The recipe itself may be simple, but the flavor and texture of this distinctly Southern cake are anything but.
Jill Nystul·February 12, 2024
You’re never too old or too anything to learn something new, like I did recently when I learned about an unusual type of cake that I simply had to try! It’s a Southern specialty I first encountered under the name “Do Nothing” Cake, though regional variations are variously known as Arkansas Doodle Cake, Granny Cake, and Texas Tornado Cake.
I highly recommend giving this cake a try. It’s unique enough for a special occasion, but simple enough for a quick dessert any day of the week!
Why Is It Called “Do Nothing” Cake?
Despite what its name implies, this cake unfortunately does not simply appear out of thin air. But it is extremely simple to make and requires only slightly more effort than preparing a boxed cake mix!
While the idea of a cake that required me to “do nothing” was appealing, its flavor combinations put this recipe firmly on my “must-make” list. The combination of pineapple and coconut in this cake is reminiscent of a piña colada, and the gooey glaze ensures each piece is moist and delicious.
How To Make Do Nothing Cake
Step 1 – Make The Cake
Arrange your oven racks so that they divide your oven into thirds. Prepare a 9 x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt with a whisk. Add the can of crushed pineapple with the juice or you can cut a fresh pineapple and crush it in a food processor, eggs, and vanilla extract, and whisk until well blended.
Pour the batter into the greased pan, and bake at 350°F on the upper oven rack for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 2 – Make The Topping
While the cake is baking, place 1 cup of chopped pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Place it on the lower rack in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until toasted.
Remove both the cake and the pecans from the oven when they’re done, and set them aside while you prepare the topping.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, then stir in the sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and salt. Bring the mixture to a full boil that extends to the center of the pot, and continue to boil for 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Then stir in about three-quarters of the toasted pecans and all of the shredded coconut.
Step 3 – Assemble The Cake
Using a wooden skewer or chopstick, poke holes all over the surface of the cake. The holes should go most of the way through the cake without actually touching the bottom.
Pour the warm topping over the warm cake and gently spread it into an even later. Sprinkle the remaining pecans over the top of the cake, then allow the cake to cool for about at least an hour before slicing.
Do you know of any desserts that are popular in your region, but aren’t well known elsewhere?
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Pineapple & Coconut “Do Nothing” Cake Recipe
Jill Nystul
This dump-and-stir cake is quick and easy to make, yet has the texture and flavor of a gourmet bakery creation! Perfect for feeding a crowd and impressing them while you're at it!
Arrange your oven racks so that they divide your oven into thirds.
Prepare a 9×13” baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt with a whisk.
Add the can of crushed pineapple (juice included), eggs, and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk to combine.
Pour the batter into the greased pan.
Bake at 350°F on the upper oven rack for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Meanwhile, place the chopped pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast on the lower rack in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the pecans are nicely toasted.
Remove both the cake and pecans from the oven when they’re done and set them aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, then stir in the sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and salt.
Bring the mixture to a full boil, then continue boiling for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Add three-quarters of the toasted pecan and all of the shredded coconut.
Use a wooden skewer to poke holes all over the cake, stopping just short of the bottom of the cake.
Pour the warm topping over the warm cake and gently spread it into an even later.
Sprinkle the remaining pecans over the top, then allow the cake to cool for about at least an hour before serving.
When it comes to baking moist and delicious cakes, you might be surprised to learn that mayonnaise can be a secret ingredient worth considering. Made up of eggs and oil, mayonnaise acts as an emulsifier, adding creaminess and moisture to your cake.
- Never add extra liquid or moisture to the base of an upside down cake. It will made the cake soggy. Drain your tin of pineapple before use, but keep the juice.
Pineapple upside down cake is composed of a topping of pineapple, butter and brown sugar with a vanilla cake batter poured over. After baking, you invert the cake onto a plate for a beautiful final product with caramelized pineapple on top!
In the United States, pineapple upside down cakes became popular in the mid-1920s after Dole Pineapple Company sponsored a contest for pineapple recipes. They received over 2,500 various submissions for the inverted pineapple cake and ran an advertisem*nt about it, which increased the cake's popularity.
Try switching out any water in your recipe for full-fat milk or buttermilk for a moist, decadent texture. Another ingredient that can enhance the moisture of your cake is mayonnaise. Adding a dollop of mayonnaise to your batter can help make your freshly baked cake softer with an added boost of moisture.
Flour is perhaps the most important ingredient in a cake mix, as it creates the basic structure of the entire cake. A major component of flour is gluten, which is a protein that provides a way for the cake to bind to itself. The gluten creates a web that traps and seals air bubbles into the cake mix.
To get the goo to stay where you want it and not impede the release of the cake, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper or a silicone cake-pan liner after you grease the pan. That should allow easy removal, and then you can peel the paper off of the cake.
Fast forward to the present day, where the upside-down pineapple has taken on a more clandestine meaning. While the right-side-up pineapple still stands for hospitality and welcome, when flipped on its head, it has been said to be a subtle nod to a lifestyle not commonly spoken about in the open: swinging.
Simply replace the oil, milk, or water called for in the recipe with pineapple juice in equal proportions. A yellow or white cake works best, since the pineapple flavor could clash or get lost if you use chocolate or another flavor.
Cakes sink in the middle due to several factors, including overmixing of the batter, opening the oven door too soon, or not baking at the right temperature. Expired leavening agents or incorrect proportions of ingredients can also cause sinking.
My improved pineapple upside down cake recipe, written below, is much softer than my original. Using creamed butter instead of melted, cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, all white sugar instead of brown sugar + white, and using egg whites guarantees a huge textural difference.
In America, these were called “skillet cakes.” A similar French dish was the apple tarte Tatin, created in the 1880s. According to Gil Marks, who wrote about pineapple cake for Tori Avey, the first-known use of the term “upside-down cake” was in 1923, for a cake made with dried plums.
By the 1930s, Taiwan was the third-largest pineapple exporter. Post-Japanese occupation, with abundant domestic pineapple consumption, culinary experts innovated with the pineapple surplus. Thus, the modern pineapple cake emerged! A unique way to honor the revered pineapple.
In addition to its delicious taste, butter adds richness and flavor to your baked goods. Different types of butter are available, but salted and unsalted butter are the two most commonly used in baking.
To make it, start by combining tomato soup and baking soda together in a bowl. This will help neutralize the acidic taste of the canned ingredient. Next, beat together sugar, butter, egg, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in the tomato soup mixture, then stir in flour and raisins.
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