Texas Tornado Cake Southern Pineapple (Printable)

Moist Southern-style cake layered with crushed pineapple, coconut, and pecans, finished with a creamy buttery topping.

# What you'll 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the 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 - Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Add the entire can of crushed pineapple with juice and stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
04 - Gently fold in chopped pecans and shredded coconut until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
05 - Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
06 - While cake bakes, combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
07 - Immediately after removing cake from the oven, poke holes all over the surface using a fork or skewer. Pour the hot topping evenly over the hot cake.
08 - Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing. Serve at room temperature or warmed, with vanilla ice cream if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The hot topping trick creates the most incredible pudding-like layer that keeps the cake moist for days
  • It comes together in one bowl with zero fancy techniques but tastes like you spent all afternoon
02 -
  • The timing of pouring the sauce over hot cake is what creates that incredible moist texture throughout
  • Do not skip poking those holes, they are the highways for the sauce to travel through the cake
03 -
  • Use a skewer instead of a fork for bigger holes that let more sauce soak in
  • Let the sauce cool for just 2 minutes before pouring so it does not run off the sides

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