This vintage fruit cocktail cake recipe is easy as can be to make. The batter comes together in just a couple of minutes and it bakes into a lovely rich dessert that tastes like it came straight from grandma’s kitchen.
If you are looking for a quick and easy dessert that you can memorize the recipe and make any time, this is just the thing. It is loaded with fruit, but it is so much better than a dry or dense fruitcake.
So make sure you have a can of fruit cocktail ready to go. This old fashioned treat is on the menu and it is going to be delicious.
The batter for this cake only takes a few ingredients with no butter or oil. Literally everything you need but an egg can be stored in your pantry at all times.
I have been working my way through my grandma’s recipe box. There are so many great handwritten recipes in there.
Some are hers and you can tell others were given to her by friends. This recipe for fruit cocktail cake is on a scrap of paper with the name Anna Sprock on the bottom.
I would like to imagine that my grandma was hanging out with Anna drinking coffee and enjoying a slice of this cake and was so enamored with it that she asked for the recipe. I will have to ask her to see if she remembers how she came to have this recipe.
Either way, I loved fruit cocktail as a child. Especially when it had lots of cherries in there.
We use it for frozen fruit salad, but otherwise I don’t think to pick up a can very often. So I used this as an excuse to get some cans with extra cherries.
Making the Batter
Cakes really don’t get easier than this. Empty a can of fruit cocktail into a bowl and add an egg, flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.
Stir it all together and the batter is ready. It literally takes about 2 minutes to put it together.
The original recipe called for an 8×11-inch pan which isn’t a standard size. So instead I pulled out my trust 8×8″ square pan.
Pour the batter into a greased pan and top with some brown sugar. You can add chopped pecans as well, or some coconut flakes would be tasty.
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My boys are a bit picking about both of those additions, so I didn’t add either. I wanted to have help eating it!
Bake the cake for a little over an hour and you are ready to go. It reminds me kind a bit of a pineapple upside down cake but easier and less photogenic.
The edges have just a tiny bit of crunch with the caramelized sugar. The center is soft and the fruit adds lots of moisture.
We liked it best warm. It is fabulous on its own, but would also be great with some whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
You could easily reduce the sugar in this cake if you would like. The granulated sugar in the batter could be cut to 3/4 cup and you could use half of the brown sugar on top if you like your desserts a little less sweet.
Storage
Leftover cake can be store on the counter for up to three days. You can also tightly wrap the pan with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
You can also put slices of cake in airtight containers in the freezer for longer storage.
More Vintage Dessert Recipes
You can also try making fruit cocktail cake with a cake mix if you want. It is a super easy cake recipe that creates a lighter, fluffier cake than this recipe.
Butter cake with flaky fudge frosting is another old fashioned treat. My great-grandma made it for my mom’s birthday when she was a little girl and it is still my mom’s favorite.
Soft oatmeal step on cookies are another great option. The dough is rolled into balls and then refrigerated overnight before they are smashed and baked the next day. The resulting cookies are soft, mild and unlike the oatmeal cookies you are used to.
Frog eye salad is another fun and fruity dessert. The vintage recipe features a fruity custard with pasta and marshmallows for a tasty old timey treat.
Or try making an old fashioned sour cream raisin pie. The filling has an almost lemony tang and the fluffy meringue on top really finishes it off.
Vintage Fruit Cocktail Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 15 oz. can fruit cocktail
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F and grease an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- Add the 1 large egg and 15 oz. can fruit cocktail along with all of the juices from the can. Stir until uniform.
- Pour the cake batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the ½ cup light brown sugar over the batter.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving on its own or with whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
Video
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I still use my grandmother’s recipe to make fruit cocktail cake, which remains one of my favorites. The proportions are slightly different. Still one 15 oz. can of fruit cocktail, in heavy syrup, but 2 cups of flour, 1.5 cups of sugar, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 eggs. Pour into 9×13 baking pan/dish. Sprinkle a mixture of 1/2 cup light brown sugar and 1 cup coconut over the batter. Bake at 325 for 75-90 minutes making sure toothpick comes out relatively clean from center. While cake bakes, in medium saucepan on top of stove, combine 1.5 cups sugar, 1.5 sticks butter and 1 cup canned evaporated milk (not the sweetened kind). Heat to a boil and let go for a minute or two. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla. Let cool while cake finishes baking. Pour entire mixture over hot cake after it comes out of the oven. Definitely gooey sweet and best served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and a tall glass of cold milk! I’m anxious to try this version too!
