Copycat Tom Cruise White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

My new Copycat Tom Cruise White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake is an incredibly delicious, moist, and flavorful copycat recipe of the famous Doan’s Bakery White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake Tom sends to all of his friends at Christmas. The catch? My version doesn’t cost $130 and, according to my kids, it’s better than the original! I can’t argue with that!

Bundt cake on a plate.

The Tom Cruise Cake

Have you heard about the viral Tom Cruise cake? It’s a white chocolate coconut cake from Doan’s Bakery – a cake so delicious, Tom apparently gifts it to all of his friends at Christmas. In fact, several of those said friends have talked about it on social media and talk shows. The world of foodies hasn’t stopped talking about it, but many people aren’t trying it. Why? Because ordering the real deal has a hefty price tag on it: nearly $130.

Lucky for me, I got my hands on a few slices thanks for a friend who had it delivered for her birthday!

Doan’s Bakery White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

The original Doan’s Bakery version of this cake is described on the Goldbelly website as:

“The White Chocolate Coconut Cake is Doan’s most famous creation and for good reason. They start with a ring of moist, luxurious coconut bundt cake, mix in chunks of sweet white chocolate, layer on rich cream cheese frosting, and then dust it all over with toasted coconut flakes. The result is a delicious, pillowy cake good enough to derail the strictest Hollywood diets.”

I was eager to try this famous cake, but was unfortunately left underwhelmed. (Granted, I know the cake had been shipped, but I still had high hopes.)

My Review of the Doan’s White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

Okay, real talk – I taste tested the Doan’s cake on Instagram stories last week and had a hard time hiding my lack of excitement for this cake. Here’s why:

  • The cake itself lacked coconut flavor. To me, it tasted more like a dense yellow cake.
  • The description says the cake has white chocolate chunks, but I never tasted one.
  • I did think the cake was fairly moist, which won it some points. (After reading the description, we can thank the sour cream for that.)
  • The buttercream was super duper sweet and had a strong cream cheese flavor. I felt like it overpowered the cake.

After tasting the real deal, I wondered if I could make a more flavorful, more moist cake – one that resembles the original version, but takes it up a notch.

Two cake slices next to each other on parchment paper.
Left: my version / Right: Doan’s Bakery

White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

It took me a few rounds of experiment to get the texture and flavor I wanted. In the first round, the cake was too fluffy and airy. In the second round, the cake was too dense. In the third round the texture was just right and the flavor was perfectly on point.

Slice of a bundt cake on a plate.

Here’s a look at what I did:

  • For fat and flavor in the cake, I used half part coconut milk and half part buttermilk.
  • I also added coconut emulsion to the cake to enhance the coconut flavor (feel free to substitute with coconut extract).
  • Instead of chunks of white chocolate, I used melted chocolate, which gives the cake added richness.
  • After pouring the batter into the pan, I topped the bottom of the cake with toasted coconut and then toffee pieces (instead of white chocolate chunks like the original – I liked the more caramelized flavor the toffee offers).
  • In the buttercream, I used a mix of butter and cream cheese, but not too much cream cheese that it would overpower the other flavors.
  • I also added coconut emulsion to the buttercream.
Bundt cake on a plate.

I’m so excited for you to try the recipe! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Bundt cake on a plate.

Copycat Tom Cruise White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

4.99 from 310 votes
Moist and flavorful white chocolate coconut cake with a light and fluffy coconut cream cheese buttercream.

Ingredients
 

FOR THE COCONUT CAKE

  • 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
  • ½ cup (125 g) canned coconut milk, mixed before measuring
  • ½ cup (120 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon (16 g) coconut emulsion or extract
  • 1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 ounces white chocolate, melted
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 egg whites, at room temperature

FOR THE COCONUT BUTTERCREAM

  • 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
  • 1 teaspoon (5.3 g) coconut emulsion
  • Pinch of salt

GARNISH

  • 1 cup (95 g) sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup (95 g) toasted coconut, I buy mine pre-toasted from Orson Gygi
  • 1 cup toffee baking bits

Instructions
 

FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE COCONUT CAKE

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick spray. Dust with granulated sugar. Set aside.
  • In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a small mixing bowl, stir together the coconut milk, buttermilk, and coconut emulsion. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the melted white chocolate, followed by the eggs and egg whites, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl in between additions.
  • Continue to beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture gets smooth in texture and slightly bigger in volume.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by ½ the coconut mixture, another ⅓ of the flour, the second ½ of the coconut mixture, and then the remaining flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake (which turns into the bottom) with the toasted coconut and then cover with the toffee bits (the coconut flakes need to go first so you can cover them with the toffee to help prevent the flakes from browning too much). Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
  • Remove from oven and place the bundt pan on a cooling rack to cool completely. Allow the cake to cool for about an hour, until it’s room temperature, before inverting the cake on a cake stand. Allowing the cake to cool completely in the pan helps the cake to release from the sides cleanly when it’s time to take the cake out.

