Louisiana Crunch Cake is a moist yellow cake topped with a vanilla glaze, toasted coconut, and toasted almonds. This delicious Southern classic is easy to make and is perfect for a weeknight dinner, potluck, or family get-together.
Entenmann’s Louisiana crunch cake was the first version of this delicious cake I was lucky enough to sample, and it was love at first bite. After enjoying the wonders of this dessert, I decided I needed to recreate the recipe.
This isn’t quite the same as the Northern version, but I promise you won’t be disappointed with my Louisiana crunch cake recipe. It’s ah-mazing!
The tender crumb of this golden yellow cake will practically melt in your mouth. And the coconut almond topping and sweet vanilla glaze create a symphony of flavors that you soon won’t forget.
If you love delicious, easy-to-make cakes, make sure to check out my Lemon Bundt Cake and Vanilla Wafer Cake recipes.
Ingredients to make Louisiana Crunch Cake
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients needed to make my Louisiana Crunch Cake recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
*I only used vanilla extract in my version of this Southern classic, but you can also add coconut extract or almond extract if you’d like either of those flavors to be more noticable.
How to make Louisiana Crunch Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Generously butter a bundt pan (or a tube pan) and sprinkle ¼ cup of sugar on the inside of the pan. Leave any excess sugar in the pan.
- Add the coconut to the bottom of the pan and set aside until needed.
- Add the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a bowl.
- Whisk to combine the dry ingredients and set aside until needed.
- Add the room temperature unsalted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Whip on medium speed until the butter is light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add the granulated sugar to the whipped butter.
- Mix on low speed until blended, then increase the speed to medium and continue to beat the butter mixture until fluffy, 2- 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, to the batter.
- Mix enough to incorporate the egg. Scrape the bowl between each addition.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract to the batter.
- Mix to combine the wet ingredients. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add half of the flour mixture.
- Mix just enough to combine.
- Add the buttermilk to the cake batter, mixing just enough to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Then, add the remainder of the flour to the bowl.
- Mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure all of the flour has been mixed in.
*Be careful not to overmix the batter. - Pour batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan to even out the batter and remove any air bubbles. Then, place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake (or a cake tester) comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Set the cake in the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Carefully turn the cake to a cake plate or stand and allow it to fully cool.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, two tablespoons of whole milk (or heavy cream), and vanilla extract to a small bowl.
- Whisk to combine the ingredients.
*Add more milk as needed until the glaze has a thick but pourable consistency. - Pour the glaze over the cooled cake.
- Sprinkle the almonds and coconut over the top of the cake.
Wouldn’t you love to see the smiles around your dinner table when you serve my Louisiana crunch cake to your family? It’s definitely one of my favorites, and I know it will be one of yours.
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or refrigerated for 4-5 days. The cake also freezes very well.
Recipe FAQ’s
A Louisiana Crunch Cake is a moist pound cake with an almond and toasted coconut topping. Growing up in the Northeast, the most popular version is made by Entennman’s.
The bottom of the pan has a butter-sugar mixture that begins to develop the crunch. A glaze and a topping of toasted coconut and almonds make up the rest of the crunch.
I recommend using a bundt pan for this moist pound cake. You can also use a tube pan, and this cake can be made as a sheet cake.
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Louisiana Crunch Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter softened at room temperature
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
Bundt pan
- 1 – 2 tablespoon unsalted butter to grease the pan
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup sweetened coconut
Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoon whole milk or heavy cream
- ¼ cup almonds sliced
- ¼ cup sweetened coconut toasted
Instructions
Bundt Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Generously butter a bundt pan and sprinkle ¼ cup of sugar to the inside of the pan. Leave any excess sugar in the pan.
- Add the coconut to the bottom of the pan. Set aside until needed.
Cake Batter
- Add the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside until needed.
- Add the room temperature butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and whip on medium speed, until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add the granulated sugar to the whipped butter and mix on slow speed until blended . Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat the butter mixture until fluffy, 2- 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mix enough to incorporate the egg. Scrape the bowl between each addition.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add half of the flour mixture, mixing just enough to combine.
- Add the buttermilk to the mixture, mixing just enough to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the remainder of the flour and mix on low until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. to make sure all of the flour has been mixed in. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Tap the pan to even out the batter and remove any air bubbles.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Set the cake in the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Carefully turn the out cake to a cake plate or stand and allow to fully cool.
Glaze
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons of whole milk (or heavy cream), and vanilla extract to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add more milk, as needed until the glaze has a thick, but pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.
- Sprinkle the almonds and coconut over the top of the cake.
Dawn Jones
5 stars for excellent directions! I will be making this recipe on Saturday and wonder whether I can use cake flour in place of all purpose? If so, will I need to make any other alterations to the recipe? Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
Yes you can. You would need to add 2 tablespoons of cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour, so for this recipe use 3 cups and 6 tablespoons of cake flour.
Gary Pruitt
Wow, this is as good as any cake I ‘ve ever eaten!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed my Louisiana crunch cake! Its an old family recipe.