Fruit Cocktail Cake
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This old-fashioned fruit cocktail cake is made from scratch. With a delicious coconut and pecan sauce that soaks into the cake, it’s so rich and moist you won’t be able to resist bite after bite.
I love and adore this old-fashioned fruit cocktail cake with sauce. This is another one of those long-ago recipes that we’ve been making in my family for as long as I can remember. But it’s easy to see why!
Made from scratch, the ingredients in our easy fruit cocktail cake are simple shelf-stables and the recipe itself is not fussy at all. For the fruit cocktail cake itself, you’ll need fruit cocktail (of course), along with flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix those ingredients together, pour them into a baking dish to make a Texas sheet cake (it’s the Southern way, y’all), and bake until golden brown.
While the cake’s a-baking, make your topping by combining butter, coconut, sugar, vanilla, evaporated milk, and pecans on the stovetop and bringing them to a boil. How creamy, buttery, and deliciously nutty does that sauce sound? I can’t wait for you to try it! We spread the topping over the hot cake and then let it sit so it soaks into every bite of moist cake.
Let me tell ya… the fruit cocktail cake combined with the coconut and pecan-flavored buttery sauce is absolute perfection. Y’all aren’t ready for it. The sauce soaks into the cake for a rich, moist, and flavorful bite every time. It’s honestly a very unique flavor, unlike anything you’ve ever had! Once you give it a try, I know you’ll definitely make this again. If you are craving other types of fruit cakes try make these recipes like Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Sam Club Strawberry Cake (Homemade Recipe), or Fresh Strawberry Cake With Cream Cheese Icing
Surely you’re ready to give it a go now, right? I feel like I was very convincing 😉.
Recipe Ingredients
Cake
- Self-rising flour
- Vanilla extract
- White sugar
- Eggs
- A can of undrained fruit cocktail in heavy syrup
Sauce
- Butter or margarine
- Shredded coconut flakes
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Evaporated milk
- Chopped pecans
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How To Make Fruit Cocktail Cake
To make the for this , you’re going to “dump” all the in a mixing bowl.
Start with the flour…
Then add the canned fruit cocktail ( and all)…
Eggs…
…
And the vanilla.
Mix on low speed until well blended like so.
Scrape down the sides and mix again for about another minute.
Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour batter into the pan.
Like so.
Then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until it looks as golden brown as this.
Instructions for the Fruit Cocktail Cake Topping
Place all ingredients in a medium to large saucepot, including the butter…
Sweetened flaked coconut…
Sugar…
Vanilla…
Evaporated milk…
And pecans.
Stir.
Bring to a boil, while stirring, over medium heat.
Keep boiling for one to two minutes until it looks something like this.
This icing will remain pretty runny, which will be great when you pour it over your hot cake and it soaks all in.
Take the hot cake out of the oven.
Pour the hot topping over the hot cake.
You want to spread as you pour.
TIP: Work fast now because this is going to immediately soak down into the cake and you don’t want the coconut to be concentrated in one area and completely absent in the other. Spreading the topping as you pour will help avoid this problem.
Now it’s time to take a bit of your delicious dessert creation!
Storage
- You can store leftovers, covered, at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze the cake in an airtight container for up to a year. Thaw in the fridge before enjoying cold or reheat quickly in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
- You can serve your cake warm, cold, or at room temperature. Personally, I love this cake any way you can give it to me!
- If you want to go the extra step, serve your cake slice with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a maraschino cherry on top.
- If you prefer, you can use toasted fresh coconut flakes in the sauce instead.
- You can also substitute pecans for .
- But if you don’t like pecans or coconut, feel free to omit one or both.
- Another easy variation is to use 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of white sugar instead of all white sugar in the cake batter.
- Please note that this recipe calls for self-rising flour in order for the cake to rise. To learn how to make self-raising flour, visit my FAQs page.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use different fruit in this fruit cocktail cake recipe?
If you prefer, you can use canned peach slices or canned pineapple instead.
Can you add fruit to a boxed cake mix?
Yes. Instead of making your cake from scratch, feel free to mix the fruit cocktail with a boxed cake mix (a white or yellow cake mix would be best) and bake it according to the package directions.
Can I make fruit cocktail cake cupcakes?
No, cupcakes don’t work for this particular cake recipe because of the topping that soaks into the cake.
Can I make this cake in advance?