FOR THE COCONUT BUTTERCREAM

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes, until lighter in color and fluffier in texture.
  • With the mixer on low, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing a little in between each addition.
  • Stir in the coconut emulsion and salt.
  • Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. The buttercream will become lighter in color and texture.

ASSEMBLY

  • Spread or pipe the buttercream on top of the cake. Cover with shredded coconut.
Cuisine Cake
Course Dessert
Keyword Bundt Cake, Coconut, Coconut Bundt Cake, Coconut Buttercream, Coconut Cake, White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

Courtney Rich

I’m a self-taught baker, obsessed with cake.

I long ago ditched box mixes in pursuit of melt-in-your-mouth, to-die-for flavor combinations, fillings and textures. I believe cake must be decadent, life-changing and worthy of celebration! And I believe anyone should be able to bake that kind of cake – and I’m here to teach you just that!

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So delicious!!!!! Your son was spot on—so moist. I ended up having to bake my cake about 30 minutes longer than the initial bake time but it came out perfect. I also made the mistake of buying Heath bar pieces (chocolate and toffee) instead of plain toffee pieces but you couldn’t even tell. Loved all the textures and flavors. Can’t wait to make this one again!

  2. 5 stars
    This was such a decadent dessert, bursting with flavour. The crunch factor from the toasted coconut and toffee was beyond perfect. The buttercream was not too sweet and was just the perfect pairing for the moist flavourful cake. Huge hit in our home.

  3. 5 stars
    Wow, this is amazingly good! I loved watching your process to develop the recipe and couldn’t wait to try it. It’s so delicious, very flavorful and the textural variety keeps it really interesting and yummy. Thank you!

  4. This cake was super simple and turned out sooo delicous! It is only Saturday (the Saturday after you posted it) and I have just made it for the second time. I did add extra toasted coconut and crushed heath baking bits the second time I made it. We couldn’t get enough of that element. that crunch was perfect with the moist cake. For next time, I am considering half the batter in the bundt pan, a layer of the toasted coconut and toffee, the rest of the batter and then the bottom layer of the toasted coconut and toffee. Do you think that would work? Thought it might be good to have that crunch and flavor running through the middle too?
    Thanks!!

    1. 5 stars
      I made the cake for the first time yesterday, and getting rave reviews! I think though that I would also like to try the toffee and toasted coconut in a layer in the middle. I also thought of adding in some chopped white chocolate. I think it needs just a touch more white chocolate.

  5. What is the gram measurement of the egg mass you are adding please? So many different sized eggs.
    Kindest regards
    Jenny

  6. 5 stars
    Delicious! Of course, not able to compare it to the real version, but this was so moist and full of coconut flavor. And that toffee/toasted coconut bottom should be added to more cakes, just yum!! Thanks for a great recipe – and happy birthday!

      1. For the buttercream can you also substitute the emulsion for extract and would it be still be one teaspoon?

  7. 3 stars
    Huge failure for me. I’d like to try again without the coconut and toffee bits, as they sunk to the inside and the rest of the cake poured out over the edges.

  8. So, what do you do when you make this cake and it receives rave reviews, but while watching the IG live demo of said cake you realize that you did NOT incorporate ALL of the eggs. By that I mean, only 1 whole egg and 1 egg white – asking for a friend.
    PS not sure how this translates to the rating – sorry

  9. 5 stars
    Best Bundt Cake I’ve ever made! My whole family loved it.
    Can I use this recipe for making a 3 layer cake (8 inch)?
    Greetings from The Netherlands 🙂

  10. Is the toasted coconut sweetened or unsweetened? I’m making this later this week so we have something sweet to enjoy all weekend!!

  11. 5 stars
    Loved it, and I didn’t even do the coconut and toffee bits or the frosting. The flavor was spot on and it was super moist. Could this be made into a layer cake?

  12. 5 stars
    My first time…. it did not turn out at all. The cake was good, but so much of it stuck to the pan when I just used nonstick spray. I let myself be mad for a day and tried again lining the bundt pan with “cake goop.” It flipped perfectly – I cooled in the pan for 20 minutes, then flipped and let it cool completely that way. (I waited to goop the pan right before I put the batter in.)

