Samoa Bundt Cake
Samoa Bundt Cake is a simple marble cake topped with caramel, toasted coconut, and chocolate drizzle. It was inspired by the popular Girl Scout cookies!
A Chocolate Coconut Caramel Cake
If you love the classic Girl Scout Samoa cookie flavors, this Samoa Bundt Cake version takes that same flavor combination and turns it into an irresistible dessert. Whether you still call them Samoas, or the new name, Caramel Delites, those cookies are a staple and one of my favorite! Although the final cake may look fancy, it’s really not difficult to make.
Absolutely delicious! It was so easy to make too!
– Elizabeth
Frequently Asked Questions:
Nope! You could make it an all chocolate cake if you prefer. I would still recommend using two boxes of cake mix though since the cake mixes these days are so small and won’t fill out the Bundt pan fully.
If the icing is too thin, go ahead and add a little more powdered sugar at a time to make it thicker. Just keep adding a little at a time and stirring after each addition until you get it to your desired thickness. If it seems to thick, you will add a little more milk at a time until it reaches your desired thinness.
To keep the marbled looked and not just blend it altogether, use a butter knife and make some small figure 8 motions. You want to keep the streaks, not blend it up.
If you didn’t wait for the cake to cool down some before icing, it will be too hot and will melt the icing.
I made this bundt cake in a bundt cake pan. This Silicone Fluted Bundt Pan (paid affiliate link) is similar to the one I used. You’ll need a 9.5-10-inch bundt pan.
Leftover cake should be transferred into an airtight container and can be refrigerated up to 2-3 days.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- white cake mix– I used Pillsbury which is similar to Duncan Hines and still has the 15.25 ounces of cake mix in a box. I don’t recommend using a Betty Crocker mix because they’ve decreased in size to only 13.25 ounces of mix. Also, I suppose you could use a French Vanilla Cake mix, or even a Yellow Cake Mix if desired.
- chocolate cake mix– again, I used Pillsbury Devils’ Food Cake, but another similar sized box mix should work. Depending on how chocolate-y you like your treats, this could be made with other chocolate cake mix varieties.
- ingredients on the back of both cake boxes– usually eggs, egg whites, oil and water. Whatever your specific box calls for is what you need.
- salted butter– room temperature butter mixes best. You can use these Tips to Soften Butter Quickly.
- powdered sugar
- milk– preferably whole milk. I haven’t tested this recipe with milk alternatives.
- vanilla extract
- sweetened coconut flakes – if you don’t like coconut you can leave it out but then it is no longer a Samoa cookie style cake.
- caramel topping – while this Caramel Topping (not a paid affiliate link) was used, you can use the squeeze bottle kind (paid affiliate link) to drizzle on if needed.
- hot fudge– I used this Hot Fudge sauce (not a paid affiliate link), but any brand will work.
How To Make Samoa Bundt Cake:
For the cake: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare both cake mixes in separate bowls according to the directions on the back of each box (adding eggs (or egg whites for the white cake mix), oil and water). You will have two separate bowls of cake batter when done.
Place a 9.5-inch (or 10 inch) Bundt baking pan on a sheet pan. Spray the Bundt pan well with nonstick cooking spray (I like the kind that has flour in it like Baker’s Joy) If using a silicone bundt pan, you shouldn’t need to do this but I like to be extra careful. Add 2 generous scoops of the white cake batter to the Bundt pan making sure each scoop is on the opposite side of the pan. This doesn’t have to be an exact amount, it’s more about the process to create a marble cake.
Now add 2 large scoops of the chocolate cake batter to the empty spots next to the white cake mix batter in the Bundt pan (again, ensuring they are on opposite sides. Using a butter knife, lightly swirl the batters together. Do not mix completely, this will be a marbled cake. Only light swirls to bring the chocolate batter to the white and the white to the chocolate.
Repeat the process, add 2 scoops of white cake batter and 2 scoops of chocolate cake batter in the parts you didn’t add the white. Swirl once again. Repeat until there’s about 2 inches of space from the batter to the top of the Bundt pan.
Place in the oven, on the middle rack, and bake for about 45-55 minutes. NOTE: oven times can vary, you want to continue baking until it is no longer jiggly in the middle and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. This can possibly take longer to bake in your oven.
