Hawaiian Wedding Cake (From Scratch)

No butter, no oil, no milk in the batter. The moisture in this cake comes entirely from a full can of crushed pineapple with its juice, which makes the crumb ridiculously moist and gives it a sweet, tropical tang that cream cheese frosting was born to sit on top of.

The batter mixes up in one bowl with no creaming step and no electric mixer needed. Flour, baking soda, sugar, eggs, pineapple with juice, and chopped nuts. Stir it together and into the pan. That simplicity is what makes this a from-scratch recipe that’s actually easier than using a box mix.

The cream cheese frosting is rich and tangy. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy before adding the powdered sugar and soft butter, or you’ll end up with lumps that won’t smooth out.

Chef Tips

• Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Warm cake melts the cream cheese frosting into a runny mess.
• Use a 9×13 pan and don’t overbake. Check at 35 minutes. The pineapple juice keeps baking even after you pull it from the oven, so slightly underdone in the center is fine.
• The juice from the canned pineapple is part of the recipe. Do not drain it.
• Refrigerate after frosting. The cream cheese frosting needs to stay cold.

Variations

• Toast the chopped nuts before folding them in for a deeper, roasted flavor.
• Add ½ cup of shredded coconut to the batter for a more tropical, pina colada vibe.
• Use pecans or macadamia nuts for a richer, more Hawaiian-inspired version.