Fruit Cocktail Cake Vintage Recipe
Fruit cocktail cake is a vintage recipe straight out of Grandma’s recipe box. It’s easy to make, delivers a moist dense cake, and is packed full of flavor!
As a child, I remember thinking that my grandma’s favorite fruit was Fruit Cocktail. She used it in so many ways!
I also remember fighting over the bright red cherries in the mixture. Everybody wanted to have a cherry and there were never enough to go around.
Suggestion to the Fruit Cocktail makers of the world…create a new product that is just a big old can of fruit cocktail cherries without the cocktail!
Recently I was going through grandma’s recipe box, looking for a new idea to make for dessert. I found grandma’s recipe for Fruit Cocktail Cake and thought it sounded good. It sure was simple!
Make It a Meal:
For breakfast, add a banana and a cup of coffee, you will be all set. For lunch, a small salad and a fruit cup would be all you need alongside this cake.
And if you insist on serving the cake for dessert simply top with some whipped cream or plain vanilla ice cream.
This spicy, mild flavored cake is a nice way to finish off a meal of Taco Sloppy Joes and Gooey Cheesy Potatoes.
Pin It:
If you love this recipe and want to save it for later, pin it to your Pinterest account.
Variations:
Instead of using a can of fruit cocktail, you could use any diced fruit that you like. Peaches or pears would be an excellent choice.
This cake bakes up super moist and spicy. I had a piece for dessert the first night and then ate the rest of the cake for breakfast over the week.
Lucky for me, my husband thinks cake should have a certain texture, and that doesn’t include fruit chunks in it.
This recipe is straight out of the sixties. I don’t know when fruit cocktail first became available, but this cake just screams “invite the neighbor ladies over for coffee and cake” to me. I know they did that in the 1950s and 1960s.
Grandma probably didn’t do much coffee klatching since she taught school and was a busy woman, but I can picture other mothers and wives in that small town using this cake as a morning snack.
[bctt tweet=”A vintage recipe for Fruit Cocktail Cake – flash back to the 1960s with this easy recipe. ” username=”ApronFreeCook”]
Toppings:
While adding a topping isn’t necessary, as this cake is delicious all by itself, there are several toppings you can add to put this cake over the edge!
Grandma always used Cool Whip topping on her desserts. It works well with this cake.
You could use the traditional sprinkle of powdered sugar. Place a doily or piece of paper with cut out designs over the cake before sprinkling the powdered sugar for an elegant appearance.
I used a mesh tea strainer ball to sprinkle my powdered sugar. Much easier for me to control than a whole strainer full of the white powder!
Simple vanilla icing is good. So is a glaze of powdered sugar and milk. Add a bit of toasted coconut if you’re looking for a tropical flair.
Storage:
Fruit cocktail cake keeps on the kitchen counter for a week, when covered in airtight container.
However, you’ll find that storing it in a handy location like this allows it to be eaten sooner rather than later.
Stored in the fridge, the cake will keep well up to two weeks.
Fruit Cocktail Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
Eggs, Sugar, Flour, Salt, Cinnamon, Baking Soda, Fruit Cocktail, Nuts (optional)
Directions:
Beat the eggs. Add the sugar and mix well. Add flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and juice from the fruit cocktail. Beat and then fold in the fruit and nuts. Bake.
Fruit Cocktail Cake
Grandma's cake is made with the classic fruit cocktail and some spice. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- 1 3/4 c. Sugar
- 2 1/4 c. Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 15 oz Fruit Cocktail
- 1 c. Nuts optional
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Drain the juice from the can of fruit cocktail into a small bowl. Save.
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Using a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs.
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Add the sugar and mix together well.
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Add flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and juice from the fruit cocktail. Beat until smooth.
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Fold in the fruit and nuts (if using).
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Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Recipe Notes
To make cupcakes: spoon into muffin tins and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.Â
To bake as a loaf cake: grease a 9x5x3 bread pan and bake 30 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees.Â
Test with a toothpick to determine if the cake is done. Toothpick inserted should come out clean when cake is completely baked.Â
If you’re feeling like a retro dessert, this recipe’s for you. From my grandma’s recipe box to your table!
Approximate Nutritional Information:
Servings Per Recipe: 16, Total Per Serving: Calories: 230, Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 167mg, Total Carbs: 52g, Protein: 2g.
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