Cooking Lesson #741: Ed’s Easy, Lazy-Man’s Cake

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? It’s Sunday morning and I have a bunch of people coming over for Brunch. I have about a million things spinning in my head. What kind of morning cake can I make in a hurry?
 
I went to my standby database of Perspectives’ recipes and pulled up My Palm Grill favorites Brunch Bakes. The first thing I clicked on was Ed’s Easy, Lazy-Man’s Cake—OH YEEEAAAH… that’s it!
 
This is old southern, baking soda family cake is so good, and the best part about it is that it’s so easy to make and it’s packed with loads of Southern pecan flavor. It’s customizable (see ChefSecret) and is easier and better than a store-bought boxed cake!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  35 to 45 minutes
Yield:  16 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 slightly beaten eggs,
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
16 ounces canned crushed pineapple with juice
 
For the frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 cup lightly toasted shredded coconut
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
Directions
To make the cake

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Butter or spray a 13 X 9-inch baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together all the cake batter ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Pour the batter into a prepared baking dish.
5. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake.

To make the frosting

1. While cake is still baking, prepare the frosting.
2. Heat the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in a small saucepan until boiling.
3. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
4. Remove from heat and add in the coconut and pecans.
5. Remove the cake from oven and using a wooden skewer or spoon handle begin poking holes in the cake to allow the hot frosting to get down and soak into the cake.
6. Pour frosting over the warm cake, spreading it out to make sure it’s all evenly covered.
7. Allow the cake to cool for a bit before cutting.
8. Due to the frosting seeping into the cake, it is very moist!
9. Enjoy.​

ChefSecret:  I like to add a couple of tablespoons of crushed pineapple to the frosting mixture. I also sometimes switch out the vanilla extract in the frosting for almond extract. You can enhance the flavor by adding in some blueberries to the cake batter.

Quip of the Day:  Don’t get mad at lazy people; they didn’t do anything.
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