This amazing haleakala cake recipe features a tender white cake with pineapple filling and then a big cloud of fluffy frosting. Add a little toasted coconut to really accentuate the taste of the islands. This showstopper dessert will win you over with the first bite.
Haleakala cake is so good. Two layers of soft white cake, lots of pineapple filling and a white fluffy cloud of frosting.
A little toasted coconut on top helps transport you to the tropics. It is a winner of a cake that will be requested time and again.
This Hawaiian cake recipe is another winner from Maida’s Cake Book. We have yet to find a recipe in that book that we don’t love.
This Haleakala cake is perfect for a party. There is just something about layer cakes that scream “let’s celebrate!”
Fluffy Meringue Frosting
This cake was fun to make. After going the first *ahem* thirty-something years of my life never making meringue frosting, it seems to be a theme this year.
It took more than a gallon of the good stuff to cover the star-spangled banana cake and I made some 7-minute frosting to cover a chocolate cake I made. Now this version.
To tell you the truth, this is by far my favorite version yet! It stayed so fluffy and amazing!
It may just be a difference in humidity too, but this one seemed like it stayed softer for longer. (Of course it was only around for 24 hours from the time it was frosted to the time it was completely gone, so that may have had something to do with it!)
Tons of Pineapple Filling
If you love pineapple, you are going to love how much there is in this recipe. There is 2½ pounds of pineapple in one cake!
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I was unsure about having filling be the top layer under the frosting, but it really wasn’t that hard to pull off. In the end, I did have a few tiny specks of pineapple pull through the frosting, but it was only after I really messed with the frosting trying to decide what final look to go for.
Had I just frosted it and left it alone, there wouldn’t have been any. As it was, I don’t think anyone minded at all.
The recipe just called for putting ½ cup of coconut on top. I thought it would be a fun contrast in color to toast it. Plus I love the flavor toasting adds.
So I just quickly toasted the coconut in a skillet on the stove before I made the frosting. By the time the cake was ready for it’s topping, it had cooled and was ready to use.
Easy White Cake
The cake itself is an interesting one too. It’s a white cake that came out so moist and tender. The recipe is a bit odd in that in uses butter, milk and egg whites.
The whites aren’t whipped before you add them. You just toss them in as they are and crank up the mixer for a couple of minutes.
I was really pleased with the crumb of the cake and have used the recipe as the base for other desserts like my cookies and cream cake.
If you have a special occasion that needs a special cake. I really hope you will give this cake a try!
If you need more cakey goodness, check out my full collection of cake recipes for more inspiration.
Haleakala Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Pineapple Filling
- 40 oz canned crushed pineapple
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons + 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- optional a couple of drops of yellow food coloring
White Cake Layers
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 4 egg whites
Frosting
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅔ cup water
- 5 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup shredded coconut toasted
Instructions
Pineapple Filling
- Pour pineapple into a large strainer over a bowl. Press down on the pineapple to release all of the juice. Set pineapple aside.40 oz canned crushed pineapple
- In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add a little bit of the pineapple juice and stir to ensure there are no lumps. Add remainder of pineapple juice and the lemon juice. Stir thoroughly.2 Tablespoons + 1½ teaspoons cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and continue stirring while the mixture simmers for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, stir in reserved pineapple, vanilla and food coloring. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional a couple of drops of yellow food coloring
White Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two round 9 inch pans. (You can grease and flour them or I use the baking spray with flour in it)
- Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk to ensure no clumps. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 3½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- In your mixer bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until completely incorporated. Be sure the scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.½ cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- Add half of the dry ingredients, mix on low until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add half of the milk, again mixing on low until incorporated. Repeat, adding the remainder of the dry ingredients and then the milk. Scrape the sides well.1 cup milk
- Add the egg whites (you add them unbeaten) and beat batter on high for 2 minutes. It is ok if the final batter isn’t completely smooth.4 egg whites
- Pour half of the batter into each of the two prepared pans. Tilt them a bit to level out the batter, and then drop them from a few inches above the counter to finish leveling them.
- Bake 30-35 minutes. The sides should have pulled away from the edges and the top should be golden brown and barely spring back when pressed with a finger tip.
- Run a knife around the edges of the cakes when you remove them from the oven, then let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Invert onto a cooling rack and then cool right side up until completely cooled.
Frosting and Assembly
- This icing is not one that should be made ahead. Have the cake and filling ready to go before you make the icing and it is best served the same day (though the leftovers are delicious too!)
