▁but ter cre ams ▁are ▁not ▁un common . ▁Like ▁the ▁c akes , ▁co con ut ▁flav or ▁is ▁not ▁always ▁a ▁must ▁in ▁the ▁fro st ing . ▁One ▁constant ▁characteristic ▁of ▁co con ut ▁c ake ▁is ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁sh red ded ▁co con ut ▁( o ften ▁to asted ▁and / or ▁swe eten ed ) ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁fro st ing . ▁ ▁One ▁popular ▁variation ▁of ▁co con ut ▁c ake ▁is ▁co con ut ▁po ke ▁c ake . ▁While ▁traditional ▁co con ut ▁c ake ▁is ▁round ▁and ▁multi - layer ed , ▁co con ut ▁po ke ▁c ake ▁is ▁either ▁a ▁white ▁or ▁yellow ▁c ake ▁that ▁is ▁rect angular ▁and ▁single - layer ed . ▁What ▁makes ▁it ▁a ▁" po ke " ▁c ake ▁are ▁the ▁holes ▁made ▁into ▁the ▁c ake ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁por es ▁to ▁abs orb ▁a ▁co con ut ▁liquid ▁mixture ▁or ▁cre am ▁of ▁co con ut , ▁such ▁as ▁Co Co ▁L ope z . ▁After wards , ▁the ▁c ake ▁is ▁fro sted ▁with ▁a ▁wh ipped ▁to pping . ▁ ▁Many ▁Southern ers ▁also ▁make ▁non - trad itional ▁versions ▁of ▁co con ut ▁c ake . ▁One ▁popular ▁variation ▁is ▁to ▁pair ▁the ▁co con ut ▁with ▁other ▁flav ors , ▁particularly ▁by ▁filling ▁the ▁c ake ▁with ▁a ▁le mon ▁cur d ▁to ▁add ▁a ▁tart ▁flav or ▁to ▁a ▁usually ▁very ▁sweet ▁c ake . ▁Red ▁vel vet