The Royal Hawaiian’s sweet new bakery

It serves a number of cute confections as colorful as the famous Pink Palace.

The “Pink Palace of the Pacific,” one of Waikiki’s most unmistakable landmarks, celebrated 90 years on February 1 by opening its own bakery. The hotel, playground of Hollywood stars, presidents, visiting royalty and influential statesmen, opened in 1927 and has been known ever since as one of the most luxurious hotels in Hawaii. 

It is the first hotel on Oahu to have its own stand-alone bakery with fun tropical confectionary offerings, many in theme with the pink color scheme of the hotel. You’ll find everything from croissants and danishes to macarons, cinnamon kouign-amann, haupia (coconut cream) brioche, limited edition coffee, Big Island Honey macadamia-nut sticky buns and the Royal Hawaiian’s signature Pink Snowballs.

The Pink Snowball is a light, luscious cake with layers of pink frosting that’s the same as the popular cake served in the hotel’s nearby Surf Lanai restaurant, but in a fun, portable form that you can eat on the lanai (patio), on the beach or in your room. 

“This is definitely our bestseller,” the kindly older lady behind the counter says as she hands us a box with a giant pink snowball in it. “It’s meant to evoke nostalgia, like the Hostess Sno Balls. “Everybody’s curious [about them].”

All the deliciousness is baked fresh each day by the resort’s patisserie team, led by executive pastry chef Carolyn Portuondo, who was featured on TLC’s “Fabulous Cakes,” and pastry chef Quirino Domingo.

For a limited time, the bakery will be offering commemorative 90th anniversary tins that you can fill with your own confectionary treats and take home.

Open daily from 7 a.m.-4 p.m.The Royal Hawaiian Bakery, Inside the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (located on the hotel’s Coconut Lanai, facing the ocean), 2259 Kalakaua Ave., Waikiki, royal-hawaiian.com/dining/rhbakery.