One of my Grandpa’s favorite cakes was what my Grandma called the Royal Hawaiian Cake. She would make it every year for his birthday. She would always serve it with Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice Cream. ( It didn’t matter what cake Grandma made, Jamoca Almond Fudge was her favorite ice cream so that’s what she bought.)
After my Grandma passed away, my Mom started making the cake. She found out a lot of Grandma’s recipes came right out of her Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook. The 7-minute frosting and the pineapple filling were both marked in the book.
Several years ago, after both my Grandpa and Mom had passed, I decided to make his cake on the Fourth of July. His birthday is in December, so we really didn’t need any extra sweets around the house at that time of year. I decided July was a guilt free time to make it.
After looking it up on the internet, it looks like a Royal Hawaiian Cake is made several different ways. I think what they all have in common is the pineapple filling and the coconut flakes. (I saw some versions that have a pudding layer, cool whip frosting, and rum.)
My Grandma always made a big 9 x 13 cake. She would make one yellow layer and one white layer. Not sure if that was what she always did, or if it was a happy accident, but I like the way it looks so I keep up the tradition.
My Mom always doctored store bought cake mix. She would substitute half of the oil with applesauce and half of the water with honey. She also added sour cream to the mix.
I usually bake the cakes the day before I’m going to serve the cake, as well as making the filling the day before.
The day I’m going to serve it, I make the 7-minute frosting and then put it all together. (My 7-minute frosting usually takes about 9 minutes. I was at first a little intimidated at making a cooked frosting, but it tastes so good. It’s kind of like marshmallow fluff. It’s very shiny and easy to spread on the cake.)
The other good thing about this cake is even if the layers aren’t perfect and your frosting is kind of all over the place, the coconut flakes will hide all of your faults.
Since it is such a big cake, I usually give some to my neighbors. It has become a tradition that some of them have said they look forward to.
Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for reading,
Kellie
(I apologize that my photos are a little lacking, it was a hot day and I wanted to get the cake in the fridge.)
Royal Hawaiian Cake
1 Box Duncan Hines Classic White Cake
1/3 cup filled with ½ corn oil, ½ applesauce
2 TBS water
2 TBS honey
3 egg whites
¾ cup sour cream
1 tsp. powdered vanilla
1 Box Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding (small box)
¼ cup corn oil
¼ cup applesauce
2 TBS water
2 TBS honey
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease sides and bottom of 9 x 13 pan with Crisco and flour lightly. Cut sheet of wax paper and place in bottom.
Sift cake mix and pudding mix (yellow cake only) into bowl. Add remaining ingredients and blend until moistened. (Just barely).
Then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
Bake immediately for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserting in middle of cake.
Place pan on cooling rack to cook for 15 minutes before removing from pan. Peel off wax paper.
Pineapple Filling
Mix together in saucepan…
½ cup sugar
3 TBS cornstarch
½ tsp salt
¾ cup pineapple juice (6 oz. can.)
1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained.
1 TBS butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
Bring to a rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in additional 2 TBS. of softened butter. Chill before using.
Double Boiler Frosting (7 minutes)
Combine in top of double boiler…
2 Egg whites (1/3 cup)
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup water
Place over boiling water and beat with rotary beater until mixture holds its shape.
Fold in…
1 ½ to 2 tsp vanilla
Bake cakes and make filling the day before.
Spread filling on top of yellow cake layer. (If desired, reserve ½ cup filling for top of cake.) Then top with white layer. Frost cake and sprinkle tops and sides with Sweetened Coconut Flakes.