Coconut cake is a popular dessert in the Southern region of the United States.

[1] It is also common to brush the cakes with a simple syrup to make it more moist.

Often the cake layers are filled with either a white frosting or coconut pastry cream.

What makes it a "poke" cake are the holes made into the cake to act as pores to absorb a coconut liquid mixture or cream of coconut, such as CoCo Lopez.

[3] Many Southerners also make non-traditional versions of coconut cake.