Tornado Cake

Tornado cake is an easy-to-make dessert that incorporates the delicious and fruity taste of a moist pineapple cake with a nutty pecan and coconut topping.

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Our authentic-tasting tornado cake is a delicious version of the popular ‘Do Nothing Tornado Cake’. If you’ve seen photos of this moist, pineapple-flavored cake covered in decadent coconut sauce, you’ll understand why it’s a Southern favorite! 

Tornado Cake Ingredients

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The tornado cake from this recipe is a delectable delight, combining a moist and tender yellow cake infused with the tropical sweetness of crushed pineapple.

The rich topping, featuring a creamy caramel-like sauce, is further enhanced by crunchy chopped pecans and sweet flaked coconut. You’ll need:

For The Cake:

• 1 tablespoon of salted butter for greasing pan
• 1 package of yellow cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup of vegetable oil
• ¾ cup of evaporated milk
• 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple

For The Topping:

• 2 egg yolks
• ¾ cup of evaporated milk
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons of salted butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of chopped pecans
• 1 cup of sweetened flaked coconut 

Substitutions And Additions

WALNUTS: If you don’t particularly enjoy pecans but still want a nutty topping, you can substitute them for walnuts if you prefer.

FRUIT SALAD: Some variations of this recipe use canned fruit salad instead of crushed pineapple. You can substitute it here if you prefer a mix of fruit in your cake.

EGG: If you’re looking to substitute an egg, use ¼ cup (approximately 65 grams) of applesauce or ¼ cup of pureed bananas to replace a single egg.

EVAPORATED MILK: If you don’t have any evaporated milk on hand, you can make your own. Just place 3¼ cups full-fat milk into a small pot or pan (non-stick is best).

Simmer (DO NOT BOIL) the milk on low-medium for 25 minutes until it’s reduced to roughly 1½ to 1¼ cups of liquid.

Stir frequently as it’s cooking. Run it through a sieve to remove any skin that formed.

How To Make This Tornado Cake Recipe

Let’s walk through the steps for making this sweet cake and decadent topping.

For The Cake

STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350°F and then grease a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with a tablespoon of butter and set it aside for later.

STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cake mix, three eggs, vegetable oil, and the evaporated milk on medium speed for about two minutes.

STEP THREE: Dump in the crushed pineapple (including the juice) and stir the cake batter until it is fully combined.

STEP FOUR: Pour batter into the baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

For The Topping

STEP ONE: In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and evaporated milk.

STEP TWO: Add in the white sugar, butter, and vanilla. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.

STEP THREE: Simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and deepens to a golden color. 

STEP FOUR: Remove from the heat and stir in pecans and coconut flakes. Set it aside until the cake finishes baking.

STEP FIVE: When the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with the handle of a wooden spoon.

STEP SIX: Gently spread the coconut topping evenly over the cake.

STEP SEVEN: Allow the cake to cool slightly before cutting it into pieces and serving.

How To Serve

Serve this amazing cake warm. Add a scoop of our vanilla ice cream and whipped cream with your slice of cake.

Add one of our refreshing cold drinks, such as our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea on the side to wash it down.

Looking for more fruity desserts? Berry upside down cake is an excellent option, and this strawberry jello poke cake is a beautiful and delicious cake. Our hummingbird cake is moist and deliciously fruity.

MORE CAKE RECIPES

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Chocolate Poke Cake

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Boston Cream Poke Cake with Ganache

Storage

To store leftovers of this cake to enjoy later, here are a few helpful tips.

ON THE COUNTER/IN THE FRIDGE: To store this easy dessert in the fridge, place any of the leftovers into an airtight container, or cover them with plastic wrap to store on the countertop or in the fridge for two to three days.

IN THE FREEZER: Cover with plastic wrap completely and freeze for up to one month.

This Texas tornado cake recipe uses simple ingredients and is easy to make. The pineapple cake is sweet and moist, and the coconut topping is a sweet, coconut delight that bakes up golden brown. It’s a Southern classic you’ll love!

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Tornado Cake

5 from 3 votes

Tornado cake is an easy-to-make dessert that incorporates the delicious and fruity taste of a moist pineapple cake with a nutty pecan and coconut topping.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12

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Ingredients

  

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Cake

• 1 tablespoon salted butter, for greasing pan
• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 20 ounces pineapple, crushed

Topping

• 2 egg yolks
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

 

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9×13 inch glass baking dish with a tablespoon of butter and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together cake mix, 3 eggs, vegetable oil, and evaporated milk on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Mix in crushed pineapple (including juice) until combined.
• Pour the cake batter into the baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Topping

• In a heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and evaporated milk.
• Add sugar, butter, and vanilla and heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.
• Simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and deepens to a golden color. This takes about 5 minutes after the mixture has come to a boil).
• Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut flakes. Set aside until the cake finishes cooking.
• When the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with the handle of a wooden spoon. Gently spread the topping evenly over the top.
• Allow the cake to cool slightly before cutting it into pieces and serving.

Notes

• One 12-ounce can of evaporated milk splits perfectly between the cake and the topping, so if you’ve got a good eye, just add half to the cake and reserve the other half for the topping.
• Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cake as the suggested baking time approaches.
• Keep an eye on the mixture, as the only takes about 5 minutes after the mixture has come to a boil.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg

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