Chocolate Macaroon Tunnel Cake
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Rich chocolate bundt cake with a coconut tunnel inside. Drizzled with both chocolate and vanilla icing. Just like that age old mix time forgot. If that particular cake mix held a special place in your heart, you are going to be very happy that you came across this recreation. I have been told by countless people that it tastes just like the Pillsbury box mix from years ago.
I originally posted this Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake recipe in October of 2011, although the process of perfecting this cake took years before that. Back in 1991, at one of my bridal showers, my Aunt Carol gave me my first bundt cake pan. She had remembered Brian saying how he loved a cake made by Pillsbury, called a Chocolate Macaroon Tunnel Cake.
Making the Pillsbury Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake Mix at Home
Before I share the recipe with you, let me tell you how I went about trying to make this cake. Now, I am not a fan of coconut, so if it wasn’t his favorite cake, the fact that the mix was discontinued would have gone totally unnoticed by me. But it was. I searched high and low, and couldn’t find one anywhere.
Getting the chocolate macaroon bundt cake right
Ingredients in Chocolate Macaroon Tunnel Cake
If you can’t wait to make this chocolate bundt cake with its delicious coconut filling – the ingredients may be close by, right in your pantry! It doesn’t call for anything crazy. Just some basic baking ingredients.
- One Devils Food Cake Mix, plus all of the ingredients the mix requires; egg, oil, and water. You can sub in chocolate or chocolate fudge if you’d like.
- For the coconut filling, you’ll need egg white, sugar, vanilla, sweetened flaked coconut, and a little bit of flour.
- For the glaze, you can make it from scratch with butter, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Or you can take a shortcut and warm a little bit of canned frosting in the microwave and drizzle that over the top. Works great!
How to make a chocolate coconut bundt cake
Just like the chocolate macaroon bundt cake mix from days gone by, this recipe has 3 separate steps, the cake, the filling, and the glaze.
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and spraying your bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare cake mix as per box instructions. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, with a fork quickly mix egg whites. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix again. Stir in coconut and flour.
- Pour about ½ of the cake mix into your bundt pan. Now spoon filling in a “tunnel” on top of the batter. Be careful not to let the filling touch the pan. Now pour and evenly cover the tunnel with the rest of the batter.
- Next, Bake the cake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 20-30 minutes before turning it onto a plate to cool the rest of the way.
- Finally, Drizzle with frosting/glaze and dust with a little extra coconut to “pretty” it up!
Warm Fuzzy Comments – Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Bundt Cake Mix Recipe
Spring K. says “My husband and I will celebrate our 46th anniversary next Saturday. We made this bundt cake while we were dating, and after we were first married. I’m going to surprise him with this cake!”
Kay says “I was very excited to find your recipe. I too loved this mix and was sad when it went away. I made this cake today and it was just like I remembered it. Thank you!!!”
Marianne said “Yay!! I’m totally with your husband. I think you did it! My sister always asked for the Pillsbury chocolate macaroon Bundt cake for her birthday and when they stopped making them we tried to copy it. Not ever really successful. But we used your recipe mostly for her birthday this Sunday and she’s crazy picky but said it was just what she remembered. Thank you!”
Most recently I received a facebook messsage from Jamie. This one really got me! Here is what it said –
“I’m one of 5 boys, my mom was an decent baker, and for some reason, this cake was my absolute favorite cake, but everyone else in my family hated it. No one else would eat it, so the only time she really made it, was for my birthday. Every single year, that cake marked my birthday.
When I became an adult I wanted to start making it, and I was crushed to find out it was discontinued. Last week I found your recipe, and I’ve made it twice. It’s so incredibly good, but more than that, every single bite somehow takes me back to every birthday I ever had as a kid when mom made that just for me. You know how good food can trigger wonderful memories like that? This recipe did exactly that for me.
Two days ago, we had my parents over, and I made it for my mom, and it was beyond special. It may sound corny, but having this recipe, has really added something special to my life, a direct connection to my childhood. THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! It’s hard to describe, but finding this recipe, to me, is just like finding an old photo album that has pictures from every birthday I ever had as a kid. It’s exactly that special, that powerful. I feel like I had lost a photo album that had every picture of me as a kid, and then I just found it. It’s hard for me to describe, but you probably know what I mean.
This recipe was such a gift to me, you can’t imagine!! I’m 51. I’ll make this cake at least 200 times before I’m gone, and every single time I do, every bite I take, I’ll remember what it was like to be 10 years old again, when the whole day revolved around my birthday. I want to be buried with this cake.”
Please know that I read every one of my messages and comments myself, and I appreciate it so much when you take the time to share your stories with me.
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Hungry for more Coconut Recipes?
- Coconut Cream Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting (pictured above)
- Pineapple Coconut Tunnel Cake
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Coconut Pudding Poke Cake
- How to Toast Coconut
- Coconut Banana Cream Pie
- Jamaican Coconut Sweet Rice
Chocolate Macaroon Tunnel Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- One Devils Food Chocolate Cake Mix- prepared according to box instructions
For the Filling
- 2 egg whites
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups flaked coconut
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
For the Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- For chocolate glaze you can add 2 Tablespoons of cocoa to the above mixture.
