A few weeks ago, Miss Cindy showed us how to make a Fruit Cocktail Cake and I’m so glad she did!
Miss Cindy said she used to make them all the time but over the years she just sorta forgot about them and then something made her think of the recipe and she knew she had to share it with me and you.
You need:
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups plain flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 can fruit cocktail (15 ounces)
Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 large can evaporated milk
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup coconut
Drain fruit cocktail reserving liquid for later use.
Cream sugar and eggs; mix in flour and baking soda; add reserved liquid mix for 4 minutes.
Fold fruit cocktail into the batter.
Pour batter into an ungreased 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
When cake is almost done, make the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients into a pot-bring mixture to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven-cut it into squares and then pour the hot sauce over it evenly.
You’re supposed to let the cake set for a good long while so it soaks up all that gooey goodness, but we can never make it that long!
The Fruit Cocktail Cake is very very good. And I love that you can make it ahead of time and it’ll actually be better the day after you make it! I plan to take it to any gatherings I get invited to in the future.
Have you ever had fruit cocktail cake?
Tipper
Hi Tipper! I’ve been watching your YouTube channel for over a year now and recently joined your blog. I was trying to think of a dessert to make for my husband and two little boys this week. I was looking over my pantry items and thought I would make something with fruit. I remembered you mentioning this recipe and thought I’d give it a try. I got a little nervous while it was in the oven because about 45 minutes in it started smelling like it might be burning. I went ahead and let it go the full hour. Glad I did, it turned out perfect. I just had to try it warm, and it’s so delicious! I always have these ingredients on hand so it will definitely be on rotation from time to time. Thank you for sharing!
Can you use all purpose flour? I am still a little confused as to
how much sugar is used for the cake. Is it 1/2cup or 1and 1/2
cups.? Can I use another type of fruit cocktail?
Doreen-yes plain flour is all purpose 🙂 It is 1 and 1/2 cup of sugar. I’ve never tried it with other fruit but I’m sure it would be just as good!
Ireally want to make this cakthis year, maybe it just might bring me comfort and peace this year 2022, I lost my sweet daughter of 21years in 2004,And my sweet mother in july2022It was my mom and daughters favorite holiday, The sad part is I lost my sweet child on Christmas morning, Doesn’t sound like I would ever be happy again, But God promises that if we walk with him and believe in him, We will see our loved ones again, Thank you ma tipper❤️I’m going to try your cake, It looks delicious,
Joyce-I’m so sorry you lost them!! I sure hope you like the cake!!
Just want to caution viewers. Your YouTube video has 1/2 cup sugar for cake and this recipe has 1-1/2 cup sugar. I made incorrectly first time.
Good ear, Hillbilly! Mrs. Tipper did say ‘one half cup of sugar’, vice ‘half cup of sugar’ OR ‘one and a half cup of sugar.’ Also, if you look at when she puts the sugar in the stand mixing bowl, it actually looks like it is one and a half cups of sugar. It is a lot more than a ‘half cup.’ Good catch, though. I would have done the same as you and put only half cup of sugar. I’m glad the recipe is posted here in the blog as I need a written recipe to follow. Thank you and take care.
Can you substitute the baking soda, or plain flour? I don’t buy plain flour that much.
Stephanie-If you have self-rising flour I would use 2 cups of it 🙂
Could you tell me what size can of fruit cocktail to use?
Kay-a 15 oz. can 🙂
Looks like 30 oz on handwritten recipe card???
Sharon-the recipe uses a 15 ounce can. If you make it I sure hope you like it 🙂
Tipper, I thank God I happened on your you tube videos. I am from NC, living in Michigan. I miss our good down home cooking. When you made the fruit cocktail cake, I remembered I had my Mom’s recipe. Thank you so much for all the recipes and letting us see your family. Your daughters are beautiful and talented. God Bless!
Omg i have those same recipe cards!!! With the colorful design on the side.
Just watched the video. I will be making this for our fellowship meal at church the first Sunday of October. I can’t wait to try it!!!!! Thank you from Alabama!!
