You Only Need One Bowl To Make This Vintage Southern Cake

If there's one thing you should know about us, it's that we rock hard with retro cakes. Whether we're resurrecting the vintage hummingbird cake of the '60s or Duncan Hines' old-school "Sock It To Me" cake from the '70s, we believe that everything old is new again when it comes to baking. Midcentury home cooks loved a cake that looked and tasted scrumptious while also saving time, because, like today's baking hobbyists, they had a million things to do and not enough hours to get it all done. Efficiency of creation is the defining feature of another classic cake, the Southern "Texas Tornado Cake," also known as "Do Nothing Cake" in the Midwest.

No matter what you call it, this cake is a one-bowl wonder if you don't count its topping. Classic cake ingredients are lightly stirred together with a can of crushed pineapple in a mixing bowl; no intense whisk work is required. After baking this batter, you prick holes in it with a straw, chopstick, or large-tined fork. Then, cover that with a syrupy topping made by boiling coconut flakes and crushed pecans in a glaze of butter, sugar, vanilla, and evaporated milk. While there are some mistakes that almost everyone makes when baking a cake, the Texas tornado cake is virtually foolproof and very forgiving. If you've ever made any variation on a poke cake, you know the drill: the gooey topping seeps into the holes in the cake, saturating it with sweetness and creating the most deliciously moist, rich texture imaginable.

Don't blink, or your Texas Tornado cake will up and disappear at a party or potluck, much like its namesake storm. The dessert is very rich and should be served in small squares, either warm or cold. A fluffy cloud of fresh whipped cream or some high-quality vanilla bean ice cream will help cut the intense sweetness of the cake and provide a creamy element to the dessert plate.

For the culinary creatives out there, variations on Texas Tornado cake exist. If pecans aren't your favorite, almonds or walnuts can be substituted for subtle riffs on flavor. Toasting the coconut flakes before making the icing would also yield some additional delicious nuttiness. Some bakers swear by adding maraschino cherries to the batter as well as pineapple for pops of flavor and bright color. When it comes to the topping, you can also choose between white sugar and brown sugar, with the latter providing that extra note of molasses. We've even seen some intrepid bakers stir spiced rum into the batter, which amps up the exquisite fragrance of the cake!

The big appeal of Texas Tornado Cake, other than tasting great, is that it's easy to pull together, so don't feel the need to overcomplicate the process. If you are looking for a luscious, unexpected addition to the dessert table at your next get-together, or even a weeknight treat for your family, take a step back in time and "do nothing" with this delectable cake!