A scratch-made cake recipe made with crushed pineapple topped with a caramel pecan coconut icing very similar to German Chocolate icing.
When something really good happens to Husband, he’ll often proclaim, “God bless America!” Which is kinda funny because Husband is Canadian.
This special declaration is usually reserved for things he finds particularly outstanding. He’s even shouted this during the throes of passion a time or two {giggle}. I guess he just really likes life here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
So when I made this cake today and tasted the icing, I sounded just like Husband because the first thing out of my mouth was, “God bless America, that’s good.”
I mean, seriously, I just stood there for a while resting against the counter shaking my head because I needed a moment to compose myself. And I kept saying it over and over. God bless America. God bless America. God bless AMERICA!
I’d asked on the Facebook page the other day what sort of sweet treats y’all were hungry for because I was looking for ideas for something to cook over the weekend.
Someone suggested Cajun Cake. Well, I’d never heard of a Cajun Cake so I googled it and found this recipe which looked amazing so I decided to try it.
I made a few changes to the cake recipe but since I’d never made icing like this, I decided to make it almost exactly like it was written. And I’m glad I did.
I am SO glad I did.
Also? I’m calling this God Bless America Cake. For all my brothers on the Bayou, you’ll have to forgive me for giving your cake a nickname, but God bless America, I can’t help it!
God Bless America Cake
Yield: 12-15 Servings
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 40 Mtotal time: 50 M
A scratch-made cake recipe with crushed pineapple with a caramel pecan coconut icing.
ingredients:
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, with juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Icing:
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut*
- 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
instructions:
How to cook God Bless America Cake
- Make the cake:
- Spray a 3-qt 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- Cream together eggs, vegetable oil, pineapple (with juice from can), sugar and brown sugar. Mix in flour mixture until all ingredients are well combined. Pour batter into baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. While cake is baking, prepare the icing.
- Prepare the icing:
- Heat evaporated milk, butter, sugar and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling; stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to medium and boil mixture for 10-15 minutes or until a caramel colored and thickened; stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans. Let icing cool 5 minutes then spread over warm cake. Rest cake, uncovered, 2 hours before serving.
- To store, cover and set at room temperature – cake does not need to be refrigerated.
- *I used a 7-ounce bag of coconut which physically measured 2 cups for me though the manufacturer states on the package the bag contains 2 2/3 cups.
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Up North in Michigan we use this icing on German Chocolate Cake. I also put it Oatmeal Cake and Apple Cake - so luscious! It's often called German Icing or more generic, Coconut Pecan Icing. I believe the reference is more to the Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish rather than the European Germany. Wherever it came from, I agree, it is outstanding!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog, it's one of the few that I check regularly. My recipe box is beginning to look more like it belongs to you than to me. LOL
It's totally a German Chocolate Cake frosting! That's the first thing that came to mind when I read the ingredients. I can't wait to put this on other yummy treats! Or just make some more so I can stand at the counter and eat it out of the pan!
DeleteIf you really look into it, I believe a man with the last name of German worked for the Baker company and developed the chocolate and it was called German's chocolate. Somewhere along the line, the 's was dropped.
DeleteI was just going to post that we also use this icing on German Chocolate Cake in Kentucky. It is so good though isn't it? Hard for me not to just eat the icing.
Deletep.s. Love the recipes. I pin just about every one!
ReplyDeleteI've made this cake for years and call it "Granny Cake". Don't know the reasoning behind that but I love God Bless America Cake better!!!
ReplyDeleteCompletely amazing- my MIL asked what it was called before eating it and made a funny face- then when she ate a bite, she just nodded her head and said God Bless America that's good- and then just nodded and understood the name:) thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHaha! That's awesome! Glad y'all liked it!
