Fruit Cocktail Cake – Kellis Kitchen
How is everyone doing? It is flooding here in Oklahoma again however the weatherman said the rain is done and the heat is on – meaning it’s about to get as hot as one would expect in this state during this time of year, and that’s really hot! I’ve been making jam and jelly like nobody’s business lately; strawberry, apricot and plumcot to name a few. The other day mom called and asked for a cake for her game night at the senior apartments where she lives. Wouldn’t you know it – she calls on a day when I have absolutely used every grain of sugar in the house.
I began looking for a recipes book – Chi Chi’s recipe book – that I’ve had since the early 90’s and in my search I found a plastic bag, just like you get your newspaper in when it’s raining outside, that had a bunch of little pamphlets and recipe booklets from my Nana’s house. I began looking at those and forgot all about the cake I needed to make until I came upon the Fruit Cocktail Cake cut out of the newspaper decades ago. Since it used a cake mix I knew it was just what I wanted being without sugar and all. I made the cake and took it over finding out later that evening that it was a huge hit among the game players who generally remembered making this kind of cake in the 60’s. That’s when I was glad I had taken photos because I knew I would share it with you. I had to make adjustments because cake mixes and cans of fruit cocktail were a lot bigger in the 60’s than they are now.
Fruit Cocktail Cake with Cooked Icing
Ingredients:
1 —- 18 oz. Yellow Cake Mix
1 —–15 oz. Fruit Cocktail, with juice – processed through the blender or food processor quickly
2 1/3 Cups of shredded sweetened coconut, divided (if your family does not care for coconut, you may want to leave the coconut out of the cake and substitute 1 1/3 Cups chopped pecans in the icing)
3 Eggs
½ Cup Brown Sugar, packed firmly
½ Cup White Sugar
½ Cup evaporated milk
½ Cup butter
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 9×13 square pan
Put dry cake mix, blended fruit cocktail with juice, 1 cup coconut and 3 eggs into mixing bowl and blend with hand mixer for about 2 minutes.
Spread cake batter into pan then sprinkle brown sugar over top of cake batter.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Fruit Cocktail Cake – Kellis Kitchen
As soon as you take the cake out of the oven put butter, evaporated milk and white sugar into a small saucepan over medium high heat, heating until it boils and then allow to boil for a full 2 minutes.
Fruit Cocktail Cake – Kellis Kitchen
Take pan off burner and stir in the rest of the coconut then spoon over the hot cake.
Fruit Cocktail Cake – Kellis Kitchen
Once the cake cools, cover and place in the fridge.
It’s moist and slices so easily you will love it and keep coming back for more! By the way, it’s very sweet so you don’t need a big piece. I think it would also look very pretty baked in a bundt pan with the cooked icing poured over top.
Fruit Cocktail Cake – Kellis Kitchen
I am over at Weekend Potluck so please come on over and check out all the fun! Just click the link!
I remember this cake. Unfortunately, only one member of the family likes coconut so I don’t make too much that has it as an ingredient. I remember the cake was very good, though.
You know what? Only mom and I like coconut so I didn’t put any in the cake and I could have substituted the coconut for pecans………I may do that next time! 🙂
My family would LOVE this cake, too! How nice of you to make it for your mom’s friends. Stay cool, Kelli.
Thanks Beth!
One of my favorite cakes. I don’t use the coconut, though. And I melt some butter and add some pecans and brown sugar to the pan before pouring in the cake batter. But the cooked frosting, that MUST be done!! Thanks for reminding me of this old favorite.
I’m very happy to have been able to do that – I’ll try your butter, pecans, and brown sugar next time myself – Thanks!
I used to make this years ago…..we loved it. I did not process the fruit…it was so good and moist. You definitely have to use the cooked icing. Thanks for reminding me of this cake.
You are welcome! My mother certainly enjoyed it too. Now you need to make some……… 🙂
This looks easy. I bet other canned fruit would work well also.
Yes, I am sure it would! Thanks for dropping by Janet!
I’ve never heard of the cake but it does sound good. I’m sure it was a big hit with your mother and her friends.
Hi Kelli,, this recipe brought back memories of my late mother’s bake-from-scratch Fruit Cocktail Cake from the 1960’s, so I had to try it. The cake turned out just as moist as I remembered, but the frosting was very thin, although I followed the directions exactly. I wonder if I could add a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch the next time I bake it. Thanks for posting. In these days of uncertainty I appreciated the stroll down memory lane.
Hi Barbara — thanks for the kind words — it brings back memories for me too. Yes! You can add a little cornstarch, a teaspoon at a time, next time. Enjoy!!