NOTE: I left a vital ingredient out on the previous version–must have sneezed at a vital point. Sorry about that!
We interrupt this blast to the past with . . . cake. Sorry, I’ve been sick lately and am still a bit scattered but didn’t want another sweltering day to go by without sharing this refreshing bit of goodness on a fork.
Backing up . . . on my recent weekend jaunt to East Texas (home of the chicken), our little group ate dinner here:
“No, really, I can’t,” I said. And I meant it. But Paula thought she could squeeze in a little something, so she ordered Jordan’s recommendation, the Pineapple 7-Up Cake. It arrived and she took a bite. Her eyes grew wide as she exclaimed around a mouthful of goodness, “mwmfsglrbrfk!”
For those of you who don’t speak cake, this translates to “Wow! This is amazing!”
So I had to try it and she was right; it was definitely mwmfsglrbrfk. Listening to our rapturous moans with a knowing smile, young Jordan asked, “You want the recipe?” We responded with vigorous nods and a resounding “ynweofxz” which Jordan (clearly fluent in cake) immediately decoded as “Yes, please!”
About now you’re probably wondering why I called this “church lady cake” and here’s why: First it looks like something a sweet little old lady would bring to a church potluck—at least to any church potluck anywhere in the South. Second, the recipe was handwritten and short on details, much like other recipes I’ve received from the aforementioned church ladies.
It’s moist and fruity and tastes old-fashioned in the best possible way. It’s about as good as a non-chocolate dessert could be. If you store it in the fridge and cut yourself a cold slice to eat on a hot summer day . . . well, your tastebuds will thank you.
What follows is my slightly clarified version of the recipe received.
Pineapple 7-Up Cake
For the Cake . . .
1 Pineapple Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines but any would do)
8 oz (1 cup) 7-Up*
¾ cup Oil
4 Eggs
Mix together and beat 2 minutes. Pour into 2 greased and flowered 9-inch cake pans. I recommend adding parchment paper to the pans first; it’s a sticky cake.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done (mine took more like 40 minutes). Cool on a rack with a dish towel over the layers to retain moisture.
For the Icing . . .
1 stick Butter
1 ½ cups Sugar
2 Eggs
4-5 Tablespoons Flour (In the spirit of church ladies, I just eyeballed the flour)
1 can pineapple (whoops! I missed that first time around, sorry about that!)
Melt butter in the top of a double boiler,* add remaining ingredients and cook over medium/high heat until thick, stirring regularly to avoid burning. Let cool. Assemble cake and you’ll get something like this:
*For my readers outside the US, 7-Up is a sweet, white, carbonated soft drink.
**If you don’t have a double boiler—I don’t—just put a couple inches of water in a large pot and balance a metal or glass bowl over it, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Do not use a plastic bowl or runny icing will be the least of your worries.
i can TOTALLY vouch for this cake! “Xcguuude” and “gmssh” (translate: Fabo and delish) thanks for sharing Cake lady! 🙂
The cake looks and sounds delish–but I have one question–it looks like there is crushed pineapple in the icing, but it is not listed in the ingredients. Thanx. BTW, I really enjoy your posts and also when you write for the singles column.
I just saw the updated version & the can of pineapple. Thanx again.
[…] Comments « Church Lady Cake (Updated) […]
I have been looking for this recipe but i believe it had coconut in the cake and in the icing.
What size can of pineapple? Small, medium, or large?