Vanilla Wafer Cake
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Densely loaded with soft vanilla wafers, sweetened coconut flakes, and chopped pecans, it’s no wonder this old-fashioned vanilla wafer cake has been a popular Southern dessert for decades.
Today y’all I’m adding Mama Reed’s vanilla wafer cake recipe to the list of recipes I worry about what your life will be like without! This cake is the kissing cousin of my apple dapple cake. They come from a different branch of the family but chances are if you have the good sense to like one of them, you’ll like the other as well.
My mother got this vanilla wafer cake recipe from her grandmother, Mama Reed. Mama Reed had an expansive array of recipes but this cake was my mother’s favorite by far. When she married my father, this was the first recipe she asked to use in her own kitchen. It’s an old-fashioned classic cake recipe that’s been baked in the South for decades. It’s great on its own with coffee or with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce for dessert.
If you like pound cake, this vanilla wafer cake has the same delicious moistness and density. However, we use crushed soft vanilla wafers instead of flour and combine them with milk, shredded coconut, eggs, sugar, and chopped pecans. Can you imagine it? The flavor and texture are just out of this world. Fortunately, it’s super easy to make as well, so let’s get baking!
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs
- Coconut
- Milk
- Nilla vanilla wafers
- Sugar
- Nuts (I’m using pecans but walnuts work too)
How to Make Vanilla Wafer Cake
Place vanilla wafer cookies in a large sealable bag and crush them with the rolling pin or any other stress-relieving device (you can also use a food processor).
Once crushed, your Nilla wafers should look a little bit like this.
In a medium bowl, beat up your eggs well and coarsely chop your pecans.
Then toss all remaining ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix until well blended (about two minutes should be more than enough).
It will look like this. You can do this with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
Now if y’all don’t dip a spoon in that and take a bite then something is wrong with you!
Pour cake batter into a greased and floured tube pan or bundt cake pan.
To grease my bundt pan, I dip a paper towel in shortening and smear it all over the insides of my pan. Then I put a few tablespoons of flour in and turn my pan while patting it a bit until the flour has coated the inside. Then I hold it over the trash can upside down and pat it until the excess falls out.
Bake at 350 for one hour. Cool cake for at least 10 minutes in the pan before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Oh my goodness gracious, don’t we all just love Mama Reed now?
Serve your vanilla wafer cake with a dollop of whipped cream and extra chopped pecans to happy people (if they weren’t happy before, they will be now).
Storage
Covered cake leftovers will last at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
- The old-fashioned recipe often called for frozen coconut. You can use whatever you have on hand or prefer, whether that’s canned coconut flakes or bagged coconut.
- If you don’t like coconut and/or pecans, you can leave them out.
Recipe FAQs
How do you serve vanilla wafer cake?
You can serve your vanilla cake on its own, dusted with powdered sugar, or with whipped cream (here’s my homemade whipped cream recipe). For a more decadent dessert, add a drizzle of caramel sauce or a serving of fresh berries. Another option is to butter the cake and toast it quickly in the air fryer. That’s a Paula Deen recommendation. YUM.
You might also enjoy these delectable cake recipes:
Caramel Apple Cake from Mama Reed
Old-Fashioned Crispy Tea Cake Cookies
Chocolate Pound Cake with Fudge Glaze
Ingredients
- 6 whole eggs
- 1 can sweetened coconut flakes equals 1 cup of bagged coconut
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 box vanilla wafers 12-ounce
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup chopped nuts we use pecans
Instructions
- Crush vanilla wafers in a large sealable bag with a rolling pin.1 box vanilla wafers
- Beat eggs well in a medium bowl and add all remaining ingredients. Mix for a couple of minutes with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until blended.6 whole eggs, 1 can sweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 cup milk, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup chopped nuts
- Pour the cake batter into a greased and floured tube or bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
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This recipe featured on Meal Plan Monday
First – I love your blog. I have tried many of the recipes and they all turn out fantastic. Plus, the way you blog makes your site so much fun to turn to everyday. With that said, I just made your Vanilla Wafer Cake. Please tell me what could have happened. I bake all the time; I love being in the kitchen all day fixing new and exciting foods. But, when I made this it did not raise nor did it come out of the bundt pan. The only thing I did different was I did not use a mixer (don’t know if you did) but I mixed it for about 2 min. with spoon and I used the commercial type spray for buttering and flouring my pan. It’s a nice day here and humidity shouldn’t have played a factor. I love the taste but had to dig it out of the pan and like I said, it did not raise even the slightest. Please help! Thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes.
I have an older thin bundt pan that this cake really sticks to and a newer thicker one that this cake turns out of really well; I think you should try using a lot of crisco instead of cooking spray and see if it comes out easier!
I have been reading through my Grandma’s recipe collection. Some eople read books and magazines but I read old recipes. Anyway, just this weekend I collected another bagful (she has drawers full) from her to peruse and I saw this recipe. It stuck outbecause I wondered ow using crushed wafers instead of flour would look. I couldn’t believe when I checked your blog (my new favorite) just now and there it was. Never fear, I will try it now… it seems like destiy…hehe. Grandma’s recipe has one difference: hers calls for 1 cup of butter and yours has* none*. I believe I will try yours first, as I don[t believe Grandma ever actually made this cake.
Thanks… I love coming here!
I have made it both ways, with & without butter and they both turned out just fine!
This is truly a wonderful cake. My mother-in-law use to bake them for the fall holidays. We call it Nana’s cake in our home. My son Cory’s favorite cake. Funny story, Inez use to tell us she made up this cake recipe and would not give it out. I stole the recipe one Thanksgiving!! Then found it in several cookbooks over the years. I wish I had the secret on what she did to the banana’s for the banana pudding! Thank you Mama Reed and Christy.
Well, Christy, you just published my secret method for preparing the cake pan. “(I just dip a paper towel into some shortening and smear it all over the insides of my pan, then put a few tablespoons of flour in and turn my pan while patting it a bit until the flour has coated the inside. Then I hold it over the trash can upside down and pat it until the excess falls out)” It’s that “hold it over the trash can” that stops kitchen visitors in their tracks. I can hear their thoughts: “Lord a mercy, what is that woman doin’?” Ranks right up there with spraying a pan over the open dishwasher door to catch the stray mist. Gotta love ya!
What can I say, another winner!! I made this cake last night and my husband ate three huge slices. After he ate his third slice I told him what I used to make the cake. He couldn’t believe it. I think the next time (and there will be a next time) I am going to add cherries or pineapple.
Thank you and Mama Reed. Oh! I’m also going to make Mama Reed’s rice pudding for Friday’s dinner. I just love receiving your emails, reading your stories and of course your recipes. Have a great day.
Can’t wait to try this! Thanks Mama Reed!
I didn’t even think they made coconut in the can anymore cause you certainly can’t find it here up North! I grew up with southern parents in Texas and coconut was a presence in my life ie. coconut cake, coconut candy, fresh coconut cut right out of the shell and eaten as a treat. I always loved sneaking some of the moist sweet coconut out of the can when it was opened. I have lived the last 25 years here in Wisconsin though and up North they don’t seem to appreciate coconut like people do in the south. I think I have to give this cake a try soon!