Hello Dolly (Magic Bars) Bundt Cake

A cake made out of graham crackers, filled with a coconut chocolate chip filling and topped with chocolate ganache – this is the cake version of the popular Hello Dolly bar cookies (aka Magic Bars)!!

My husband’s favorite treat around Christmas is Hello Dolly bars aka Magic Bars. I had never eaten these before I married him but not long after we got married, he asked me to make them. I had no idea what they were and that was long before the internet had every recipe known to man at your fingertips.

So I did what any smart young bride should do. I called his grandma!

She had a recipe of sorts – a stick of butter, a bunch of graham cracker crumbs, a small can of sweetened condensed milk, some coconut, and some chocolate chips. Some recipes add nuts but not Grandma – Jamie doesn’t like nuts so they ARE NOT to go into these bars!

Every year since then, I make several batches of these bar cookies. I do have to be careful because once a pan is made, my husband will eat the whole thing. He has no self-control when these are in the kitchen.

This actually works out well for me. I really like them, too, and if he eats them all, then the temptation is gone!

Developing the recipe

I started to work on this recipe about two years ago but then got sidetracked with life and other responsibilities. I wanted to create a cake that mimicked the bar cookie that my husband loved so much. Now that I am much more focused on baking and have a ton of time on my hands, I felt it was time to revisit this recipe.

I played around with a few ideas and a few recipes that I found online. I found a few cakes made with graham flour or graham crackers. But no matter where I looked, I didn’t see anything like this cake.

I made a filling with sweetened condensed milk but it was too stodgy. After a few attempts and after ditching the can, I got a filling that was a bit gooey and had all the flavor that I wanted.

The cake was a revelation for me. I never knew that you could use graham cracker crumbs in place of flour! You can use a box of crumbs if you have some from that time that you bought a box and only used half of it. You can also make crumbs with a couple of packets of graham crackers – just throw in the food processor or crush them in a bag until very fine.

The amazing thing is that you get a soft, tender cake that tastes like graham crackers!!

This cake is perfect for the times that we are living in. We are all having to make do with what we have and many are having to ration ingredients like flour. Store shelves are bare with no idea when re-stocking will happen.

This Hello Dolly Cake does have some flour in it but it is minimal. Hopefully, you have enough on hand to give this recipe a try.

Variations galore!

I made this cake in a bundt pan because I wanted that ooey-gooey coconut filling to sink in and provide a surprise texture. But you could absolutely make this cake in two 8 inch round cake pans.

My plan is to make this again in rounds and fill with marshmallow buttercream and cover in chocolate frosting for a S’MORES CAKE!

I think this would also be great with a peanut butter filling. But then I will eat it all because I am a peanut butter fanatic.

Use your imagination and make this cake! It does make a small cake so if you want a tall stacked cake, double the recipe and bake four 8 inch rounds. Remember that baking time will vary based on the pan/s used and your oven!

What’s your favorite?

What would you put in this cake? What variations can you think of? Share in the comments below this post!

If you like this recipe, you should definitely check out my Dried Mango, Coconut and Macadamia Nut cookies! They are so versatile and delicious!