Louisiana Crunch Cake {With Cake Mix}

Classic, Southern quick, easy Louisiana crunch cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and moist yellow cake with a tangy vanilla lemon glaze and crunchy coconut flakes.

This old fashioned cake is rich and tender and inspired by Entenmann's crunch cake. Obviously, you can make it from scratch but you know how much I love doctored cake mix recipes such as this Easy Black Forest Cake With Cake Mix or this Snowball Cake (Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cake). If you love modified cake mix recipes as much as me, be sure to browse through my huge collection of tried and tested Cake Mix Recipes (Desserts). Serve this cake for dessert or brunch with a hot cup of coffee or tea and it's pure bliss. This would also be great for the 4th of July since it's American and even Christmas because it's so white like snow.

Key ingredients

• Cake mix- Yellow cake mix works best.
• Butter- Make sure it's unsalted.
• Eggs- They should be large and at room temperature.
• Milk- This should be full fat and preferably whole.
• Coconut- You will need shredded and desiccated varieties.
• Extracts- Vanilla and lemon flavors are used.
• Powdered sugar- This is used to make the glaze.

How to make Louisiana crunch cake recipe with cake mix box?

1. Prepare cake batter- Mix together eggs, butter, milk, cake mix powder, coconut.
2. Mix- Until combined.
3. Pour in bundt pan- It should be heavily greased and coated in coconut.
4. Bake in oven- Until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean
5. Let it cool- Until it's room temperature.
6. Remove from pan- Pour glaze and sprinkle more coconut.

Does this cake have nuts?

No, it doesn't have nuts.

Is this cake the same as Sock It To Me Cake?

No. The only similarity between the two cakes is that in my recipes, they both start off with a yellow cake mix box. This Sock It To Me Cake has a cinnamon pecan streusel filling while the recipe today has no such spices or nuts.

Variations for Louisiana crumb cake

Pair with chocolate- You can use a chocolate glaze or drizzle Chocolate Ganache over the cake. I suggest using white chocolate over semisweet or dark.

For birthday parties- Toss some sprinkles over the glaze before it has a chance to set and add some cute candles.

Make it more decadent- You can also toss some mini white chocolate chips or white chocolate curls over the glaze.

For an additional crunch- you can also toss some chopped nuts like almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts.

Use a different cake mix flavor- Obviously it won't be the traditional flavor any more but something fun and new to try out.

Try different glaze flavors- Again, it won't be the classic recipe any more but something new to try out. Here are some of my glaze recipes you can try: Lemon Glaze or Powdered Sugar Vanilla Glaze.

Tips and Techniques for coconut crunch cake

Use unsalted butter- This prevents the cake from becoming too salty.

Use full fat ingredients- Such as whole milk, butter because this makes the cake rich and moist. No fat free or low fat ingredients!

Butter vs. Oil– Although oil can be used, I feel butter adds a rich buttery flavor the cake.

Brand of cake mixes– I have used these brands of cake mixes successfully: Pillsbury, Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker. I have not tried any other generic brands to know how it would affect this recipe.

All ingredients should be at room temperature– That’s because they blend together smoothly and evenly.

Use simple nonstick bundt pan- Make sure it's not old and worn out with scratches. Also, don't use a bundt cake pan with fancy designs and patterns. That's because the cake can stick to the pan and make it difficult to remove it, after baking.

Temperature is key– Do not pour the glaze over the cake before it has cooled to room temperature or else it will make a sticky, soggy mess.

How much glaze to use? This is entirely a personal preference. I drizzle enough to coat the top of the cake and most of the sides.

Get creative with extracts for the glaze- I use a combination of vanilla and lemon extracts but you can add a splash of rum extract or almond. Have fun with it! There are many possibilities.

Decoration– Keep it simple with glaze. It looks so classic and white.

Desiccated vs. Shredded coconut- I like to use both. Use desiccated in the topping because it's finer and yields the best texture. Use shredded in the cake batter.

Toast coconut- Only do this if you prefer a deeper, nutty roasted flavor. I don't do this because it makes my white flakes brown and I don't think that looks very pretty.

Sweetened vs. Unsweetened coconut- Personally, I like to use the unsweetened one because it prevents the cake from becoming overly sweet but it's entirely up to you.

Use clear extracts- Because this prevents the glaze from becoming off-white and remain white.

Storage

Room temperature- Store in a covered box or container for 1-2 days away from direct heat.

Refrigerate- Store in a sealed container for 3 days.

Freeze- Store in an airtight sealed container for up to 1 month. It should be unglazed. When you are ready to enjoy it, thaw to room temperature and then, pour glaze and sprinkle desiccated coconut.

More coconut desserts

• Coconut Cranberry Cake With Cake Mix
• Chewy Coconut Cookies
• Coconut Sugar Cookies
• Coconut Rice Pudding
• Coconut Macaroons With Condensed Milk

Recipe