out than one that’s cooled completely.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
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