Your grandma’s recipe sounds delicious. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
@Ken, i make my fruit cocktail cake the same as u Ken, with the evaporated milk mixture poored on top after being pulled out of the oven… This makes the cake so moist and delicious.. I would imagine the cake being pretty dry without doing this final step with the evaporated milk mixture… but could be wrong… 🤷♀️
@Ken, hi Ken I’m so excited to try your grandmother’s fruit cocktail cake recipe. I will let you know how it comes out.
My mom made it this way too..SO, SO GOOD!!!
How fun! It is such a tasty dessert.
My mother used to make this and now I do. I add flaked coconut to the brown sugar topping. I love this recipe because it’s easy,good and always moist.
Coconut would be a delicious addition. Thanks for the tip!
@Carlee hey Carlee I love the recipe cuz I do get so much fruit cocktail in my commodities and but what I had it just a tip is I added a level teaspoon of apple pie spice to it and I put just a little drizzle over the top of real melted butter probably about two tablespoons it really set it Off but I love your recipes thank you for always sharing such great tried and true recipes I’m 69 and an old cook but I’m known as the cook you have a blessed day Carolyn Allison from Minden Louisiana but Texas born and raised
apple pie spice and melted butter sound amazing! Thanks for the tip, I am going to try that. Thank you!
I added only 1/2 cup of sugar into the mix, considering that the fruit and syrup are so sweet. I only used 1/4 cup of brown sugar on top, and it came out delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
I am so glad you liked it!
Vintage Fruit Cocktail Cake Review : GREAT flavor and EASY to throw together.. BUT it would NOT get done . I ALWAYS double checked my ingredients and amounts pre baking !!
I suggest draining at least half say of the juice from the can of fruit cocktail . I used Del Monte so I don’t think it was overly fill of liquids being a name brand . Now I did use packed in its on juice ; not heavy syrup . Perhaps the heavy syrup type would be better . I’ll try it again using the “syrup” type !! Would’ve given (5) Stars ⭐️ if it would’ve cooked to cake consistency . (Was able to eat the outer parameters 😋😋😋..)
I’m glad you liked it despite it still being a little loose. I think it is definitely a moist cake, and kind of like the old fashioned pudding cakes it does stay a little gooey. But it shouldn’t have had a raw texture. You could definitely pour off some of the liquid and that would help it set better next time.
These are must try recipes. Thank you
I am glad you like them!
All I have is a 9×9 do you know what possibly would be the cooking time and can this be doubled for a 9×13 at the same cooking time……..at
Doubling it and baking it in a 9×13 should work well. It would probably take closer to a 70 minutes to bake as it would a little bit thicker than the original recipe. On the other hand, I would start checking the cake at 50-55 minutes if you use a 9×9 as the batter depth will be a little bit thinner so it should bake faster.
I’m thinking this would be perfect if it had a bourbon caramel sauce over it. Anyone who has ever had the bread pudding (with fruit cocktail in it) from Mother’s in New Orleans is likely to agree.
That sounds delicious!
Hi is the fruit cocktail in juice or syrup and do you use the juice or drain it?
Either juice or syrup should work. Don’t drain it, use the whole can. Thank you for asking, I will try to make that more clear in the recipe card.
I was craving this. You may want to edit the powdered sugar out of the directions tho.
Oh my goodness, yes. It should be brown sugar. Thanks for letting me know.
@Carlee, I’m making this again… husband decided he likes it with ice cream, although I grew up eating it with whipped cream.
Yay!! It is so good both ways!
Oh thank you for the recipe
It’s an oldie but goodie
These old classic recipes can be so good! I am glad you liked it.