My mother’s birthday was last Friday. At 76-years-old, she gets around great and still drives which makes her very popular at the senior apartments where she lives. She has a group of friends who play cards a few nights each week and there are always snacks. Because mom and her peer group were teenagers during the 50’s, pineapple and coconut were a treat that was considered exotic when they were girls in fact; the 50’s was all about Hawaii as the U.S. determined it to be the 50th State. Beginning in about 1951 my Nana started making cake for my mother’s birthday. Somewhere along the way she stopped making the cake and mom started having something else to celebrate each year. I decided to bring it back this year so mom and her friends could have a walk down memory lane this weekend. Nana’s recipe is quick and very easy – it had to be because I made it at 5AM yesterday morning. We took it over to mom when it was still early so the only cut shot I took was from a camera phone standing outside on her porch with my Eskimo Joe’s shirt as a background.
Cake Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 Cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (15 1/2 oz.) can crushed pineapple
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Icing Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter
1 small can evaporated milk (5 oz.)
1 Cup pecans, chopped
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 Cups coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
Cake Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.
Add beaten eggs, pineapple, and vanilla.
Mix well and pour into 9″x13″ pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-40 minutes. Begin checking at 25 for center of cake to spring back.
Icing Directions:
Prick the cake with a toothpick like this:
Put all ingredients into large pan and bring to a boil.
Boil for 6 minutes while stirring.
Pour over the cake while cake is still warm like this:
Doesn’t it look wonderful? Good news, you can use this icing over a chocolate cake and call it German chocolate!