Texas Tornado Cake (Printable Version)

Moist Southern layer cake with crushed pineapple, coconut, and pecans under a sweet creamy butter sauce

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice
08 - 1 cup chopped pecans
09 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

→ Topping

10 - 1 cup granulated sugar
11 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
12 - 1 cup evaporated milk
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan thoroughly.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
03 - Add eggs, vanilla extract, and entire can of crushed pineapple with juice. Stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
04 - Gently fold chopped pecans and shredded coconut into batter until evenly distributed.
05 - Pour batter into prepared pan, spread evenly, and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
06 - While cake bakes, combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in saucepan. Bring to gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
07 - Immediately after removing cake from oven, poke holes across surface with fork or skewer. Pour hot topping evenly over hot cake.
08 - Allow cake to cool completely before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cake stays incredibly moist for days, thanks to all that pineapple and the milky butter sauce
  • It comes together faster than you can preheat the oven, no mixer needed
  • This recipe feeds a crowd without requiring fancy techniques or expensive ingredients
02 -
  • Pour the topping over the cake while both are still hot, that's when the magic happens
  • Don't overmix the batter or the cake can become tough, just stir until combined
  • The holes you poke help that butter sauce soak deep into every layer
03 -
  • Use a skewer instead of a fork for poking holes, it makes cleaner channels for the sauce
  • Line your pan with parchment paper for easy removal if you want to present it on a serving platter

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