Hawaiian Wedding Cake starts with a simple cake mix. Add a splash of coconut and pineapple and it becomes a refreshing cake that tastes like a piña colada.
What is Hawaiian Wedding Cake?
Hawaiian Wedding Cake is a basic cake mix cake with three layers on top – a crushed pineapple layer that seeps into the cake, a creamy pudding layer, and then whipped topping and coconut on top. What I like about the topping on this Hawaiian Wedding Cake is it is not too sweet. It is flavorful and light. It’s a nice change from heavy, sugary frosting.
Hawaiian Wedding Cake Recipe Tips
A couple of tips on making this Hawaiian Wedding Cake – first, when I use pudding and milk in a recipe, I always use 2% or whole milk (using skim milk or 1% milk will not thicken the pudding as well); and second, when using cream cheese in a recipe make sure it is softened. If the cream cheese is not completely softened it will leave clumps in the pudding mixture.
Cream cheese can be softened by leaving it on the counter in the packaging. Depending on the temperature in your house it can take 30 minutes to an hour. Press on the outside of the package to test if it is completely softened. Another way to soften the cream cheese is to take it out of the package, cut it in cubes, place it in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 20 seconds. Stir well. If it is not completely softened, cook for additional 10 second increments. The cream cheese should not become hot, just softened enough to blend well with the other ingredients. If I am preparing this cake in advance, I will hold off adding the whipped topping and coconut until just before it is served.
Gluten-Free Hawaiian Wedding Cake
Good news for those who are Gluten-Free! With a couple of adjustments, this Hawaiian Wedding Cake recipe can be made gluten-free. The only two suspect ingredients are the yellow cake mix and the vanilla pudding mix. Pillsbury and Betty Crocker both make a gluten-free yellow cake mix and they are available at pretty much every grocery store out there. If they aren’t in your local grocery store, you can also purchase them online. The vanilla pudding mix is a little trickier, but it can be found. As of this post, Kraft does not label it’s Jell-O instant pudding as gluten free. The product itself does not contain gluten as an ingredient, but Kraft does not guarantee that the product has not come in contact with gluten during manufacturing. If this is a concern, there are brands that carry gluten-free instant pudding mixes. Simply Delish and Better Bowls are two brands I have found that carry a gluten-free instant vanilla pudding mix. You can also make your own gluten-free instant pudding mixes. Click here for a great recipe from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring.
How to Make Hawaiian Wedding Cake
The video below gives an overview of how to make this tasty recipe. Be sure to check it out!
Hawaiian Wedding Cake
- 1 yellow cake mix
- 15 oz crushed pineapple not drained
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups milk 2% or whole
- 12 oz whipped topping
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
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Bake cake mix according to package directions in a 9x13 pan. Cool completely.
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While cake is baking, mix cream cheese, pudding and milk together in a mixer or with electric beaters until blended well and thickened. Place pudding mixture in refrigerator. It will continue to thicken until cake is cooled.
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When cake is cooled, poke holes evenly in the top of the cake with the round handle end of a wooden spoon. Spread crushed pineapple evenly over the cake.
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Add the pudding mixture.
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Spread whipped topping over the pudding mixture and sprinkle entire cake with coconut flakes.
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Serve immediately or keep covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
Looking for more tasty summer desserts like this Hawaiian Wedding Cake? Try these!
- Slow Cooker Peach Crisp: Want a warm dessert without having to heat up the house? This is the perfect solution. This peach crisp is SUPER easy to make and you don’t have to turn on a hot oven. Just throw it all in the crock pot and forget about it. Tastes best a la mode!
- Raspberry Almond Fudge Ice Cream Cake: What do you get when you combine fruit, chocolate, ice cream, and a touch of almond? Pretty much the most amazing Summer dessert ever. Everything that makes a delicious, refreshing Summer dessert all in one easy recipe.
- Pink Lemonade Ice Cream Pie: We had this ice cream pie all the time growing up. It is so easy to make and as kids, we LOVED it. We all loved pink lemonade when we were kids (still do) and this was just like Pink Lemonade but in ice cream form and served like pie. WIN. WIN. The sweet and tangy flavors taste just like Summertime – if Summertime had a taste.
- Orange Pineapple Cake: This is another favorite fruity cake but instead of the highlight being berries, this has a more citrus, island-y twist. This is a great one for any island-themed summer parties. So so easy to make and deliciously refreshing.
- Raspberry Lemon Cake: This cake is a little bit berry, a little bit citrus. Reminds me of a raspberry lemonade in cake form! Whenever we make this cake for potlucks it ALWAYS gets polished.
Angela says
This cake sounds very tasty, and easy to prepare when you’re busy. My only concern is that it might get a bit ‘soggy’ if you don’t eat it on the same day (because of the un-drained pineapple.) Nevertheless, I’ll give it a try and hope for the best. Yum….
beejsteph says
It Would Be No More Soggy Than Any Other Cake Where You Are Adding At Least 1 Cup Of Water To The Mix…This Can Of Pineapple With The Juice In In Place Of That Water!!!!