DeleteThis cake look's amazingly delicious, the icing remind's me so much of German Chocolate cake with the coconut pecan icing! The German Chocolate happen's to be one of my favorite's, so I know no one will have to twist my arm to try it, I could probably eat the WHOLE darn thing! lol I just want you to know that I think your web site is really a BIG HIT with me! You are a very personable hostess on here, your beautiful smile seem's to just draw you here like magic. Keep up the GREAT work, i'll be here as long as you are!!!!
ReplyDeleteReally??? Holy crappp!!! I WILL eat the whole damn thing when I make it...your stuff ROCKS!!! I love ya!!!
ReplyDeleteShould this icing thicken before it is poured over the cake? I cooked mine the listed time, but it was still quite liquid. I'm guessing I should have continued to cook it until it set up - could you add a temperature or other direction to indicate what thing should look like when the icing is done?
ReplyDeleteNo, it's pretty thin when you pour it on. It will set as it cools on the cake. As long as you boiled it 12-15 minutes you should be good to go!
DeleteThanks! Cooling now. :)
DeleteMy Mom has made this for years. She calls it "Doodle Cake". No clue why, but it's amazing with a glass of cold milk. :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks so moist and delicious. The frosting is familiar but I have only had it on chocolate cakes. I cannot wait to try this out. PS: I poked around your blog while I was here, I love it :)
ReplyDeleteit stays moist a long time--not sure HOW long...it doesn't last long enough to see. ;)
DeleteI made this cake for my Dad's Birthday this weekend, German Chocolate cake is his favorite, but I wanted to mix it up a little bit. The cake was super moist and very delicious. However the icing wouldn't thicken for me. Ended up more like a "Poke Cake" but still tasted lovely. My aunt suggested to me to add 3 egg yolks to the icing recipe to thicken it up.
ReplyDeleteOMG this sounds like a sweetness overdose! What a way to go though!
ReplyDeleteGod Bless America today and every day!
Pinning it!!
German Chocolate Cake isn't very honoring on Veterans Day.
ReplyDeleteI love this cake! This is the first cake I've made from scratch and it turned out perfectly. I didn't have pecans, so I used walnuts instead. My hubby loves it even more than I do...he had it at breakfast and lunch! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us!
ReplyDeleteI was going to make your Preacher Cake (had it pinned for months), but then I saw this cake. With coconut pecan frosting? God Bless America! I can't wait to taste it!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if when you said to mix the flour, baking soda and salt is that just whisking it together or do you sift it together? I saw this cake on Pinterest and was like OMG I have got to get this recipe. Thank you for your response.
ReplyDeleteJust mix it together as best you can. Use a whisk, spoon, fork, elbow, etc. :)
DeleteCan you use self rising flour?
DeleteI grew up eating Cajun cake. We would have it for special occasions and was always cooked in 9x13 pan. Yours looks a lot like it but mommas cake was a lot thicker/taller than this. The icing is so rich you need more cake to icing ratio.
ReplyDeleteThis looks absolutely delicious and I will definitely be making it!! I just have two questions, is it possible to use less butter in the icing? Also, how long should I wait after taking the cake out of the oven to spread the icing on it? Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't try to make this with less butter, no. You put this on the cake when it's still warm. I start cooking the icing when I take the cake out and the timing works out perfectly!
DeleteThis looks amazing! Thanks for posting it!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this cake!!! I have made it for years EXCEPT i do not use pineapple i use fruit cocktail. It is one of my all time favorites.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say how happy I am I found your web site. I'm from New Orleans and I love all the recipes you are sharing. I just want to say I was taught if you can't say something nice don't say anything! Thanks and God bless you for all do to help others. Granny G
ReplyDeleteGot mixed up on the frosting and put sweeten condensed milk in the frosting instead of evaporated milk. It worked. The frosting was thicker and took the cake from God bless America to Oh Heavenly Father, God bless America.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try this
DeleteI've made this cake twice and the icing has come out perfect & delicious both times. However, the cake itself always comes out a bit dry & hard. And I don't understand the reason for this mishap. The first time I followed the instruction exactly as written but the second time I stained the pineapple juice thinking this to be the reason for the prolonged baking time. But it still took about an hour to cook ( the center) and it still came out a hard.
