Moist Fruit Cocktail Cake (Printable)

Tender cake bursting with canned fruit cocktail and luscious coconut frosting, perfect for gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 can (15 oz) fruit cocktail in juice, undrained
05 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Coconut Frosting

08 - 1 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1/2 cup whole milk
10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
11 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
12 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
03 - Add eggs, undrained fruit cocktail, and vanilla extract to dry mixture. Stir until just combined without overmixing.
04 - Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly.
05 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
06 - While baking, combine sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring frequently until it reaches a gentle boil.
07 - Remove frosting from heat. Stir in shredded coconut, nuts if using, and vanilla extract.
08 - Immediately after baking, pierce cake surface with a fork or skewer to create holes and pour hot frosting evenly over it.
09 - Let cake cool in the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist for days because the fruit cocktail juice does all the hydrating work for you.
  • That warm, poured-on frosting soaks into the hot cake and creates a practically decadent texture you can't get any other way.
  • It's forgiving enough that you can make it on a Tuesday night and confident enough to serve at a dinner party.
02 -
  • Don't skip poking those holes in the hot cake—I learned this the hard way by skipping that step once, and the frosting just glazed the surface instead of soaking through.
  • Draining the fruit cocktail is the fastest way to ruin this cake, so read the recipe twice if you need to.
  • Timing matters: pour the frosting onto hot cake, not room-temperature cake, or it won't have that silky, absorbed quality.
03 -
  • Use room-temperature eggs so they blend smoothly and incorporate more air into the batter.
  • Don't walk away while the frosting cooks; a watchful eye catches the moment it's ready before it burns or breaks.
Go Back