Grandma's Fruit Cocktail Cake

A slice of Fruit Cocktail Cake topped with whipped cream and cherry

Serve this old-fashioned Fruit Cocktail Cake up for dessert or invite your friends for coffee! Made from scratch, NO box mix needed!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword fruit cake recipes, fruit cocktail cake recipes, sheetcake recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings slices

Calories 502kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Cake:

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (16-ounce) fruit cocktail with syrup undrained

Topping:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup pecans chopped

Garnish:

Reddi Wip
maraschino cherries

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cake:

Adjust an oven rack to the medium position. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together all cake ingredients until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Topping:

Meanwhile, make the topping by combining all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Pour over the hot cake and smooth it evenly with an offset spatula.

Garnish:

Top individual slices of cake with a dollop of Reddi Wip and Maraschino cherries.

Notes

Mind your pan: You can use either a glass or dark pan with this recipe, but grease both before you add the batter. Don’t forget that cake in a dark pan may bake faster than a cake in a glass pan, so set your timer about 5 minutes earlier than the recipe calls for.
Serving: This cake can be served at room temperature or warm. My family likes it best when it’s still oven-warm and ooey-gooey-moist. You can also pop leftover slices in the microwave or toaster oven to rejuvenate them!
Icing: When I make this, I spend about 20 minutes in the kitchen. You can put the cake in the oven to bake, then come back later to make the glaze. But remember: it’s important you add the glaze to a hot cake! About 10 minutes before your cake is set to come out, place your glaze ingredients in your saucepan. You’ll want the ingredients to boil for about 1-2 minutes, then it’s ready to pour.
Fruit Cocktail in Syrup: The simple chemistry of this cake just doesn’t work the same way if you use a fruit cocktail in juice. The fruit cocktail in syrup is important!
Skip the Box: The reason I don’t use boxed cake mix in this particular recipe is that with the simplicity of this recipe, a mix doesn’t really seem like convenience at all! My recipe is quick, easy, and once you try it, you’ll never want to use boxed caked mixes again!
Cherries: You’ll only use one can of fruit cocktail, so you know what that means – the kids are going to be fighting over those three maraschino cherries! To stop any arguments, keep a can of Reddi-Wip and a jar of maraschino cherries on hand. When it’s time to serve your cake, just add a dollop of whipped cream and one or two cherries. Crisis averted! This is sage advice handed down straight from my grandma Ada Margery!!!!

Nutrition