    I’m so happy I didn’t give up because round two tastes so good! And looks like it should! I did have to cook it about 63 minutes. Thanks Courtney – I had been looking forward to this recipe since you started talking about it on Instagram!

    1. So glad you gave it another shot! That goop is awesome. And when I spray, I also dust the pan with sugar or flour. that helps a ton. xx

  13. 5 stars
    Could I use butter in place of cream cheese? If so, what I just use 4 ounces do you think? My family doesn’t like cream cheese frosting so I’m trying to figure out how to make it still be as delicious as your recipe.

  14. Hi Courtney! First of all I think you are just the greatest and love your content. I’m planning on making this for Mother’s Day tomorrow but if I’m using coconut extract in the cake instead of the emulsion can I also substitute that for the 1 tsp emulsion in the frosting? Would it be the equivalent amount? Thank you so much and happy Mother’s Day to you!

  15. 5 stars
    I love this cake!!! I made it two times already. I halved the recipe and used a 6 cup bundt pan both times. They turned out beautifully! The toasted coconut, toffee bits and cinnamon chips are to die for…so good. The 2nd time I made this cake I also made it gluten free and dairy free (other than the cinnamon chips) and it was heavenly!
    The cake is so moist and I love that it doesn’t have too much coconut flavor (I like a little coconut but not a lot). All the components together taste wonderful.

    Question: can I freeze the leftover buttercream? I didn’t use all of it on the cake and I love having a little extra on the side to eat with the slice of cake.

    1. 5 stars
      Loved this cake sooo much! Patti, please tell me how you made it gf and a success. I’m still trying to find the right flours to make gf baked things that are tasty. .

  16. 5 stars
    Made it for mother’s day lunch with family and it was incredibly delicious. I loved how perfect it came out and how moist and tender it tasted. Will definitely make again!!!

  17. 5 stars
    This was a huge hit! Would also make a great double layer cake because the toffee and toasted coconut crunch is soooo good! Another great recipe from Courtney!

  18. 5 stars
    This cake was better than I ever thought it could be! Perfect texture, density, flavor, and sweetness. I love the addition of the toffee bits on the bottom for some added crunch. A masterpiece!

  19. 5 stars
    Super yummy coconut cake. I deviated from the recipe by using heath toffee bits and don’t recommend it, a little too sweet for me and they ended up sinking throughout the cake and creating holes. Likely because I didn’t use the toasted coconut flakes to prevent them from sinking. Still turned out yummy but next time I’ll just omit the toffee.

  20. 5 stars
    All I can say is – WOW!! This cake has the perfect blend of ingredients for the perfect flavor and the perfect texture. The texture is denser than a layer cake, but not as dense as a pound cake. And, it’s as fluffy as a bundt cake can be. I tried the recipe on the Allrecipes site, and it came out rubbery. I think your proportion of 1/2 c coconut milk and 1/2 c buttermilk is just right for this type of cake. I will forever keep this recipe as the “be all and end all” of coconut bundt cake:) Thank you so much.

    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a kind review. I’m so happy you love the cake!

  21. 5 stars
    My 12 year old made this for me for Mother’s Day. It was such a delicious cake and my daughter was so proud she was able to make it all by herself! I will definitely make it again!

  22. Really beautiful cake cake, so delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
    Just want to know how to store it. Fridge or room temperature?

    1. When you’re done serving I recommend cutting into slices and wrapping in saran and putting in the freezer.

  23. Holy smoke show! This was the best coconut cake I have ever put in my southern mouth! Followed the recipe exactly….one minor change, I made my own toasted coconut and I put the toasted coconut on top. It is a texture thing for me. I’ve made it twice already and sliced it to take to my fellow teachers! Thank you!

  24. 3 stars
    I make a lot of cakes and this one did not turn out well. I sprayed the Bundt pan with cooking spray, dusted with sugar and let the cake cool for an hour. I have never waited that long to turn a cake out and I literally had to dig it out of the pan. I

    1. 5 stars
      I jut made it and the cake came out easy. I used homemade goop to grease the pan. Equal parts vegetable oil, flour and crisco whipped together. I substitute cocoa for the flour in chocolate cake . Never have a problem with cakes sticking. The cake smells and looks great .

  25. 5 stars
    This cake is so delicious and moist. The toffee bits and toasted coconut fell to the center even after I did the coconut first, but it still tasted great! Thanks for the recipe!

