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The name is the recipe. You do nothing. Four things go in a bowl for the cake, flour, a tin of crushed pineapple, sugar and eggs, and you stir them together. No creaming butter, no beater, no sifting.

While it bakes you boil butter, evaporated milk and sugar together, then stir coconut and pecans through it. That goes over the warm cake once you’ve stabbed it all over with a fork, and the topping soaks down into it.

Then it chills in the fridge for a few hours, which is the only part that needs any patience. It cuts into 12.

Why You’ll Love It

It’s a one-bowl cake with no butter to soften and nothing to beat, so it’s about as low-effort as baking gets. The tin of pineapple is doing the work of the fat and most of the liquid, which is why it stays so moist. The topping is a boiled three-ingredient sauce, it makes 12 generous squares, and it’s better on day two than day one.

Handy Tips

Don’t drain the pineapple. The juice is part of the batter, and draining it is the fastest way to end up with a dry cake. Stab the cake all over with a fork before the topping goes on, about 30 times, because that’s what lets the sauce soak in rather than sit on top. Pour the topping on while it’s still warm and spread it right to the edges. Then let it chill properly in the fridge, a few hours minimum, or the topping won’t have set and it will run off the slice.

Make It Your Way

Leave the pecans out if you’d rather, or swap them for walnuts, and the topping still works. For a bigger crowd it doubles into a larger tin easily, since there’s no delicate batter to worry about.

How to Store It

Keep it covered in the fridge for up to three days. It needs to live in the fridge rather than on the bench because of the topping, and it’s genuinely better cold, since the coconut layer firms up into something almost fudgy. Cut it straight from the fridge with a hot knife for clean edges.

Other Recipes You’ll Love
Retro Do Nothing Cake
Steph de Sousa

Retro Do Nothing Cake

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4.50 from 2 votes
This old-school “Do Nothing” Cake is the easiest dessert ever! No fancy steps, no creaming butter — just mix, bake, and smother it in a rich, coconut-pecan topping. It’s the kind of cake that gets better the longer it sits… if you can wait that long!
Print Recipe
prep time Prep Time 15 minutes
setting time Cook Time
 40 minutes
total time Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Recipes
Cuisine: Australian
Calories: 477
dish icon Ingredients Equipmentcook book Methodhealt Nutritionvideo icon Video

Ingredients
 

For the cake:
  • 2 cups self-raising flour
  • 400 g crushed pineapple undrained
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
For the topping:
  • 150 g butter
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups shredded coconut
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Pop all the cake ingredients into a bowl and mix everything together.
  2. Pour into a lined 34 x 21.5 cm slice tin and bake at 180°C for 35–40 minutes.
  3. Stab your cake all over with a fork (about 30 times). Trust me, this is the secret to soaking up all the goodness!
  4. In a saucepan, melt the butter, evaporated milk, and sugar over medium heat until it boils.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and pecans.
  6. Pour the warm topping over your cake and spread it out evenly.
  7. Chill in the fridge for a few hours so all that creamy, coconutty goodness soaks in.

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 7gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 157mgPotassium: 237mgFiber: 3gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 427IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 1mg

Video

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FAQs

Why is it called a do nothing cake?

Because there’s nothing to do. No creaming, no beating, no sifting. You stir four things in a bowl and the topping is boiled in a saucepan while it bakes.

Do I have to drain the pineapple?

No, and don’t. The juice goes in with everything else and it’s a big part of what keeps the cake moist.

Can I leave the pecans out?

Yes, the topping works without them or with walnuts instead. It’ll be a bit softer without the nuts, which some people prefer anyway.

Does it have to go in the fridge?

Yes. The topping needs time in the cold to set, and the cake is better for it. A few hours is the minimum, and overnight is fine.

Can I use fresh pineapple instead of tinned?

I’d stick with the tin here. Crushed tinned pineapple comes with its juice in known quantities, and fresh pineapple varies a lot in how wet and how sweet it is.

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