Hawaiian Happy Cakes

Admittedly last minute xmas online purchase, went askew on website, a glitch continually added an excess shipping cost relative to advertised «shipping included with Christmas Eve mainland arrival guaranteed», so a little frustrated, as a last resort, and running out of time, I tried calling the customer service number listed at bottom of website. But realistically, two days before xmas eve, figuring the phone line would be jammed up and I’d be sent to an automated system, my expectations were virtually non-​existent.
BUT: not only was call answered immediately, but was answered by owner himself, Owen, who quickly manually entered the order, shipping price corrected to advertised rate. And what’s even more astounding, I received the FED EX notification that the order arrived on the mainland at my folks’ house a day EARLY.
Owen, you rock. Customer service outstanding for these classic iconic products, personal efficient, professional and friendly.

I’ve had this spot bookmarked for awhile since I had read so many great reviews! After several trips to Honolulu, I finally had time to stop by their office in Waikiki. Owen was nice enough to meet up with us downstairs at the apartment complex of his office. He told us about how great the cakes were and they had a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. We bought a pineapple macadamia nut cake from him on our last day in Honolulu. I really wished they had samples for us to try. For $ 20, I was expecting something a lot better. When we got home and finally tried the cake, I was super disappointed after the first bite. The cake is SUPER sweet and really dense! I thought there was too much going on with the pineapple and hard macadamia chunks, and just not enough cake. They recommended toasting a slice of cake in the toaster oven and adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We did that too and thought it was still too sweet!
I really wanted to like their cakes, but I don’t think it’s worth spending $ 20 on the fruit cake in my opinion. :(Not sure what their refund policy is or when we’ll even be back in Honolulu.

Unfortunately I went to this place right before Owen the owner shut down (this place closed a week later). I went in because I had time to kill and was craving something sweet. I walked in got some dessert and had a great conversation with Owen. I love it when owners get personal like that. It makes me feel more at home. If this place was still open I would have gone back again (several times).

I wondered into the area, and came upon Happy cakes, I had seen the reviews made by other Unilocalers, so my friend and I decided to give it a try.
They have these huge cupcakes for like $ 3.50 ea, which was a bit too big and too much for us, so we got the regular sized ones for like $ 2.00 ea. We got a strawberry shortcake and a red velvet. The strawberry shortcake cupcake was awesome, just perfect with touches of actual strawberries in the frosting. The red velvet was delicious in its own way since I’m a red velvet lover. The cupcakes were moist and soft and just perfect!
The only thing I didn’t like was the limited flavors they had. When we went they only had 4 flavors, I kind of wish they had a bit more. The lady at the counter also offered us a sample of their chocolate mac nut brownie, which was awesome in its own way.
I will return again, probably to get more strawberry shortcake, and their brownies.

Happy cakes is a popular fruit cake which originated in Wahiawa. The original owners sold their cake business to Owen and he relocated the shop to Likelike Plaza the same place with Likelike Drive in. The shop is small. A few tables and chair. But they do have free wii-​fii. They make their cakes and cupcakes here so he only makes small batches. Get them while you can because once they are out, its out.
Owen is a great guy. Friendly guy, it was nice talking with him, he is very down to earth. He has the original Hawaiian Happy Cakes and they come in two flavors: Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cake and Chocolate Macadamia Nut Fudge. They sell the cakes by slices for $ 3 and slices in a bento for $ 12 and half pound and pound cakes for 19.95. I tried the cakes and they are ok. I am not too crazy about them. They are a bit flacky/​crumbling. My mom said it is better to throw them in the microwave.
Besides the cakes they make awesome bomb cupcakes. I come here for these babies. These cupcakes are home made by Tiffany. They have red velvet, double chocolate thunder, lemon drop, and orange creamsicle. I hear they have other flavors too, depending what Tiffany decided to make. These cupcakes are so good. I come here for these babies. The first time I tried them, I could not stop thinking of them. I wanted to get more and more and more. I kept telling everyone lets go lets go. My favorite is the double chocolate thunder. So chocolatety. I love chocolate. The other ones are good too. The frosting on them is thick!!! The cupcake itself is moist. Very yummy!!!
They also sell other pastries, coffee and tea. The coffees here are good. I tried the Aloha coffee which had mocha vanilla and macadamia. It was really good. Tasted good and the coffee was perfectly strong. I love strong bold coffee taste. It tastes better with the cupcakes. Good combo and balance.
This place is definitely a place to check out. It may be small, but dont underestimate this place. Sit down, have a coffee and just hang out enjoy the cakes!!!