- I glaze with both flavors. Because did I mention how good that puddle of icing in the middle is?!?!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare cake mix as per box instructions. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, with a fork quickly mix egg whites. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix again. Stir in coconut and flour.
- Pour about ½ of the cake mix into your bundt pan. (see photo in blog post) Now spoon filling in a "tunnel" on top of the batter. Be careful not to let the filling touch the pan. Now pour and evenly cover the tunnel with the rest of the batter.
- Bake the cake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 20-30 minutes and turn onto a plate to cool the rest of the way.
- Drizzle with frosting if you desire.
I will make this for my mom. She loves coconut, and this cake looks so impressive. Yum!
First off, I love chocolate and coconut! Second, I love a bundt cake because you only have one pan and no layers to get right!
I would like the chocolate macaroons bunt cake
For ingredients, is the flaked coconut unsweetened? I would think so, since you are adding sugar to the filling. I have sweetened flaked coconut, so I’m trying to figure out how to adjust the sugar.
Thanks 🙂
I always use sweetened coconut. It’s not overly sweet for us, but you can adjust if you want!
You say to drizzle with frosting if you desire. Well the topping you made in the pictures is a huge part of the appeal of the cake! I’ve never frosted a cake before. I don’t know what to do to make it look or taste as good as yours. Could you please add instructions for this? Pretty please?!
Danielle – I am sorry! I shouldn’t assume! Honestly, I usually buy a can of chocolate and a can of vanilla frosting. I heat about 1/2 cup of each in the microwave for a few seconds to get it to where it pours easily. (not soupy!!) Start with one and then overlay the other, dust it with sweetened coconut flakes to finish it off. I hope that helps!
I was looking for a cake recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
I am so happy you loved this!! It holds a special place in my heart, too!
This cake looks gorgeous! I love chocolate and coconut together – such a delicious combo!
This rich and decadent chocolate bundt cake sounds special to try during this holiday season. Bookmarking for later.
My husband and I will celebrate our 46th anniversary next Saturday. We made this bundt cake while we were dating, and after we were first married. I’m going to surprise him with this cake!
I LOVE that!! 🙂 Happy Anniversary to you two!!
Fourth recipe I tried to match the old box mix for this — this is the one! Made for a group get together and it was a huge hit. I did double the coconut filling recipe (we love the coconut part) and it worked perfectly. I also added one drop of coconut flavoring in the white/chocolate frosting. This has been added to my favorite recipes list! Thank you!!
I know how you feel!! It took me YEARS to figure it out!! I am so happy you love it, too!! I will be adding the coconut extract to the frosting next time for SURE!!
OMG, this cake is mouthwatering! I love this chocolate and vanilla icing on top. I will definitely try this out! 🙂
I was very excited to find your recipe. I too loved this mix and was sad when it went away. I made this cake today and it was just like I remembered it. Thank you!!!
I am so happy you loved it, too! I will be baking this in a couple of weeks myself for the hub’s birthday!
Thank you for all of your efforts in making this available to us! I remember this cake – it was one of my favorites!
I look forward to making it soon for the holidays.
Again, thank you!
You are so welcome! This is one of those recipes that brings about those “warm fuzzy memories” of when we had it a long time ago! 🙂
Yay!! I’m totally with your husband. I think you did it! My sister alway asked for the Pillsbury chocolate macaroon Bundt cake for her birthday and when they stopped making them we tried to copy it. Not ever really successful. But we used your recipe mostly for her birthday this Sunday and she’s crazy picky but said it was just what she remembered. I made the cake with a Devils food box mix and added 8 oz. of sour cream, 1/2 c warm water, 1/2 c vegetable oil, 1 pkg instant Jello chocolate pudding, 3 eggs. Then followed the rest with fine grated coconut in the filling. And it was perfect, moist dense Bundt cake. Thanks for the research! Yummm
So happy you found it and that you loved it too!!
This looks amazing, I love that you use both icing flavors!
The flour in the filling, is it self rising or all purpose? This was my husband favorite cake way back then.
It’s all purpose. I hope your hubby likes this one as much as mine does!
Thank you! I too LOVED that bundt cake mix. I was so disappointed when it disappeared, My all-time favorite. I will defiantly be making this!
Several years ago the companies changed the size of cake mixes from 18.25 oz to 15.25oz. Does your recipe use the old larger size mix or the “new” size? Usually I just add extra cake mix and adjust to make a 18.25oz. For a regular cake I can just use the box but for some old recipes that use cake mix as a starting point the new sizes are too small. The adjustments work well for the old pudding bundt cake recpies.
This recipe is based on a 15.25 ounce cake mix. Good tips though!
I asked my husband what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday. He described a cake his Mom’s used to make from a box, “round chocolate cake with a white center that tasted like coconut”. Well I googled it and there it was a box mix exactly as he described but it is no longer in production. Then I found your recipe. His birthday is today and the cake is setting on the counter waiting for him to get home from work. Thank you for posting this recipe.
AW!! Yay!! I hope that he liked it!! It’s my hubby’s birthday cake as you probably read, and it’s a classic for sure!
We love this cake. In fact I just made it for my book club and they devoured it. Not one piece left. Boy was my husband disappointed.
Ha! I know mine would have been!! His birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, so I will be making it for him — I bet he’s already thinking about it! 😉 So happy that you and your friends enjoyed it!