    1. 4 stars
      Cake came out perfect looking and icing was perfect but cake was a littje dry.’
      Do you think I baked too long or is cake a littke dry?

  26. Delicious, but the crunchy top , which becomes the bottom, loosens from the cake and really makes a crumbly mess. Will make the cake again, but will definitely leave out that step.

  27. 5 stars
    Giving this 5 stars even though I have 1 caveat. I love the flavor, moistness, richness. Not overly sweet which I appreciate. One of the best cakes ever I’ve tasted in that regard.
    BUT my issue is they we searched around to make sure we got the coconut emulsion. However, I felt that it was an overpowering flavor and left a chemically aftertaste. Almost to the point that it almost ruins the cake for me because of the aftertaste. The emulsion said “artificial flavors” which is usually a red flag for me but I couldn’t find any other ones made with real coconut. Next time I make it I’m not sure if I want to replace it with the extract or just skip it all together, I’m not sure it needs it at all.
    Nevertheless, it was a great success for my husband’s birthday who is a big Tom Cruise fan.

  28. 5 stars
    Absolutely love this recipe and the resulting cake! The cake is a bit denser than a sponge cake, but it is delicious and moist. I have a bundt pan that is on the smaller side, so I got a couple of cupcakes out of this recipe as well. I wasn’t able to find toasted coconut in the shops, so I toasted some in the oven and it worked perfectly. The buttercream frosting was so easy and complimented the cake incredibly well. I will definitely make this one again, thank you Courtney!!!

  29. 5 stars
    I made this cake for my sister’s birthday this past weekend and it was absolutely fabulous! Everyone loved it! I believe one even used the phrase “to die for” 😉
    Will definitely be making again!

  30. Hey, do you use chocolate covered toffee chips or is there such things as toffee baking chips with no chocolate on them? If so, what brand?

      1. Heath makes ones that are covered in chocolate, as well as ones that aren’t. I found the ones that aren’t on Amazon as they aren’t in any of my local grocery stores.

  31. 5 stars
    I made this in a regular Bundt cake pan and everyone loved it. Including my son that doesn’t like coconut flavoured foods. I just have a question for you, do you think I can make mini Bundt cakes using this recipe? I want to make it for thanksgiving dinner and I thought it would be nice to have individual servings of the cake. Thanks!

  32. 5 stars
    I made this cake for Father’s Day and it was a hit. Then last week for my dads bday he requested it again. Love this recipe!

  33. 5 stars
    Wow!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I made it for my husband’s birthday and we were both super impressed – it was delicious!
    Unfortunately my Bundt cake mould was a little on the small side and the mixture overflowed in the oven as it rose (meaning I lost a lot of the toffee bits/coconut flakes on the oven floor!) but it was still so tasty! Will definitely be making this again! 🙂

  34. I have tried a copycat recipe for this cake that uses coconut pudding. Did you ever use that? I really like the intense coconut flavor but it also has a denser texture.

    Any tips?

    Also what is coconut emulsion?

    1. I’ve never done that but writing it down! Coconut emulsion is like coconut extract but water based instead of alcohol based.

        1. The coconut emulsion is something you’ll need to buy. You can also use coconut extract. Both are found on Gygi.com or amazon. Coconut extract is available at most grocery stores.

  35. 5 stars
    I am going to make this cake again as gifts, I loved it the first time. Question, I thought about doubling the recipe and making 4 cakes using 6 cup Bundt pans. What cooking time would you recommend? Would you revise anything else when doing this? Thank you!

  36. 5 stars
    I am not a baker. I had second thoughts after buying the ingredients. Finally took the challenge. All I can say is wow wow wow. And another ‘where did you buy this ? From my grown children who came for dinner. I will definitely make again. And learn how to frost a cake before that lol.

  37. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe. I am also wanting to try a conversion of this to make a dark chocolate version. Any tips? I’m not a super experienced baker, but have been cooking and baking for many years now. I’m thinking perhaps simply changing the white chocolate to dark chocolate and subbing the buttermilk for either heavy cream or upping the butter content? As for the buttercream frosting I’m guessing adding in about 2 tablespoons of cacao? I’m totally guessing so I’m prob way off the mark. Anyway, thanks for the recipe!

    1. Thanks! Have you tried my chocolate bundt cake recipe on the blog? I use dark chocolate in that recipe and it is incredible. Might be easier to start with that than adapt this recipe.

