Easy Hawaiian Pound Cake (with Canned Frosting in the Mix)

If you love bright tropical flavors and you’re a fan of pound cake, you’re going to love this recipe! This cake starts with a box of pineapple cake mix but it’s packed full of fruit, fruit, and more fruit! 

Can I replace cake ingredients with Fruit? 

This whole idea of skipping the oil and water in a cake mix isn’t new to me. I’ve replaced the liquids in cakes many times, like in my Black Forest Bundt Cake and my Easy Peach Cake with Caramel Glaze. 

I knew the juice in my crushed pineapple would probably be sufficient to replace the water that the box of cake mix calls for. 

But, how would I replace the oil? In the end, I decided to use a can of coconut-pecan frosting. I’ve done this before in my Easy Butter Pecan Pound Cake and my German Chocolate Pound Cake. I even baked with coconut-pecan frosting in my Easy Coconut Pecan Bars. 

Baking Substitutions Can be Fun!

This time, however? I decided to use it to replace the oil. I crossed my fingers and dumped in the whole canister of frosting, along with all of that luscious fruit. 

I wasn’t sure how (or if) this recipe would work. I kind of thought it might be a mushy, gooey mess—half liquid and half cake. 

Boy, was I surprised (and delighted) to see that gorgeous golden brown Hawaiian pound cake come out of the oven! 

More about all of that later. Let’s dive right in and make this cake! 

Hawaiian Pound Cake Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’re going to need to make this delicious cake. These are simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store. 

CAKE INGREDIENTS

• yellow cake mix (or pineapple cake mix, your choice)
• mandarin oranges, drained
• crushed pineapple with pineapple juice
• chopped maraschino cherries
• mashed banana
• room temperature butter
• temperature eggs
• vanilla extract 
• coconut pecan frosting
• sweetened coconut flakes

GLAZE INGREDIENTS

• cream cheese
• powdered sugar
• milk

Note: You can substitute other fruits, if you choose. For instance, you could use chopped mangoes in place or oranges. I almost did that, but I wanted to save my mangoes for another recipe, (a Mango-Pineapple Icebox Cake). 

How to Make this Delicious Hawaiian Pound Cake

This might look complicated when you see all of the ingredients, but I assure you, it is not! Here’s how you’re going to do it: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prepare a bundt pan with Baker’s Joy or other non-stick spray. 

Make sure your butter is room temperature (or even slightly melted). 

It’s best to start with room temperature eggs, as well. 

Measure out 1 cup of crushed pineapple (with juices) and pour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. 

Add 1/2 cup (drained) mandarin oranges. 

Chop up 15 maraschino cherries (or pitted fresh cherries). Add to dish. 

Slice up one banana. I usually use over ripe bananas but this time my bananas was relatively firm. Either one will do. 

Add coconut, three room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, and softened butter. 

It’s time to mix things up! I used the paddle attachment of my stand mixer on low speed. You don’t really want to completely break down the fruit, but you’ll definitely notice that the pieces are smaller after mixing. 

Now it’s time to add the can of coconut pecan frosting, mixing at medium speed. 

Lightly mix into the fruit. 

Add the cake mix and gently fold in until combined. 

You’ll end up with a thick, luscious batter. (I was tickled to see this was a thicker batter. I was worried it would be too wet!) 

Pour batter into prepared cake pan. 

Place in preheated 325 degree oven for 50 – 55 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch. A cake tester or toothpick should come out clean.

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. 

After about fifteen minutes you can turn out the cake directly onto the rack to continue to cool. 

Make Your Glaze

You can make the glaze while the cake is baking if you like.

Mix until creamy and light.

Pour it over the cake. (Clearly mine was still a little too thick, though I did give it the old college try.)

Chill. (This cake is better cold.) Slice and serve!

What to Expect from this Tropical Cake

This cake is absolutely rich and delicious, filled with fruity flavors. It has some of the same notes as my Hummingbird cake, which also contains bananas and pineapple.

But this cake has the addition of the cherries and coconut, as well as mandarin oranges. 

It’s a moist cake, a heavy cake, but heavy in a good way! 

This whole idea of adding a can of frosting to the batter is still relatively new to me, so I’m on a learning curve. But what I’m learning is this: coconut-pecan frosting is both good inside and outside of a cake, and not just German Chocolate Cake. 

Variations on this Recipe

Now that I know I can add fruit to a cake mix in place of water and oil, I plan to try it again and again. Here are some ways I might change up this recipe: 

Cream cheese glaze: Use half a cup of cream cheese, a cup of powdered sugar, and a tiny bit of cream to thin it all down. Mix well and pour over the cake.

Yellow cake in place of pineapple: I could use yellow or white cake. The addition of crushed pineapple would still give the cake a rich tropical flavor. 

Banana Muffin Mix: I’ve used banana muffin mix in my Simple Hummingbird Bars recipe and I think it would be absolutely delicious here. Substitute two packets of muffin mix for one box of cake mix then follow the directions as stated. 

Carrot Cake: I plan to make this one soon! You could add pineapple, grated carrots, or even raisins or pecans, along with a canister of coconut-pecan frosting. (Delicious!) 

Non-Tropical fruits: If you aren’t in the mood for a tropical cake, start with a yellow cake and add non-tropical fruits like peaches or apples, along with the canister of coconut pecan frosting. 

Other Fruity Offerings from Out of the Box Baking

If you like fruity cakes, cookies, and pies we’ve got you covered here at Out of the Box Baking! 

Easy Patriotic Fruit Pizza: This luscious fruit pizza has a buttery crunch on bottom, is rich and creamy in the middle, and is covered with fruit to give it an extra burst of flavor on top.

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Pie: If you love a light, fluffy summery pie, one that doesn’t require any baking at all, do I have a treat for you! In this post I’m going to show you how to make a luscious no bake strawberry cheese pie, one sure to wow your guests. 

Banana Blueberry Loaf with Streusel Topping: If you’ve looking for a terrific recipe to use up those over ripe bananas, I’ve got the perfect one for you! This banana loaf pairs blueberries and bananas and adds a simple streusel topping that’s sure to please!

Lemon Pound Cake Cookies: They’re light, they’re fluffy, and they’re packed full of lemony goodness. These little Lemon Pound Cake Cookies are delicious and incredibly easy to make! 

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

The Lazy Gastronome

Busy Monday

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.