OLD-FASHIONED SNOWBALL CAKE – The Southern Lady Cooks

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.

❤️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
• 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. 

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.

⭐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

STORING

Store this cake in a air tight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 4-5 days.

💗MORE OLD-FASHIONED RECIPES

SERVING SIZE

This cake makes approximately 8 slices.

Old-Fashioned Snowball Cake

Leigh Walkup

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.

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Chill 10 hours hrs

Total Time 10 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

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 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

• 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 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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