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 Time10

Cook Time45

Cool Time15

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Tornado Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 384kcal

Ingredients

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 9x13 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