Texas Tornado Cake (Do Nothing Cake)

Overhead shot of one piece of tornado cake so the inside and coconut pecan topping are visible.

4.90 from 29 votes

This Texas Tornado Cake, also known as Do Nothing Cake, is an old-fashioned Southern dessert made with crushed pineapple and topped with a warm coconut pecan topping. The cake comes together in one bowl, making it an easy, incredibly moist dessert that's perfect for potlucks and family gatherings.

Prep Time15

Cook Time36

Total Time51

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: do nothing cake, texas tornado cake, tornado cake

Servings: servings

Calories: 491kcal

Author: Mindy Boyd

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs room temperature
1 can crushed pineapple, undrained 20 ounces
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the topping:

1 cup sugar
⅔ cup evaporated milk
½ cup butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened flake coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9" X 13" baking pan with cooking spray.
Mix flour, sugar, eggs, pineapple, baking soda and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until combined.
2 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 can crushed pineapple, undrained, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 28 - 36 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When the cake comes out of the oven poke holes in the top with the handle of a wooden spoon.

Make the topping:

Combine butter, evaporated milk, white sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, then cook over medium-high heat stirring often until slightly thickened, about 3 - 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut and nuts. Pour hot mixture over cake. Let cake sit about 5 minutes before serving.
1 cup sugar, ⅔ cup evaporated milk, ½ cup butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans

Video

Notes

The topping only thickens sightly so it can ooze down into the holes in the cake.

Nutritional information is approximate and will vary depending on the specific ingredients used.

Nutrition