Easy Orange Coconut Cake

If you’re in the mood for a light, bright cake, one with the summery flavors of orange and coconut, this is the recipe for you! This delicious cake is going to be a new favorite because it’s simple to make. It starts with a box of white cake mix! 

Doctor up a Cake Mix

I’ve written a lot of posts on this site about doctored cake mixes. Sometimes I feel like a broken record. But every now and again I come up with a new one and that was the case today! I happen to be on a personal challenge, baking only what I have on hand in my pantry or fridge. No special trips to the store. 

I happened to have one box of white cake mix. And one can of mandarin oranges. And some sweetened coconut flakes. I also had eggs and oil. 

Delicious Ingredients. . .Delicious Cake!

I know, I know. . .sounds a bit like my Mama’s Mandarin Orange Cake. But I wanted something different this time. Instead of going with the whipped cream topping with pineapple, I opted for a simple bundt cake, one that could be glazed or sprinkled with powdered sugar. (You can choose whichever option you like.) 

I wasn’t sure how this would bake up, so I decided to go low-and-slow on the bake. More about that later. For now, let’s take a look at the ingredients you’ll need. 

Orange Coconut Cake Ingredients

These are such simple ingredients. It’s possible you already have them on hand! If not, they’re readily available in your local grocery store. 

• 1 box (15.25 ounce) white or yellow cake mix
• 1 can (15 ounce) mandarin oranges, with juice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 3 eggs
• powdered sugar or orange glaze to top the cake if you prefer (see note below)
• extra coconut for topping, if you prefer

Note: To make a simple orange glaze combine two cups of powdered sugar with four tablespoons of orange juice. You can even add a tiny dash of almost extract if you like!

How to Make Easy Orange Coconut Cake

This comes together in minutes. It’s one of the simplest recipes on this blog so far! 

Grease and flour a bundt pan. 

Preheat oven to 335 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer combine the mandarin oranges (with juice), eggs, and oil.

Whisk or mix well until the oranges begin to break down. 

Add the coconut.

Stir well.

Stir in the cake mix, mixing until well combined and lump-free. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 

Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick should come out clean. 

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. 

Once the pan can be handled, turn the cake out directly onto the rack to continue cooling. 

If you like, sprinkle with powdered sugar or add glaze. 

I happened to have some leftover buttercream on hand so I melted it a bit and used it like a glaze, adding a dash or orange extract.

If you choose glaze, sprinkle with additional coconut.

Slice and serve! 

This is a cake that best served cold or at room temperature, so you might opt to chill before serving. 

Store leftovers in airtight container in the refrigerator. They should stay good for 4 – 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing this cake. 

What to Expect from this Cake

As I mentioned above, it’s light, it’s bright, and it’s simple. What more could you ask for? It reminds me of my Hawaiian cake, but without all of the fuss and bother. It’s also like my coconut cake, but so much simpler to make!

I think this one would be terrific at an afternoon tea or some sort of summertime event. But no matter when you serve it, you’re going to absolutely love it! 

Other Orange Favorites

• Orange Cranberry Cheesecake Bars 
• Orange Chiffon Cake from Scratch
• Easy Orange Creamsicle Bars
• Orange Cranberry Slice and Bake Cookies
• Orange Raspberry Pound Cake
• Orange Cranberry Bread Pudding
• Poppy Seed Cake with Orange Glaze
• Orange Cranberry Muffins

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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Before you go, let me leave you with one of my favorite verses:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

(John 3:16)