This Old Fashioned Snowball Cake is a no-bake dessert prepared with a premade angel food cake, pineapple and coconut. It’s absolutely delicious and beautiful on a dessert table.
This cake is often served during the holidays. You may also enjoy our sour cream coconut cake, mandarin orange cake and do nothing cake.
Table of contents
- ❤️ WHY WE LOVE THIS CAKE
- 🍴KEY INGREDIENTS
- KEY EQUIPMENT
- 🎂 HOW TO MAKE
- PREPERATIONS
- ⭐ PRO TIP
- ❓ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- STORING
- 💗 MORE OLD-FASHIONED RECIPES
- SERVING SIZE
❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS CAKE
This is an old fashioned vintage cake. This dessert can be found in old church cookbooks and is probably one of my all time favorites. It was once a very popular Christmas cake. You may remember your mother or grandmother serving it. It’s simple to put together since it starts with a store bought angel food cake and Cool Whip. The hardest part is just waiting for the cake to form into a ball. This cake is so flavorful and beautiful on a dessert table. You’re gonna love it!
🍴KEY INGREDIENTS
- Angel food cake
- Cool Whip
- Crushed pineapple in syrup
- 2 packets of gelatin (2.5 ounces each)-this makes the cake form a snowball
- Cold Water
- Lemon juice
- White sugar
- Boiling water
- Flaked sweetened coconut
- Maraschino cherries
KEY EQUIPMENT
✔️I use a 4 quart mixing bowl for this cake. Just make sure you use a bowl large enough to fit the cake in and make the mold of a snowball.
✔️You’ll also need parchment paper.
🎂HOW TO MAKE
This may seem like alot of steps, but I promise, this cake is very simple and SO WORTH IT!
PREPERATIONS
Step 1: Line your bowl with parchment paper.
Step 2: Cut the angel food cake into 1 inch cubes (bite size pieces).
Step 3: Drain the pineapple and keep 1 cup of the syrup. If it doesn’t have a cup of syrup, add water to make 1 cup.
Step 4: Dissolve both packets in the four tablespoons of water.
Step 5: Add the lemon juice, sugar, and boiling water to the gelatin. Mix well and put in the refrigerator until it starts to thicken up. About 20-30 minutes.
Step 6: Once the mixture has thickened a bit, add in the pineapple and fold in the Cool Whip.
Step 7: Put a layer of cake into the mixing bowl with parchment paper. Then add a layer of the cool whip mixture. Repeat until all is used.
Step 8: Refrigerate overnight or for at least 10 hours.
After the 10 Hours
Step 9: When ready serve, invert the cake onto a platter, remove the parchment paper and frost it with Cool Whip. Sprinkle with coconut and place maraschino cherries on top.
Before Frosting
⭐PRO TIP
This dessert gets better with time. You can certainly make it several days in advance.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
You could easily add nuts to this cake or sprinkle them on top. You could also add green and red sprinkles.
❓FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will this cake work in different molds?
I would think this cake will be fine in different molds! You could make smaller snowballs or even put this in a loaf pan of just serve it in a 9X13.
Can I use homemade Whipped Cream?
The structure of homemade whipped cream is different than Cool Whip so it may not frost the cake exactly the same.
STORING
Store this cake in a air tight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 4-5 days.
💗MORE OLD-FASHIONED RECIPES
Old Fashioned Water Pie
Also known as Depression Pie, this one is so easy and so good!
Southern Jam Cake
This cake is a holiday tradition in our family! It’s fantastic!
Old Fashioned Tomato Soup Cake
This cake was on the back of a Campbell Soup can years ago!
SERVING SIZE
This cake makes approximately 8 slices.
Old-Fashioned Snowball Cake
This OLD-FASHIONED SNOWBALL CAKE is a dessert your grandmother may have made. It was once a very popular Christmas cake and once you have it, you'll know why! It's a vintage no bake dessert that is simple and absolutely delicious.
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Chill 10 hours hrs
Total Time 10 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Ingredients
1x2x3x
For the Cake:
- 10- inch angel food cake
- 4 cups of Cool Whip
- 20- ounce can of crushed pineapple in syrup
- 2 packets of gelatin 2.5 ounces each
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup of boiling water
For the Frosting:
- 2 cups of Cool Whip
- 8-10 ounces of flaked sweetened coconut
- Maraschino cherries
Instructions
I use a 4-quart mixing bowl, but just make sure you use a bowl that is large enough to fit everything in.
Line your bowl with parchment paper.
Cut the angel food cake into cubes.
Drain the pineapple and keep 1 cup of the syrup. If it doesn’t have a cup of syrup, add water to make 1 cup.
Dissolve both packets in the four tablespoons of cold water.
Add the lemon juice, sugar, and boiling water to the gelatin. Mix well and put in the refrigerator until it starts to thicken up. About 20-30 minutes.
Once the mixture has thickened a bit, add in the pineapple and fold in the Cool Whip.
Put a layer of cake into the mixing bowl with parchment paper. Then add a layer of the cool whip mixture. Repeat until all is used.
Refrigerate overnight or for at least 10 hours.
When ready to serve, invert the cake onto a platter and frost it with Cool Whip. Sprinkle with coconut and place maraschino cherries on top.
Keyword Snowball Cake, Old fashioned snowball cake, vintage dessert
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