Now I know I’ve said that fairy cakes is probably one of the best bakeries in town, but Happy Cake Café is just mind blowing. Totally on the whim, friend got gelato, I wasn’t in the mood, so I just looked up a cupcake store. Right across from Yogustory, off of Keeaumoku, is where this decent sized, yet very quaint café is located. It’s going to be on your right hand side, so keep your eyes open.
I came around a little after two, empty, I was the only customer. At this time, they didn’t have much variety, red velvet and lemon cupcakes. As I was talking to the owner, he told me that they’re known for their pineapple happy cakes (hence the name), so next time I’m gonna have to give that a try. Now the cupcakes (I got red velvet), they are AMAZING. Not to mention huge, and only for $ 3.50, I can totally live with that. What’s even better too is that it isn’t big because of the frosting pilled on, but it’s actually a big cupcake.
The cupcake was so moist, it literally melted in your mouth. And there was hardly any frosting, I would of wanted just a little more, but even that was pure goodness. Can I please have another one, and this time I won’t share!

I love their Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting!
I could eat the frosting on its own all day long! It’s not too sweet and has great texture.
The cupcake itself is sooo delicious and moist! Each bite, with a perfect ratio of cupcake and frosting, is like a sunny day at the beach. You just don’t want the experience to end!
One cupcake is $ 3.50, so it’s a little on the expensive side, but I think it’s reasonable given the size of the cupcakes. They’re quite big. And thankfully so!
If you’re in the mood for cupcakes, stop by!

Like previous Unilocalers have stated the red velvet cupcakes are really good. Moist cake and a very light frosting which isn’t too sweet. I didn’t eat mine right away and the frosting melted so make sure you eat it right away or put it in the fridge after you buy it. They had 4 other flavors too. Lemon drop, orange creamsicle, double chocolate, and strawberry shortcake. The cupcakes are $ 3.50

This is the best place ever for deserts!!! I love it love it love it!!! I went there with a friend. I love the red velvet cupcakes, they have reasonable prices, excellent service (owner operated), and the place was clean with a quiet atmosphere. Great place for taking a friend to chit chat. I will definitely be visiting there again.

Banana cream cheese cupcake with peanut butter honey frosting. It was smack-​your-​mama good. One of the best cupcakes I have ever had. The staff is wonderfully kind and friendly. Also one of the best iced coffees I have ever had. What would I do to put this café and these ladies on a boat and ship them right to Orange County so I could go alllll the time. *snif*

I’ve always seen this place whenever I go for a late night Like Like food run, but it’s always closed late at night. So out of curiosity, I swung by the place after work to check it out.
The owner was really nice and talked about the happy cake and the red velvet cupcakes. Got 4 cupcakes to take home and they were an absolute hit.
The frosting is what did it for me. It wasn’t overly sweet like most frosting, and the cupcake was really moist and delicious.
I think the next time I go there I’ll try out the happy cake and the cheesecakes. Those looked really good.

the smell of freshly baked velvet cupcakes and cookies drew me to this place like a moth to a flame. although they’re claim to fame is the pineapple cake (which is by far one of the best i’ve ever had, but a little pricey), i think their iced coffee and velvet cupcakes are the real winners!

HALLELU! I AM CONVERTED!!! I never knew fruit cakes could be this good. The best fruit cake I’ve ever had! Spread the word! This cake makes me HAPPY!!! GO HAPPY CAKE!!!

We recently stayed at the Pagoda Hotel down the road and stumbled upon this little café one morning looking for coffee. This place is great — the iced coffee is the best and the Kona coffee was wonderful as well.
But like most of the other reviews, the owner Owen, is the greatest! Every morning he would offer tips and info about where to go and what to do around town. He was soo friendly and wonderful!
And the red velvet cupcakes are DELICIOUS! The frosting has a hint of lemon, which was the perfect combo so it wasn’t too sweet. And they were right out of the oven– nice and warm!
We will always come and visit Owen when we’re back in Honolulu!

Thank you Unilocalers!
I would never have gone into this café had I not seen the reviews here, nor would I even have noticed it! We went to lunch at Like Like… and to the left of it is Happy Cakes.
The owner knows what customer service and PR is all about. I wish every establishment was like that. He told us the history and gave us a sample of the Happy Cake.
We bought a slice of the Happy Cake, and a brownie bar and, of course, the red velvet cupcake. I think the red velvet is one of the best I’ve had so far. It was dense and moist (not crumbly). I wish the frosting on it was more cream-​cheesey, but that’s my personal preference.
The Happy Cake is really heavy (weight wise), but travels well if you’re going to give it as a gift.
I will definitely be back and next time I’ll try their coffee and red velvet cheesecake!

The staff was very friendly as they recommended to me tonight the iced coffee. It was exceptionally delicious and hit the spot. I would suggest the red velvet cupcakes. They took a little long, but for us, they came right out of the oven. Declicious!!! The frosting wasn’t too sweet and it tasted perfectly well with my iced coffee. Girlfriend liked the cupcake part best, but I especially love the iced coffee/​cupcake combo! The cake itself was really moist and went well with the coffee. I will go back whenever for a cup of joe whenever I am in the area! Try this place out! I guarantee you will like it.