Hello! I just made this cake. It’s cooling right now, soaking up all of that delicious sauce. My cake sort of fell in the middle. It’s not nice and flat all the way across like your cake (from the youtube video). Can you advise what I maybe did wrong? I’m still super excited to eat it though!! I just found your youtube channel and now your blog. I live in the mountains of Virginia and I relate to so much of your content! Thanks!
Brooke-I’m just not sure what could have happened to the cake, but I bet it will still be yummy! Thank you for watching and reading! So glad you can relate to it all 🙂
Mine fell in the middle too. Anyone have suggestions?
Lois-I found this page that has suggestions on how to keep cakes from falling-maybe it will help 🙂 https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/baking-guide/crowd-pleasing-cakes/Why-did-my-cake-sink-in-the-middle
Fruit Cocktail Cake has been one if my favorites since I was a little kid. My birthday cake was a lot of time Fruit Cocktail Cake. Though mine was not quite the same. We did not boil the sauce or have coconut and pecans in it. To me this is almost like German chocolate cake pecan frosting. Since we did not boil the sauce was not as thick and got into the cake much quicker. Though I like this approach and will probably try it tomorrow. Yours looks great though my wife probably won’t want me eating that much sugar, but that is always a problem with this cake. Thanks
I’ve just finished baking two of these cakes. Can they stay out overnight? Or should they go in the fridge? Help please. Thank you!
Jennifer-I leave mine on the counter for a couple of days. If they’re not eaten by then I move them to the frig 🙂
Where can I find a printed recipe of this cake? This version looks the best.
Lois-I’m sorry I don’t have a printed version. Perhaps you can find one on another site. Thank you for visiting!
If you have both a smart phone and a tablet You can do like I do and snap a picture of the recipe with your phone and text or email it to yourself. Just a thought.
Highlight, copy, paste into Word doc and save
Hi Tipper! I saw you make this cake on YT this week, it looked so delicious that I literally made it for the first event on my calendar and it was a big hit! I’m in Michigan, no one has heard of the cake so it may become my go-to potluck recipe This isn’t the first recipe I’ve tried and look forward to many more. Thanks for sharing, I love your channel ❤️
Deb-so glad you enjoyed the cake!!
I have been making this cake for probably 50 years in the state of Kansas.
I don’t remember where I got the recipe.
What size is the can of fruit cocktail? Thanks.
Joyce-its 14.5 oz 🙂
I happened on to you on YT today, and since I’m an Appalachian girl, I knew I had to watch your video. I’m baking for a church event next week, so this will be the recipe that I use. I always have all these ingredients on hand. Thank you for sharing your recipe and your memories.
Amy-I hope everyone likes the cake!!
Made this last night—oh my is it good!! Thank you for sharing your recipes and stories.
Deb-So glad you liked the cake too 🙂 I’m glad you like our videos too!
This reminds me of the “Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa” recipe from Steel Magnolias.
I’m from Kansas and this cake is at every event its good simple eating
Thanks Marie!
This was one of our all time favorites that our Granny made ,,,, oh, it is so so so good, 🙂 in ours it had coconut in the icing too, and it does look like in one of your pictures there is coconut…. is coconut listed on the other side of the recipe card, if so how much, and sweetened or unsweetened coconut ….
SusieQ-Thanks for the comment! Here’s the ingredients:
You need:
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 can fruit cocktail
Sauce:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 large can evaporated milk
1 cup pecans
1 cup coconut
What size can of fruit cocktail do you use?
Donna-a 15 oz can 🙂
One sweet older lady used to always bring this to church suppers. So delicious!
Tipper,
Do you use the frozen coconut?
Is it sweetened coconut?
I look forward to trying this. I’ve never had it before.
Thank you, Betty from Alabama
Betty-I use sweetened shredded coconut that comes in a bag. Hope you like the cake!
