This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Fruit cocktail cake is a retro recipe that stands the test of time! This cake is moist and slightly sweet, topped with a decadent coconut and pecan frosting.<\/em><\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s because I grew up learning to bake from my Nana, but I kind of love old-fashioned recipes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sometimes they\u2019re kind of quirky, like\u00a0eggless chocolate cake<\/a>. Sometimes they use a lot of jello or cool whip, like\u00a0strawberry pretzel salad<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0watergate salad<\/a>.<\/p>\n And sometimes they\u2019re just darn delicious, like\u00a0date cake<\/a>,\u00a0date bread<\/a>, and this fruit cocktail cake.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019ve never heard of fruit cocktail cake\u2026well, you\u2019re not alone. This is definitely a retro recipe that is wildly popular in some areas and pretty unknown in others.<\/p>\n But I\u2019m petitioning that we bring this recipe back into popularity, because it really is a good one!<\/p>\n Fruit cocktail cake consists of a moist, slightly sweet cake that is topped with a hot coconut and pecan frosting. It can be served warm or at room temperature.<\/p>\n It\u2019s called fruit cocktail cake because an entire can of fruit cocktail makes up the wet ingredients in the cake batter. (Kind of like how we make\u00a0easy peach coffee cake<\/a>!)<\/p>\n The fruit cocktail gives the cake a slightly fruity flavor, tons of moisture, and a bit of sweetness. When you pair it with the rich frosting, it\u2019s almost impossible to stop after just one piece!<\/p>\n Oh, and did I mention that it is a SUPER easy recipe to make? Like, you literally just need 1 bowl to make the cake batter.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is such an easy to recipe to make, I bet this fruit cocktail cake is going to go into permanent rotation at your house when you need a simple dessert.<\/p>\n For the fruit cocktail cake batter, you will need:<\/p>\n Super short ingredient list, right? If you bake a lot, you probably already have most of what you need on hand.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll notice that aside from the eggs, there is no fat in this recipe. But I promise that the fruit cocktail is still going to give this cake a moist, rich texture, so you won\u2019t miss the butter or oil!<\/p>\n You do need to use fruit cocktail in heavy syrup, not juice. And make sure you do NOT drain it! You need the syrup for the cake batter to come together.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t like all of the fruits in fruit cocktail or if you are allergic to some of them, you could easily substitute a 15.25-ounce can of diced pears or peaches in heavy syrup instead.<\/p>\n The frosting is really what makes this cake shine. For that, you will need:<\/p>\n This is a hot frosting that gets cooked together on the stove before you pour it over the still-warm cake.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can use sweetened or unsweetened coconut, whichever you happen to have on hand.<\/p>\n I like to toast the pecans and coconut before adding them to the frosting, but you can leave them both untoasted if you want.<\/p>\n The batter for this cake comes together in one bowl.<\/p>\n In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until light in color and well combined. Whisk in the vanilla.<\/p>\n Switching to a spatula, stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and fruit cocktail with its syrup. Spread the batter into a greased 9\u00d713-inch cake pan.<\/p>\n Bake the cake at\u00a0350\u00b0F. for 35-40 minutes; the top of the cake will be dark and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.\u00a0<\/p>\n About 10 minutes before the cake is done baking, start making the frosting.<\/p>\n In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, start stirring constantly and boil for 2 minutes.<\/p>\n After 2 minutes, take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla, pecans, and coconut.<\/p>\n When the cake is done baking, use a fork to poke holes all across the cake. Pour the hot frosting over the hot cake and spread it out evenly with a spatula.<\/p>\n Let the fruit cocktail cake cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.<\/p>\n This is a very moist cake, so I suggest storing it covered at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.<\/p>\n You can microwave a slice of cake for 30 seconds or so to warm it through again before enjoying.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You could swap the can of fruit cocktail for a 15.25 ounce can of diced peaches or diced pears in heavy syrup. Do not drain the fruit before adding it to the cake.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n If you are allergic to pecans, you could omit them and increase the amount of coconut.<\/p>\n I would not make this frosting without the coconut, however. The coconut helps give some body to the frosting.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Spray (1<\/span>) 9\u00d713-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs until combined and light in color. Add the vanilla extract and whisk to combine.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Switch to a spatula. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the fruit cocktail with its syrup. Stir until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n About 10 minutes before the cake is done baking, start the frosting.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Add the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n After 2 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, pecans, and coconut.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n When the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes across the top of the cake with a fork. Pour the hot frosting over the cake, spreading it out with a spatula.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Allow to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Serving: <\/span>1<\/span>slice<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Calories: <\/span>423<\/span>kcal<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Carbohydrates: <\/span>59<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Protein: <\/span>6<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Fat: <\/span>19<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Saturated Fat: <\/span>10<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Polyunsaturated Fat: <\/span>2<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Monounsaturated Fat: <\/span>6<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Trans Fat: <\/span>0.3<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Cholesterol: <\/span>56<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Sodium: <\/span>343<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Potassium: <\/span>183<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Fiber: <\/span>2<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Sugar: <\/span>41<\/span>g<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Vitamin A: <\/span>351<\/span>IU<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Vitamin C: <\/span>1<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Calcium: <\/span>103<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Iron: <\/span>2<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy. Fruit cocktail cake is a retro recipe that stands the test of time! This cake is moist and slightly sweet, topped with a decadent coconut and pecan frosting. Maybe it\u2019s because I grew up learning to bake from my Nana, but I kind of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":211792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[4394,2884,2954,8990,475],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-211791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baking-category-a-b","tag-addiction","tag-baking","tag-cake","tag-cocktail","tag-fruit"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2-7-210x315.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"Cooled](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/3-7-210x315.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"Cake](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1-7-210x315.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/plated-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Cooled](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cooled-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\"\/)
![\"Cooled](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cooled-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nWhat is fruit cocktail cake?<\/h2>\n
![\"Cake](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/serving-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\"\/)
![\"Cake](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/serving-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nHow to make fruit cocktail cake<\/h2>\n
Ingredients you\u2019ll need<\/h3>\n
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![\"Ingredients](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/fruit-cocktail-cake-ingredients.jpg\"\/)
![\"Ingredients](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/fruit-cocktail-cake-ingredients.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n
Making this easy cake<\/h3>\n
![\"Wet](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/fruit-cocktail-cake-wet-ingredients.jpg\"\/)
![\"Wet](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/fruit-cocktail-cake-wet-ingredients.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Batter](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/fruit-cocktail-cake-batter.jpg\"\/)
![\"Batter](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/fruit-cocktail-cake-batter.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Batter](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/unbaked-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\"\/)
![\"Batter](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/unbaked-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n![\"Pecan](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/pecan-coconut-frosting.jpg\"\/)
![\"Pecan](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/pecan-coconut-frosting.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Baked](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/holes-in-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\"\/)
![\"Baked](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/holes-in-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Fruit](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/frosted-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\"\/)
![\"Fruit](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/frosted-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nStorage<\/h2>\n
![\"Overhead](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/sliced-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\"\/)
![\"Overhead](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/sliced-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nHelpful resources<\/h2>\n
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Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
![\"Fork](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cutting-bite-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\"\/)
![\"Fork](\"https:\/\/www.mybakingaddiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cutting-bite-fruit-cocktail-cake.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n
\nIf you don\u2019t care for fruit cocktail or are allergic to some of the fruits in it, you could easily make this cake using a 15.25-ounce can of diced pears or peaches in heavy syrup instead.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n