Yes, you can make this cake in advance and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
You may also enjoy these other fruit cake recipes:
Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Super Moist)
Peach Dump Cake Recipe (3 Ingredients Only)
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 15-ounce can fruit cocktail, undrained
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, place all the cake ingredients and beat at low speed until blended. Scrape down the sides and beat again at low speed for one minute more. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.2 cups self-rising flour, 1 15-ounce can fruit cocktail, undrained, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups sugar
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is boiling, continue stirring and boil for 1-2 minutes.1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- Pour the sauce over the hot cake and quickly spread it with a spatula for even coverage.
Video
Nutrition
My mom used to make this all the time. And especially on the holidays! She passed about 6 years ago and I lost her recipe. I had most of it memorized but this helped with the missing pieces!! Thank you for helping me bring back some memories this Thanksgiving. All of my sisters will be so jealous… lol
this recipe has a error. no baking soda or baking powder! it doesn’t rise, and is heavy, flat and ….well…AWFUL! either you must correct your mistake or take the recipedown mmediately. i had my husbands boss and employees over and this recipe was a total disaster. i should have seen the omission and knew no one double checked it. Very disappointed.
If you use self rising flour, baking soda or baking powder is not necessary. My mom also made this cake when I was growing up…
If you read the recipe correctly, it says to use self-rising flour. If you are using regular flour, use a heaping tsp. of baking powder and it will turn out wonderful.
Jocelyn, I hope things get better for you soon. I know this is a stressful time of year and misreading a recipe can just make your heart sink and get you mad at the same time. As the others have pointed out, self rising flour versus plain flour is a drastic difference when it comes to baking a cake. Take a deep breath and hang in there!
Gratefully,
Christy
Best reply ever!
Such a wonderful and graceful reply 🙂
Did you use self rising flour like the recipe calls for?
SELF RISING FLOUR is called for in the recipe. Which is why there is no call for it in the list of ingredients.
But what a horrible, awful, haughty attitude you have! I’d hate to be you.
Please don’t run me out of town on a rail but is it possible to use a boxed cake mix for this d-lish cake recipe? Bible study is tomorrow night and it’s snowing. So no grocery store for me!!! I have vanilla and butter but that won’t make a cake!!!
Pfft. I’m liable to crown you queen of the kitchen! Go for it. Just add fruit in and use the juice from the can as some if the water the mix calls for 🙂
If you use regular flour, just add 2 tsp., baking soda, and it’ll be allright.
You were supposed to use self rising flour
Either you used plain All Purpose Flour or your Self-Rising Flour is old and the baking powder in it is dead. Try it again with a new bag of Self-rising flour. Check the date on the bag.
Used self rising flour. Worked beautifully. But how much coconut in a can? I could only find bags.
Did you miss the fact that she used self rising flour? Just asking
This recipe calls for “self-rising flour” which contains baking powder and salt.
This has been in my family forEVER too. Its our favorite. The only difference in mine is: after pouring the cake into the cake pan to bake sprinkle the top with brown sugar and pads of butter and top with the coconut (so crispy and YUMMY). And then the sauce just bring to a boil the evaporated milk, sugar, butter and vanila and ALSO add a can of eagle brand condensed milt. OH MY TRUST ME IT IS T H E BOMB!!! I always make a little extra sauce and poke holes all through the cake when it comes out of the oven (edges real good too) so it all soaks in real nice and evenly. Let me know if you try my adjustments. Enjoy 🙂 Traci
I was just woundering if you wanted to leave out the coconut out of this recipe. and still taste fine
I think you probably could Gayla. Let me know how it turns out.
Just made this and OMG it is the most amazing cake ever!!!!! One lady at work at 3 pieces in one day and said she had never tasted a more delicious cake. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes!!!!!!!!!
Oh, thank u for posting this cake..My Mom and Grandma use to make it all the time and when Grandma died I never had it again or knew how to make it. Then at work they had me cook a fruit cocktail cake for the residents and omg it was nasty so I came on here looking for one and found this one. Have it cooking in oven right now. and at least the batter taste just like grandma’s! THANKS can’t wait to make this verison for my Residents…
I made this cake a long time ago for my mon and dad.and then lost the recepie my dad passed and mom for years would tell me how she loved THAT cake I made with fruitcocktail. I looked for years and never found the recepie. sadly now my mon has passed.I wished I had found it before she did but now I will try making it for my husband.
just checking on the size of can of fruit cocktail – I think I bought the larger one. also I had to buy a bag of coconut – how much is usually in a can? Can’t wait to make it for our Memorial Day cookout.
Thanks