Well! It’s Father’s Day 2019 and I’m making this to take to Dad’s later. Although I’ve never commented before, I think I’ve read every word of every day and every comment ever made for years. Before I retired, I would leave this page open on my work computer so the songs could play over and over (playlist used to be right there, I loved it!). I’m a Texas Panhandle girl and we have some traditions of our own, but how I do love to read about the rich Appalachian heritage! Some of our use of words are the same, though. Anyway, sending love and blessings to you and your family, and all the devoted followers of Blind Pig and the Acorn. Happy Father’s Day to all the Daddy’s out there!
MY MOTHER-IN-LAW COOKED THE ORANGE SLICE CAKE. AND- SHE COMPLAINED THAT IT TOOK ALL THE STRENGTH SHE HAD TO MIX IT [BY HAND]. DIDN’TCARE FOR IT AT FIRST, THEN BEGAN TO ENJOY THE PURE ORANGE FLAVOR AND THE DENSITY AND ALL THAT WENT INTO PREPARING THIS JEWEL OF A CAKE, MADE IN A BUNDT CAKE PAN. WITH THAT AWESOME TASTING GLAZE. I STILL HAVE HER HAND WRITTEN RECEIPT. DATED 1963.
I’ve been at my daughter’s all week and then at the beach for the weekend as it was my eldest granddaughter’s 16th birthday and we always go there for her day.
Anyway, had to add this was one of my favorite cakes when I was growing up. It’s the same one my Gram used to make, had to check the recipe to make sure. Thank you for sharing the memories, the recipe and the reminder that it’s been too long since I’ve baked anything for the family. I think I’ll make this sometime soon.
I don’t think I’ve ever had this, but I now have plans to give it a try. We’re having an old-fashioned cake walk at our Church’s harvest festival in a few weeks and this is going to be one of my contributions. If it’s as good as your Granny’s peach cobbler it’s sure to be a hit!
That’s a cake I’ve never heard of. When my kids were growing up, they liked jello for dessert. I cannot stand plain jello, so I used to doctor it up by mixing in sherbet and fruit cocktail. We all loved it and our son, Dean, named it sherbajel.
Brenda-thanks for the comment! Is this the orange slice cake you remember: https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/orange-slice-cake-for-christmas/
I’ve had this many times since the 60’s. My Grandmother made this and I think it was the topping that made it so good. I need to make it again because my husband loves this topping on German Chocolate cake. I think he might like this better. My Grandmother also made an orange slice cake with this topping, as well as her oatmeal cake. Has anyone here had old fashioned orange slice candy cake? VERY rich but good at Christmas time.
I totally remember this! Someone would always bring this to the church social. Delicious!
Never heard of the cake but this sure sounds good. My oldest brothers children loved fruit cocktail but they always called it fruit cottontail so if I made this cake it would have to be called fruit cottontail cake.
Thanks, Tipper!
We,too, have had fruit cocktail cake. Actually, it is one of Bob’s favorites. One year our son-in-law made him one for his birthday cake.He has had to make him one every year since. Spoiled or what ! The one he makes takes a different sauce but either would be good and he makes it in a funnel pan. I have enjoyed going back and reading some of your blogs on Mountain People. I found it very interesting and would like to be able to know them and sit down and have a visit with them. Thanks for the recipe.
Angie-1 stick of butter is 1/2 cup : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
Tipper,
I’ve had pies that Miss Cindy made
and this one I’m going to try too.
It’s just the treat for my company
a coming the week after the Fall
Festival at JCCCFS. They were all
talking about it on our Murphy
Radio station this morning, saying
it was the BIGGEST attraction our
area had. Like most folks, I love
it too…Ken
I remember these from a long time ago, but I have not had one or even heard about them in years. I wonder why such good things become forgotten?
Never heard of this one before! It sounds intriguing, maybe I can sub out peaches for fruit cocktail and leave the coconut out, I guess I’m one of those picky eaters. Miss Cindy’s post suggests the recipe is open to interpretation (my favorite kind of recipes!).
The real clincher for me is the sauce!
Sounds delicious! the topping sounds like german chocolate topping. I think I remember this from when I was younger.