  38. Excited to make this coconut cake … just to be sure … there are no shredded coconut it flakes in the actual batter?

  39. 5 stars
    I made this cake for Christmas and it was very good. I had to substitute the toffee with caramel chips because I couldn’t find toffee without nuts. I know there’s a layer of toasted coconut between the batter and the caramel chips, but once the cake was cooled, 95% of the caramel fell off once out of the bundt pan. Nonetheless, it was still tasty.

  40. I can’t wait to make this but I am not an experienced baker. There are so many choices. For the coconut in the garnish, should I use sweetened or unsweetened? Shredded? If the recipe does not mention “sweetened” should I assume it is not?

  41. 5 stars
    Thank u sooo much for sharing this recipe, its GREAT! I used coconut cream fm Goya can as I didnt have the emulsion! I was wondering how to store tge cake prob fridge due to crm cheese in frosting? Mb i missed direction in post? Also, what does the dust of sugar do in recipe for pan, im just curious! Thank u Chef!

  42. I just recently read about this movie star made famous coconut cake and interested to buy or make. Is your coconut milk the full fat version? I think I once bought or had a recipe that called for coconut creme? I’m curious, have you had any feedback about the sweetness of your cake? Please provide details on your coconut milk ingredient, thank you.

    1. I like the full fat version – fat creates and retains moisture in our cakes, so it’s always great to add it when we can. I don’t think the cake itself is overly sweet, but adding the buttercream definitely gives us some sweetness.

  43. 5 stars
    Made this cake yesterday and took it to a friends birthday dinner tonight. To say it was a hit is an understatement… so many compliments that I was a little embarrassed. Thank you for sharing your recipe, I made it exactly as you did with no substitutions.

  44. 5 stars
    One word… YUM! I served this to some friends who were over the moon and could not stop telling me how terrific it tasted. One of them shared it with her husband who doesn’t normally eat sweets and he also gave it high praise. For myself, I would bump up the chocolate just a bit, maybe another 2 oz. I reviewed a few other copycat recipes and most of them use 8 oz of white chocolate chips, but I think melting it and adding it to the batter gives a better flavour.

    1. 5 stars
      Also, forgot to ask, the cake was a touch denser than what I see in your photo. I used unbleached all-purpose flour and weighed it. I might have mixed it too much in the final stage so next time I will hand mix instead of using the mixer. Curious if you or anyone has used cake flour instead of AP?

      1. Yeah, I bet it was just overmixed a tad, but cake flour is always a great option since it’s lower in protein/gluten.

  45. I’ve made this cake twice now. The first time with gluten free flour. It turned out great. I served it to a group of gluten lovers and no one could tell it was gluten free. The second time I made this cake was last night, following the recipe including AP flour. SO GOOD. While the gluten free was just fine and met with rave reviews, the traditional recipe was OMG GREAT. Making this again in a few weeks for a friend because it’s just that good!

  46. 5 stars
    This was my first ‘Cake by Courtney’ and it didn’t disappoint – it was SO delicious!
    I didn’t have the toasted coconut or toffee bits so made it without them and think I’ll make it the same way next time.
    Thanks, Courtney!

  47. 5 stars
    Have made this several times. So much better than the actual “Tom Cruise” came. I don’t add the toffee bits. I add melted white chocolate to the buttercream and I don’t toast the coconut.
    I have literally had people from my husbands work request that I made this cake.

  48. I’m going to try your recipe next time. I made one from another and it was the most dense cake I have ever had. Needs to lighten up. Had sour cream and less butter and coconut milk. Too heavy!

  49. 5 stars
    Made this over the weekend. I’m not a big fan of coconut flavored cake but I had to try this as I’ve always been curious of how good “The Tom Cruise Cake” is. Me and my daughter wanted to get one so we can try it. Then I found your recipe and apparently it’s better than the original. Anyway, I baked one and everyone loved it! It’s not too sweet. It’s moist and the frosting is just perfect. The coconut taste is not overpowering. Thank you! I’m not sure if I will still get the original just to try because your recipe was so good already

  50. 5 stars
    I love coconut and although I bake a lot, I’ve never made a coconut cake. This recipe was easy to make, following the directions, and I took it to our daughter’s house as a birthday cake for her 2 daughters. They all really liked it. But our daughter, who is slender and tries to stay away from desserts, had 5 pieces of it over 2 days. At the time she asked me not to make it again, but changed her mind a couple days ago…I’ll be making it again soon.

  51. 5 stars
    This cake was so delicious! I had one problem though. On about half the cake, the coconut and toffee pieces sunk down into the cake. What would have caused this? Did I maybe not have that part of the cake mixed enough?