Whether Hawaiian cake, also known as Hawaiian wedding cake, was actually created in Hawaii isn’t clear. Early written references to the cake come from publications in the continental U.S. The layer of pineapple may be the reason why the cake is labeled as “Hawaiian” due to in the early and mid-20th century when Hawaii grew most of the world’s pineapple used in canning. There’s speculation that this association led to the fad of naming dishes that contained pineapple as “Hawaiian-style.” (If you’d like to learn more about food in Hawaii, look at this list of the best Hawaiian and “Local” food.) Regardless of the cake’s origins, it’s become a well-loved cake that’s created fond memories for a lot of people who remember having it at family get-togethers.
This Hawaiian cake recipe is a luscious but light sheet cake that takes little time to make. A basic cake layer is covered in a light, smooth combination of cream cheese, vanilla pudding and whipped topping. Add a layer of crushed pineapple and decorate that with maraschino cherries, coconut and walnuts. You have a dessert that may become one of your family’s treasured memories, too.
Hawaiian Cake Ingredients
- Boxed yellow cake mix: A regular-sized box of yellow cake mix make preparing this cake super easy. You may need additional eggs, water or other ingredients depending on the instructions on the box.
- 2% milk and instant vanilla pudding mix: While the frosting for this cake is supposed to be cream cheese, adding vanilla pudding makes the overall flavor a bit more mellow. You’ll need cold 2% milk to prepare the instant vanilla pudding mix.
- Cream cheese: Using cream cheese as the main frosting ingredient creates a nice contrast with the plain cake. You get the tangy flavor of the cream cheese slightly tempered by the vanilla combined with sweet cake in each bite, which is always a winning combination.
- Frozen whipped topping (thawed): Adding some thawed frozen whipped topping to the frosting makes it all a bit fluffier.
- Canned crushed pineapple: The main topping for the cake. Drain this well so that you don’t have pineapple juice making the frosting runny.
- Maraschino cherries, shredded coconut and chopped walnuts: These three are additional toppings that sit on top of the pineapple. Use sweetened shredded coconut and ensure the cherries are drained well.
Directions
Step 1: Mix and bake the cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Make the boxed cake mix according to the directions on the box; pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done. Let the cake cool completely.
Step 2: Assemble, frost and decorate the cake
Mix the milk and pudding mix in a large bowl and beat in the cream cheese. Once the entire mixture is smooth, fold in the whipped topping. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and then top the cake with the pineapple. Add the cherries, coconut and walnuts to the top.
Hawaiian Cake Variations
- Change the type of nuts used: Walnuts taste terrific but you can change the type of nuts used according to your preference. Try pecans or macadamias to start.
- Add the pineapple juice to the cake mix: Your boxed cake mix may call for water; if so, try using some of the pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple instead.
How to Store Hawaiian Cake
Hawaiian Cake must be refrigerated because of the frosting and toppings. It also can’t be left out on a table for more than two hours when you serve it. To store leftover cake, place it in the refrigerator for a short time (15 to 30 minutes) to let the frosting firm up and then cover the cake with plastic wrap. Eat the rest of the cake within three days.
Can you make Hawaiian Cake ahead of time?
You could make this Hawaiian Cake ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator but may not want to frost it yet. If you want to bake the cake layer a couple of days ahead of time, wrap it very carefully in two layers of plastic wrap and another one or two layers of foil and store it in the refrigerator. Make the frosting and assemble the cake the day you plan to serve it. If you want to make the entire cake, toppings and all, make it only a few hours ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. The cake can absorb moisture from the frosting over time and affect the texture of the cake.
Hawaiian Cake Tips
Can you use a homemade cake in this recipe?
You absolutely can. A homemade yellow cake is best as that preserves the look and taste of the recipe here.
How do you stop the maraschino cherries from leaking syrup all over the frosting?
Maraschino cherries are usually pitted, meaning they have this nice, big gap in their centers that holds a lot of the syrup they were stored in. You can pat the cherries dry and still end up dumping a bunch of syrup all over your cake if you aren’t careful. Before chopping up the cherries into small pieces, cut them in half and rinse them off. Let them sit on paper towels for a few minutes after you finish chopping them.
What size pan can you use if you don’t have a 15x10x1-inch pan?
When converting pan sizes, look at the volume of batter that your original pan holds in order to find an acceptable substitute. A 15x10x1-inch pan, also called a jellyroll pan, holds the equivalent of a 10-inch bundt cake pan, an 11x7x2-inch pan or a 9×2.5-inch round springform pan. You can also try baking the batter in a 13x9x2-inch pan. Be aware that changing the pan shape and size will result in a thicker/taller or thinner/shorter cake and reduce the amount of frosting and toppings you’ll need to use. That’s obvious in the case of a bundt pan, but even flatter pans like square baking dishes or round cake pans can still produce slightly thicker cakes. Keep the baking temperature the same and monitor the cake and test it often.