Like Miss Cindy, I “used to” make this Fruit Cocktail Cake! How rich and gooey it is! Back “in the days” when I was always looking for a new and different recipe to serve some church group meeting in our home, or to take to one of our famous “covered dish” meals, I remember finding and using this recipe! Maybe I got it off the can of a # 303 size Fruit Cocktail. Thanks to Miss Cindy for “resurrecting” the recipe and sharing it with us.
Dolores-13oz. can of fruit cocktail : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
Of course it’s not fattening! I’ve never had a fruit cocktail cake. I can’t imagine Mom not getting her hands on the recipe being the big fan of ‘mixed fruit’ that she was. She always made a huge bowl from fresh fruit for get-togethers. I’m anxious to try this recipe. All I need is coconut.
Well, that last comment should get you invited to some holiday gathereings!!
I haven’t made this cake in a long time. I don’t think my recipe is the same. Your’s looks a lot better and I will be sure to try it out soon.
Delicious! 😀 I have had this cake before at church gatherings when I was young, but have not had it in forever. The only difference I can see is that it was made from fresh fruit slightly cooked in a heavy syrup first. In my family we baked very few sweets. Banana nut bread, fig cake and oatmeal cookies with raisins were the few and far between choices we had. It was so bad that we were not even allowed chewing gum and only one candy bar choice a month. Which is why I gained weight as soon as I left home. 😀
PS sorry that I missed the internet discussion. I could have written a couple of blogs on the nightmare scenarios that we went through after we moved here. All excuses and no results for years and so much of our business depended on it. 🙁 Better now, but still shaky at best.
I used to make this often, when the kids were growing up. The recipe is still in my recipe box. I first got it from my sister, who always did have the BEST dessert recipes.
That looks like something I might like to try. I am going to start saving to buy a cup of pecans. Might have enough by Christmas! I used to get pecans from a lady at work who’s mother had several trees in her yard. They were thin shelled and you could crack them by squeezing two together. Most of the goodies would come out whole. She charged five dollars for a paper grocery bag full. But then mamma died and lazy Debbie wouldn’t pick them up. So I’m stuck with store bought and they are e$x$p$e$n$s$i$v$e!
It sounds yummy, you had me with the pecans and coconut
Had forgot about this cake. Haven’t made it in ages but remember it being good.
Forgot to ask – What size can is the fruit cocktail?
Never had a fruit cocktail cake, but it looks delicious. I definitely will try making one; I’ll experiment on my husband’s taste buds. Thanks once again for another good recipe.
No, I haven’t had a Fruit Cocktail Cake but I soon will. If I am reading this right, if I invite you to my gathering, you will come and bring one. “I plan to take it to any gatherings I get invited to this coming holiday season.” Is that correct?
OK, you’re invited to be at my house on Christmas morning at about 9:00 AM! I’ll make the coffee!
PS: You can come earlier if you want too.
Tipper,
Yes, I have had a Fruit Cocktail Cake…but I’ll declare I don’t remember the yummy topping. I do remember the sauce…
I wonder if Mom left the pecan, coconut out of the recipe…I can’t beleive that she would…so that recipe must be different.
I haven’t made it in years..and mine called for a square pan..
Easy and quick…
Thanks Tipper, and Cindy for the memory…sounds like a winner for the holiday crowds…
Tipper, I always liked this cake because I usually had the ingredients on hand, the Deer Hunter loved fruit cocktail, and you don’t have to grease the pan.
I also liked it because it is soooooo good.
If memory serves me we tried this same recipe using applesauce instead of fruit cocktail and it was very good also.
I just love playing with recipes. I consider a recipe a rough outline that I can use to fill in the blanks. It seems that the Deer Hunter cooks the same way I do so we have lots of fun cooking together. We also both cook quickly and clean up as we go.
It was actually Chatter who followed the recipe and made the cake. She is quite the budding cook in addition to playing the guitar, singing, and dancing.
Fruit cocktail cake is a “good-one” I have made it for years and my recipe says one can eat it warm with whipped creme on top—so if you can not wait for the flavors to meld together put the whipped creme on and go to it.