Angela says
Clearly , you didn’t understand this recipe! The pineapple & the ‘juice’ is poured ‘on top’ of the ALREADY BAKED cake….NOT into the batter before you bake the cake!
George J. Adams says
angela,
It Was Delicious! You Need To Make A Recipe Before You Critique It!
Jo says
The pineapple juice soaking into the cake is what makes it so delicious!!
Kennedy says
I was wondering if this freezes well and if it can be made into petit fours as I am planning a shower and looking for little bits. Or as in your comment about not adding the whipped cream and coconut until one is ready to serve the petit fours. I read Angela’s concern and wonder if the crushed pineapple can be baked in the cake or will it loose it’s uniqueness.
Danette He says
It’s not served at them. Coconut cake is often served at luaus, though, the regular white kind with the coconut frosting. A wedding reception in Hawaii would be considered a luau, so maybe I’ll save the recipe and serve it at my daughters’ wedding receptions. It looks delicious.
Josie says
No, this is not served in Hawaii for weddings. Seems anything that has pineapple in it is automatically called “Hawaiian.” This Tropical Dream cake sounds good, tho.
Shelley says
I have made a similar cake for a Christmas gift when low on funds.
We poked fork here and there in cake after it cooled. Then poured the juice over the cake and chilled it while we fixed up the toppings, etc. It was amazing!
What happens is when you chill the cake, it absorbs the juice and becomes icy, like little shivers of flavor and texture. It is very refreshing.
Our pastor couldn’t stay out of it at church in the summer. He kept commenting on how refreshing it was. We gave them the recipe and he was so happy at how easy and inexpensive it is. Try it! Please, especially in the summer heat season. It is not soggy. Keep it refrigerated until you eat it. And, it is good the next day with freshened whipped cream on top.
Echo says
Thank you for the tips! I’ll try that next time.
Beth - Slice of Southern says
This looks so moist and delicious! So glad i stumbled upon your site. Love the flavor combo. Pinning to make next week!
Jenna says
Mmmmm….this looks delicious. Shared it on Facebook this morning. Can’t wait to try it!
Sunny says
I’ve been making this cake for about 30 years and everyone who likes coconut loves it.. It was the 1st cake I ever learned how to make. I’ve made this from scratch and box which is the same as above. I do make the pudding filling a little different though. I only use about 11/2 cups of milk. I also drain the pineapple. Over the years I’ve gotten many requests to add nuts, cherries and using different fruit. Whatever way you make it, it’s delish. Thanks for posting. You don’t see this recipe often.
Echo says
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe for this cake. I’m going to try it your way next time!
Liz says
Sounds so refreshing and I love coconut. Thank you.
Aissia says
What exactly makes this a “Hawaiian wedding cake?” And, no, I’ve never seen something like this served at a Hawaiian wedding.
Erica says
It is just a name, not meant to be taken literally. I lived in Hawaii and I never had this at a wedding either. It is just what it has traditionally been called in old cookbooks so we went with it 🙂
Pat Markley says
To Aissia. So??
Trudie says
I’d love to make this however I live in the uk so need to know what ‘pudding mix’ is and also ‘whipped topping’? ????
Erica says
Pudding mix is just the dried, powdered pudding that you add milk to in order to make pudding. Whipped topping is the equivalent of “Cool Whip” but you can also use whipped cream 🙂 Hope this helps!
Elaine says
Can you use almond milk instead of cow milk?
Erica says
We haven’t done it that way before and don’t know how almond milk would affect the baking chemistry. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Annie Hunter says
Hawiian Wedding Cake
Darlene says
Maybe a different flavor of pudding could be used. Isn’t there a coconut pudding?
Sally Anna says
what is the carb count for diabetics?
Erica says
I’m afraid we don’t have that information- you will have to put it into a nutritional calculator to find it. Hope this helps!
Dar says
I made this cake for years until I was put on the gluten free and dairy free diet (I can cheat a little with dairy!). I made this totally gluten free (GF). I received a lot of complements. I used Wegman’s (grocery store) GF cake mix, almond milk, Earth Balance butter (cake mix ingredient), and Tru Whip Whipped Cream. You can use Betty Crocker GF cake mix. The cake does not get soggy. Make sure you keep it cold. I will be making it GF again for a function this weekend.
Thank you for the recipe.
Erica says
Thanks for all the GF ideas! I know our GF readers will love it!
Nana Vee says
One of the best Coconut Cakes ever is refrigerated..
one in particular suggests three days before serving!! Scrumptuous!!
Erica says
Ooh we have one that you do something similar to! Give this one a try 🙂 https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/coconut-cream-cake-with-coconut-cream/
Sue Shafer says
This sounds so good. Have to get the ingredients to make it by tomorrow & make it. Can hardly wait to eat it. Yummy!!!! Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Maria Hutton says
Can we use white cake mix instead of yellow cake mix?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, it will give it a bit of a different flavor but it should still be good!
Diane says
Has anyone tried this with angelfood cake?
Would making it a layer cake work using the pinapple and coconut between the layers or would the layers just slide off each other?
Could coconut be added right into the cake batter?