For the coconut: While you are waiting for the cake to bake, toast the coconut in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir consistently while it toasts so it doesn’t burn. Toast just until it’s golden brown. Then remove from heat and pour the coconut on a plate and set aside.
For the icing: In a large bowl add the butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Beat until a smooth icing forms. This is easiest with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. If you find it is too thin to your liking, add a bit more powdered sugar at a time. If it is too thick to your liking, add a tiny bit of milk at a time until it reaches your desired thickness.
Once the cake is done, let it cool completely. Once it’s completely cooled, frost the cake with the icing. Before the icing is dry, add the toasted coconut all over.
Add the caramel to a small ziploc bag and cut the end off of it. Drizzle the caramel all over top. NOTE: You can just do this freehand with a spoon if you like. Add the hot fudge to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Using a spoon, drizzle over top of the cake.
Slice and serve!
Craving More Recipes?
Samoa Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box white cake mix (Duncan Hines or Pillsbury)
- 15.25 ounce box chocolate cake mix (I used Devils Food Cake)
- ingredients on the back of both cake boxes: eggs, egg whites, oil and water
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk (preferably whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 ounce bag sweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup caramel topping
- ½ cup hot fudge
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare both cake mixes in separate bowls according to the directions on the back of each box (adding eggs (or egg whites for the white cake mix), oil and water). You will have two separate bowls of cake batter when done.
- Place a 9.5-inch Bundt baking pan on a sheet pan. Spray the Bundt pan well with nonstick cooking spray (I like the kind that has flour in it like Baker’s Joy) If using a silicone bundt pan, you shouldn’t need to do this but I like to be extra careful.
- Add 2 generous scoops of the white cake batter to the Bundt pan making sure each scoop is on the opposite side of the pan. This doesn’t have to be an exact amount, it’s more about the process to create a marble cake.
- Now add 2 large scoops of the chocolate cake batter to the empty spots next to the white cake mix batter in the Bundt pan (again, ensuring they are on opposite sides.
- Using a butter knife, lightly swirl the batters together. Do not mix completely, this will be a marbled cake. Only light swirls to bring the chocolate batter to the white and the white to the chocolate.
- Repeat the process, add 2 scoops of white cake batter and 2 scoops of chocolate cake batter in the parts you didn’t add the white. Swirl once again. Repeat until there’s about 2 inches of space from the batter to the top of the Bundt pan.
- Place in the oven, on the middle rack, and bake for about 45-55 minutes.NOTE: oven times can vary, you want to continue baking until it is no longer jiggly in the middle and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. This can possibly take longer to bake in your oven.
- For the coconut: While you are waiting for the cake to bake, toast the 14 ounce bag sweetened coconut flakes in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir consistently while it toasts so it doesn’t burn. Toast just until it’s golden brown. Then remove from heat and pour the coconut on a plate and set aside.
- For the icing: In a large bowl add the ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until a smooth icing forms. This is easiest with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. If you find it is too thin to your liking, add a bit more powdered sugar at a time. If it is too thick to your liking, add a tiny bit of milk at a time until it reaches your desired thickness.
- Once the cake is done, let it cool completely. Once it’s completely cooled, frost the cake with the icing.
- Before the icing is dry, add the toasted coconut all over.
- Add 1/2 cup caramel topping to a small ziploc bag and cut the end off of it. Drizzle the caramel all over top. NOTE: You can just do this freehand with a spoon if you like.
- Add 1/2 cup hot fudge to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Using a spoon, drizzle over top of the cake. Slice and serve!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
How long do you cool in pa before taking out of pan? I don’t see that in the recipe directions. Thanks!
Hey Rachelle! It depends on the type of bundt pan you use (metal, ceramic or silicone) which is always why I hesitate to give specific times for removing from pan. And of course, how warm or humid it is in your kitchen can make a difference. But generally, wait about 20 minutes. This should make it cool enough to handle and you can then invert it onto a cooling rack if you have one for it to finish cooling or on a plate works as well.
Perfect! Thank you!
can I make 2 13by 9 cakes for a party with this receipe
It’s not enough batter for two cakes
Absolutely delicious! It was so easy to make too!
didn’t see where/when the caramel topping was used? is this drizzled on when the hot fudge is?
Step 12 🙂
This sounds really good, but why is the photo missing the caramel sauce? Your photo shows the chocolate sauce but no caramel sauce?
It’s not. It’s just light but it’s on there. If you zoom in, you’ll see it