ReplyDeleteHELP - any suggestions??
Oh goodness! Well, I'm not what I'd consider an expert baker but I'm thinking you're baking the cake way too long. Are you using a traditional 3-qt 13x9 pan? Maybe if you're using something smaller in diameter but deeper, the center can't get done. I've never cooked this longer than 30 minutes. If you do the "toothpick" test you may see a few bits sticking to the toothpick that are actually pineapple, not uncooked batter.
DeleteHi! Well, I made this cake for Easter. It is amazing!!!!!! My husband loved it!!!! So simple to make. The icing was amazing. The process in making this cake was spot on to what you said. Thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds good. I don't know why people keep talking about German chocolate cake since pineapple is in it. Will definitely try.
ReplyDeleteThe icing uses white sugar, not brown sugar?
ReplyDeleteJust what I was looking for!! Needed a last minute Labor Day cake with the ingredients I had on hand!! Sooo I used a butter cake mix it called for 3 eggs instead of 2 1/3C butter and I used the 2oz can of pineapple for the liquid.in a 9×13pan baked 35 mins.
ReplyDeleteIcing...it only had sweeten condensed milk so omitted the sugar used only 1 stick of butter and cooked till light golden in color added vanilla coconut and pecans..It was quite thick but worked great!!! Thanks for the inspiration, sorry for all the changes !! Worked great though
My grandmother was making this cake when I was a little girl 60 years ago and said her mother had made it since she was a child. But she put pecans in the cake and frosted it with homemade cream cheese icing. She called it a "Confederacy Cake" and said her mother had always insisted that it had been served at Jefferson Davis' inaugural dinner. Regardless, it is still our family's most called for dessert. I live in Michigan now, transplanted from Tennessee and South Your Mouth keeps me grounded to my roots. Thank you! Angie
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I did, I made this cake step by step exact time etc. The middle sank and I think I put to much frosting. I'm bummed 😔😔😔
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I could think is that it didn't cook long enough maybe? Did you do the "toothpick test" to be sure it was done before you finished baking it? Unfortunately many ovens are off quite a bit from actual temperatures... maybe yours runs a little on the cool side?
DeleteTotally Delicious!!!! I took this to work Thursday and got rave reviews. The frosting definitely reminds me of german chocolate cake/pie which is my absolute favorite. Thanks for the wonderful recipe Mandy. This is a definite keeper!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I did my grocery shopping last night, so I won't be able to make this cake soon...but that fact did not deter me from printing it RIGHT UP and I will be making it for my peeps when this isolation business is over! Thanks for a delish looking cake recipe - and God Bless America indeed!
ReplyDeleteI’ve been making this cake for years, it was called a do nothing cake. It called to poke holes in the cake, and for the frosting to be thinner. But I experimented and started making my frosting just like yours, and truly love this cake. I love the name of your cake too and will start calling it that from now on! Thank you!
ReplyDeletePeggy; exactly what I was going to said. Is a Do-nothing cake.
DeleteI made a cake years ago almost like this but it was called "Crumb" Cake. It was made with crushed Graham crackers for the cake part, crushed pineapple, coconut, pecans. The icing was powdered sugar, butter and cream cheese(beaten), drained crushed pineapple, pecans. So good!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a cake my mother made us 5 kids all our lives called Fruit Cocktail Cake. he started making it in the 60s. Instead of pineapple, she used fruit cocktail, and it was always so delicious. Now my sister makes it and our entire family loves it. It called for the very same icing!
ReplyDeleteThe cake turned out great, the icing was perfect. Homemade icings are always way better.will make again.
ReplyDeleteThis cake is good but incredibly sweet! My friends will love it, but it’s too much for me.
ReplyDeleteI think that when I make it again I will make only 1/2 the amount of icing. My 9x 13 almost overflowed.