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    Recipes » Cakes and Pies » Homemade Hawaiian Cake

    Homemade Hawaiian Cake

    Published: Jun 9, 2022 · Modified: Nov 3, 2022 by Kate Shungu · This post may contain affiliate links

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    slice of Hawaiian Cake on a white plate with a fork.
    slice of Hawaiian Cake on a white plate with a fork.
    slice of Hawaiian Cake on a white plate with a fork.

    This Homemade Hawaiian Cake is packed with pineapple, bananas, coconut, and pecans, and topped with cream cheese frosting and coconut. It’s a little taste of Hawaii, and WOW is it good!

    slice of homemade hawaiian cake on a white plate.

    I’ll start off with this. My husband is not a sweets person. But he ate nearly this entire Homemade Hawaiian Cake over the course of a week.

    It’s THAT good!

    It’s moist and tender, and full of textures and flavors. The cake itself is reminiscent of banana bread, but with pineapple, coconut, and pecans, too.

    Then the cake is topped with a homemade cream cheese frosting (just like my Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake), and a sprinkling of sweetened coconut.

    It’s decadent, not too sweet, and an all-around crowd pleaser of a cake. Which is perfect, because it feeds a crowd!

    This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links support Gift of Hospitality at no additional cost to you. I receive a commission if you choose to make a purchase through these links.

    hawaiian bundt cake, cut open, on a glass cake stand.

    Top tips

    • Before you make the Hawaiian cake, place the butter and cream cheese for the frosting on the countertop, so that it can come to room temperature.
    • Don’t have a bundt pan? An angel food cake pan or even a 9×13 inch pan works well (be sure to adjust baking time, though!).

    Ingredients

    bananas, pineapple, pecans, flour, and other ingredients on a wooden serving tray.
    • You’ll want to use bananas that are brown/have spots on them for the best banana flavor.
    • You can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut. I used sweetened.
    • I like using pecans that have been very finely chopped. I recently discovered that Fisher sells very finely chopped pecans—no extra chopping necessary!

    How to make homemade Hawaiian cake

    Start by whisking together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

    flour in a white bowl with a whisk.

    Then, mash the bananas well with a fork (or even with a whisk). Add the remaining cake ingredients, and stir to combine.

    cake batter in a white bowl.

    Pour the mixture into a well greased bundt pan, and bake for 65–70 minutes at 350°F. You’ll know the cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

    hawaiian cake in a bundt pan.

    Let the cake cool completely before making the frosting.

    How to make cream cheese frosting

    The key to cream cheese frosting is having all of the ingredients at room temperature. In this case, the butter and cream cheese in particular should be softened on the countertop for at least 2 hours.

    If you forget to soften the butter and cream cheese, here’s a guide on how to soften butter and cream cheese quickly.

    Place the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat the frosting until smooth and creamy.

    cream cheese frosting in a white bowl.

    Assembling the cake

    Place the cooled Hawaiian cake on a cake platter or serving platter. Carefully spoon the frosting on top and spread around. You may not need all of the frosting.

    Top the cake with additional shredded coconut.

    whole hawaiian cake topped with cream cheese frosting and coconut.

    Bundt pan alternatives

    Don’t have a bundt pan? You can make this cake in an angel food cake pan (also known as a tube pan).

    You can also make it in a 9×13 inch pan. Since the pan is more shallow, you’ll need to decrease the baking time. Start checking the cake for doneness around 30–35 minutes. If it’s isn’t done yet, give it another 5 minutes at a time before checking again.

    slice of hawaiian cake on a white plate next to a whole cake.

    Can I freeze Hawaiian cake?

    Hawaiian cake can be frozen, either frosted or unfrosted.

    If it’s frosted, place it in a covered, freezer safe dish and freeze for up to 1 month.

    If it’s unfrosted, tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and slide it into a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

    slice of hawaiian cake with a bite taken out.

    Storage and serving

    Store any leftover Hawaiian cake in the refrigerator.

    I like letting the cake come to room temperature before serving so the frosting is soft. I also like serving it with a steaming cup of coffee or tea!

    More old fashioned cake recipes

    • Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Jell-O Poke Cake
    • Coconut Poke Cake
    • Ding Dong Cake
    • Old Fashioned Orange Cake
    • Cherry Dump Cake
    • Sock it to Me Cake

    Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!

    cup of ambrosia and slice of banana cake.

    📖 Recipe

    slice of hawaiian cake with cream cheese frosting and coconut on a white plate.

    Homemade Hawaiian Cake

    Published by Kate
    This simple homemade cake is packed with pineapple, coconut, bananas, and pecans.
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 15 servings
    Calories 630 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the cake:

    • 4 medium-sized ripe bananas
    • 3 eggs
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1½ cups vegetable oil
    • 8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
    • 2¾ cup flour
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
    • 1 cup finely chopped pecans

    For the frosting:

    • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
    • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
    • 3 cups powdered sugar
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

    Instructions
     

    For the cake:

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.
    • Place the bananas in a large bowl. Mix with a handheld electric mixer until mashed. Add the eggs, sugar, oil, and pineapple, and mix until combined.
    • In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture with a spatula. Stir in the coconut and pecans.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 65–70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
    • Let the cake cool completely.

    For the frosting:

    • Once the cake is cool, place the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix with a handheld electric mixer until soft and creamy.
    • Invert the cake onto a cake pedestal or serving platter. Top with the cream cheese frosting (you may not need it all). Sprinkle with coconut.
    • Cut into slices and serve.

    Notes

    Don’t have a bundt pan? You can use an angel food cake pan, or even a 9×13 inch pan. If using a 9×13 inch pan, the baking time will need to decrease quite a bit. Start checking the cake around 30 minutes to see if it’s done. 
    Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator. The cake can also be frozen (either frosted or unfrosted). 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 630kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 6gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 192mgPotassium: 254mgFiber: 4gSugar: 46gVitamin A: 275IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword hawaiian cake
    Tried this recipe?Follow me at @giftofhospitality and let me know how you liked it!

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    About Kate

    I’m a believer, wife, mom, and big fan of old cookbooks. I live in Chicago with my husband and two young sons. I love discovering old fashioned recipes that will transport you back in time! Read more...

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    Kate from Gift of HospitalityI’m Kate. I love discovering old fashioned recipes that will transport you back in time. Learn more here
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