Heading to Hawaii? These are the sweet treats you can't afford to miss

The Halekulani Hotel coconut layer cake made its debut in Honolulu on April 9, 1959. Back then, it cost 35 US cents per slice and was an instant hit, celebrated for its feather-light texture, custard filling and freshly grated coconut topping.

Today, the cake remains a fixture on the menu at Orchids, Halekulani Hotel's airy beachfront restaurant in the heart of Waikiki. It has inspired two drinks at the hotel's pool bar: the Coconut Cake Martini and the Coconut Old Fashioned. When I run out of time to dine at Orchids during a Hawaii stopover, I pick up a slice of cake at the Halekulani Bakery across the street. It tastes like a tropical holiday, the sunny flavour of aloha in every bite.

Hawaii has gone bonkers for baked treats, driven by the TikTok-ability of pretty pastries and the comfort of carbs in uncertain times. Acclaimed Chinatown restaurant Fete has opened a fabulous new bakery, Mille Fete, dishing up roasted pineapple coffee cake, banana bread and other delights.

On a visit last month, I tried classic malasadas from Leonard's Bakery. The Portuguese-style donuts come sprinkled with cinnamon, coconut, guava or macadamia. A new variation from ABC Stores, the mochi malasada, combines the flavours and textures of Japanese mochi rice cakes with the original donut, irresistible bites that are baked fresh daily.