Summer bundt cakes are everywhere right now, and for good reason. Today I’m excited to share a Hawaiian Lava Flow Bundt Cake—an island-inspired marble bundt that tastes like a tropical sunset. This cake combines pineapple, coconut, and strawberry flavors in a swirled marble, finished with a simple coconut milk glaze and shredded coconut. It’s bright, summery, and perfect for warm-weather gatherings.
What is a Hawaiian Lava Flow?
A Hawaiian Lava Flow is a slushy, tropical drink that blends pineapple, coconut, banana, and strawberry flavors—think of it as a mix between a piña colada and a strawberry daiquiri. This cake is inspired by that layered, fruity flavor profile. While the classic drink sometimes includes banana, I left banana out of the cake for a cleaner pineapple-coconut-strawberry profile. If you prefer, you can add banana flavor with a touch of banana extract or substitute a bit of the sour cream with mashed banana.
How this cake comes together
I built this cake to deliver pineapple, coconut, and strawberry in every bite. The base is a pineapple cake enhanced with coconut emulsion. The batter is split, and one half is flavored and colored with strawberry (using freeze-dried strawberry powder and strawberry emulsion). The two batters are layered and gently swirled in a bundt pan to create a pretty tri-flavor marble. The coconut glaze ties everything together and soaks slightly into the cake for extra moisture and flavor.
You do not need a stand mixer—just one large bowl for the main batter and a smaller bowl when you split it for the strawberry portion. The method is straightforward: whisk wet ingredients together, add the cake mix and flour, divide, flavor one half with strawberry, layer into the pan, and swirl.
Key ingredients you’ll need:
- Buttermilk
- Sour cream
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla
- Coconut emulsion
- Strawberry emulsion
- Freeze-dried strawberries, pulsed to a fine powder
- All-purpose flour
- Boxed pineapple cake mix
The recipe below includes exact amounts and step-by-step instructions. Split the batter evenly for the strawberry portion, and if you want a deeper pink-red hue, add a tiny drop of gel food coloring to the strawberry batter.
Where to find freeze-dried strawberries and emulsions
Freeze-dried strawberries are commonly found in the salad toppings, dried fruit, or snack sections of grocery stores, and many specialty stores like Trader Joe’s carry them as well. They’re lightweight—one package often weighs just 1 ounce—so pulse them into a fine powder before adding to batter.
Strawberry and coconut emulsions (such as LorAnn’s) are sold at craft stores and online. If you can’t find emulsions, you can use extracts—just use less since extracts are more concentrated than emulsions.
Coconut glaze: simple and effective
The coconut glaze is made with just three ingredients: powdered sugar, coconut milk, and coconut emulsion. Start with the amounts in the recipe and adjust for consistency. You want a thick, pourable glaze—think the thickness of white glue. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar; if too thick, add a little more coconut milk. Whisk by hand in a small bowl and pour over the cooled bundt, then sprinkle shredded coconut on top.
- Coconut milk
- Coconut emulsion
- Powdered sugar
Batter video
This bundt cake is delightfully summery—the coconut glaze soaks into the pineapple, strawberry, and coconut-swirl cake for a moist, flavorful slice. If you try it, tag me @bakingwithblondie or use #bakingwithblondie so I can see your creations.
Happy Baking!
xo, Mandy
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Hawaiian Lava Flow Bundt Cake with Coconut Glaze
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Ingredients
Hawaiian Lava Flow Bundt
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sour cream , room temperature
- 3 whole eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon coconut emulsion
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 15.25oz Box Pineapple Cake Mix, I used Duncan Hines for the best texture and flavor, but anything similar should be fine
- 1 oz (one whole package) freeze dried strawberries (yes, it’s the 1oz package – it’s light!) , pulsed to a fine powder
- 1 teaspoon strawberry emulsion
Coconut Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut emulsion
Garnish
- 1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
Equipment
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bundt pan
Instructions
Hawaiian Lava Flow Bundt Cake
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Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Prepare a bundt pan by coating with shortening and dusting lightly with flour. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, coconut emulsion, and flour. Sift in the pineapple cake mix and whisk until smooth. Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. In one bowl, stir in the freeze-dried strawberry powder and strawberry emulsion; add a drop of gel coloring if you want a stronger red color.
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Alternate spoonfuls of the pineapple-coconut batter and the strawberry-coconut batter into the prepared bundt pan. Use a knife to gently swirl the batters for a marbled effect.
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Bake for 27–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 seconds, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Coconut Glaze
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In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, coconut milk, and coconut emulsion until smooth. The glaze should be thick and pourable—like white glue. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar; if too thick, add a little more coconut milk.
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Pour the glaze over the cooled bundt cake and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Allow the glaze to set before slicing.