- Go ahead and place the first layer of cake on your serving tray. Top with half of the pineapple mixture, spreading to almost the edge of the cake. Place second layer of cake on top and finish with the rest of the pineapple. Smooth the pineapple as best you can so you will be ready when the frosting is done.
- In a large (at least 6 cups) saucepan, mix together sugar, cream of tartar and water with a wooden spoon. Set spoon aside so you aren’t tempted to stir for a while!1½ cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, ⅔ cup water
- Cook mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Cover pot so that it is airtight (use the lid of the pot or foil) and let boil for 3 minutes without opening it. (Maida says this keeps the steam in the pot and dissolves any sugar granules that stick to the sides.)
- Uncover the pot and place your candy thermometer. Raise the heat to high and let boil without stirring until the thermometer reaches 242°F.
- As the sugar is coming up to temperature, place your egg whites and salt into your clean mixer bowl. When the sugar reaches about 236°F, begin beating the egg whites until they are stiff. You want the egg whites to be freshly beaten and the sugar syrup to be ready at about the same time. Though you can always turn down the heat a bit on the syrup or turn the mixer on low for a minute or two until the other part of the icing is ready.5 egg whites, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Once syrup reaches 242°F and egg whites are ready, turn mixer to high and very gradually drizzle hot syrup into the egg whites. Hold the pan about a foot over the mixer bowl and pour in a steady stream until it is all incorporated. Beat on high for 5 more minutes. The mix should be thick and marshmallowy. Mix in vanilla until completely incorporated.1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- The frosting is spread most easily while it is still warm, so working quickly spread a thin layer of icing around the sides of the cake. Keep adding to build it up to just over 1/2 inch thick. Then place remaining icing on top of the cake and spread until smooth. You can use the back of a spoon to form swirls and peaks if you’d like. I liked the look with more smooth sides.
- If you’d like, sprinkle toasted coconut on top. Let cake stand uncovered at room temperature.½ cup shredded coconut
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Carlee, my mom made this cake with a lemon cake. She loved the cooked frostings. I preferred the buttercream. This looks yummy.
Wishes for tasty dishes, Linda
Ooh, it would be great with lemon cake too! I am usually a buttercream girl myself, but I love to play with different techniques and textures too!
What a great cake to celebrate your grandpa's birthday. It does sound unique but delicious. That is definitely a LOT of pineapple!
Thank you! It was definitely a fun one to make and a blast to see everyone staring at it while I was serving it. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets requested again!
Hi Carlee, What a wonderful cake to bake for your grandfather's birthday! I'm sure everyone loved it. I'm amazed that it takes 2 20-oz. cans of pineapple! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Blessings, Janet
Isn't it crazy how much pineapple it takes?! It turns out so good with all of that fruit filling, but them I am a sucker for pineapple so it was a shoe-in for me! Thanks!
I am so happy to see how this turned out. I was curious to make it myself but wasn't able to invest that much time this month. It looks delightful and I love how light and fluffy the frosting looks!
Thank you! It was so much fun to make!
I want more cake, I want more cake! Give me this cake every day! I love pineapple and this frosting looks absolutely amazing! Happy belated birthday to your precious grandpa.
Ha! Me too! MOOOOOORE CAKE! I love pineapple too. My first instinct would be to say I love chocolate desserts best, but something like this definitely gives chocolate a run for its money! Thanks, Andrea!
Carlee, the cake is beautiful! I bet your grandpa was happy. I love that the top layer is pineapple covered with the frosting. Yum!!!
Thank you! I was nervous about frosting over that pineapple, but it really worked well. This is one I would definitely make again!
Now that's a whopper of a cake, I'm so glad you had a perfect occasion to bake it for. I hope your grandpa and your family and friends enjoyed it. It looks wonderful Carlee.
It was soooo good and so much fun to serve! Thanks, Laura!
I love seeing the posts from you and your fellow cake slice bakers. It's fun to see how some of the bloggers can use the same recipe and yet they turned out so different. Everyone is so creative.
The family loved your cake. It's funny how when we get together we often try to decipher what might be in a recipe. Everyone is getting such refined taste buds around here. Suddenly everybody is acting like they are judges on a show for the food network
Maybe we should be!!
What a wonderful cake. I definitely want to make this one!
I hope you do, it is delicious!
Wishing your grandpa a Very Happy Belated 85th Birthday! Your cake looks fabulous!
Thank you!