This review is based on one visit (September 2010).
My parents and I found this place while we were waiting for a nearby restaurant to open for lunch. The coffee here is delicious, and being the only patrons, the owner started speaking to us about the café, the happy cakes, and his vision for the company. The owner is charismatic and friendly and offers samples of everything.
As for the happy cake itself: it’s delicious. The pineapple in it makes it sweet, but not too sweet. The macademia nuts give the cake an interesting, slightly crunchy texture. I bought a cake for my co-​workers as a souvenir, and they loved it. Try it toasted– it’s heavenly that way.
This place also sells coffees to bring back as souvenirs; the owner suggested that in addition to the 100% Kona coffe, that I try some coffee grown on the North Shore. I’m glad I took his advice, because it has a strong nutty taste and smells amazing (it’s not as mild and smooth as Kona).
If you’re looking for good coffee and unique cake, come here. The place is not «cozy» or «cute» though– just a few chairs and tables. But the owner is warm and personable and will take care of you.

It’s okay. I like that it’s hidden and that it didn’t suck, but that’s about it.
The happy cake sample bite we tried was super awesome. It had the perfect ratio of cake, pineapple, nuts, and stuff. The 0.75×4″ brick however, was overloaded with pineapple and not enough cake. Maybe it was the slice, but it was an overly sweet cake that I will not forget. My sweet tooth is satisfied just thinking about it. These cakes are seriously happy. I also got the brownie (same size). It’s good. But too sweet. It has frosting too. It’s not the place for me, but if you want to go, I’ll go with you. I’ll get the coffee and brownie! :)

Ditto to what Kara said. I came in some time ago and Owen is way cool. He talked with me about his new business and the origin of Happy Cakes. He even offered to give me a free coffee in the future since I came in and they didn’t have any yet.
I returned later and saw that he had established the café and dining area, and even offers free WiFi! The café is small and comfortably bright, with souvenir-​perfect cakes on display along the back wall.
I got my free coffee in the form of an iced hazelnut latte. Their cold coffee is made by toddy (cold press), which he says is the best way, and I can’t disagree after tasting it! I bought a $ 2 pecan coffee cake muffin that melted in my mouth.
Owen’s a really nice guy and he deserves your business, but he’s in a somewhat hidden location (and competing with a certain ubiquitous chain (hint: Starbucks), so stop by, spread the word, and eat Happy Cake!

It’s been a week since I stepped into Happy Cake Café on a rainy afternoon. I was on my way home, I had taken the bus that day instead of driving. It started pouring just as I stepped out of Wholesale Limited (my last planned stop that day), and that’s when I saw the Happy Cake Café.
Since I’m a crazy tweaker on Unilocal,I checked it out on my Unilocal iphone app. No reviews, no pictures. Perfect opportunity for me to review it, plus I could smell the coffee from outside the store. Besides, I don’t know where else I could have gone to wait in that small shopping center since there’s only Likelike Drive-​inn, Wholesale Unlimited, Clearwire, Morning Glory, and Happy Cake.
I walked in expecting to see tables and a coffee menu. I was totally wrong. The name said it all, it’s a place that serves happy cakes. One table, lots of cakes on display. The owner, Owen, was behind the counter, said hello, and asked me if I had ever heard of Happy Cakes. I hadn’t ever heard of it, so Owen went on to explain that Happy Cakes are cakes with pineapple, macadamia nut, and coconut. He mentioned that this was the same cake recipe from Kemoo Farms in Wahiawa.
I have to be honest. Once I heard what Happy Cakes were made of, I was rather sad. I don’t particularly like eating pineapple or coconut, so the ingredients were kind of a turn-​off for me. However, I figured that I would still buy a coffee and wait out the rain. But next came the offer for a free sample. I said okay because I figured I might as well try it (and free is free). This was probably the first time in 5 years that I ate pineapple.
The Happy Cake caught me off-​guard. I was expecting a pineapple explosion, but the mixture of the pineapple, coconut, and mac nut was actually really good! I still could taste the larger pineapple pieces, but it tasted kind of like candied pineapple. Surprise, surprise! I actually went on to buy a piece of Happy Cake. I came in for coffee and a place to escape the rain, and I discovered a really tasty cake that is made of my least favorite fruits. (They also have a chocolate mac nut brownie as well for those totally adverse to Happy Cake by now.)
After having a lengthy conversation with Owen, I found out more about the Kemoo Farms cake, their recent launch of coffee at their café, and that they opened in late 2009 at their current location. I also learned about the time and care that it takes to make these little cakes. The cakes are rather pricey, but after learning about their ingredients and baking process, I completely understand their pricing. Plus, it really is a different kind of dessert. If you’re tired of the cupcakes, shave ice, donuts, ice cream, and smoothies, this is something different that you may want to try (even if you’re like me and hate coconut or pineapple). For those that truly abhor coconut and pineapple, try the chocolate mac nut brownie.
It’s a really small shop that you could miss, it’s located right next to Likelike Drive-​inn. The owner was super friendly and super excited to get more people to visit his shop so he could share his Kemoo Farms Happy Cake with everyone. I am definitely planning on going back, it was fate for me to discover this hidden treasure on that lazy rainy day.