How Texas Tornado Cakes And Do Nothing Cakes Are Different

Pineapple is a tasty ingredient with natural sweetness, making it a star in many desserts. The fact that you can often use either fresh or canned pineapple without sacrificing quality also makes it an ideal fruit for baking. Consider two popular pineapple dessert options: the Texas Tornado Cake and the Do Nothing Cake. At first glance, the sweet treats seem very similar.

First of all, the base for both cakes is nearly the same: flour, sugar, and a can of crushed pineapple with its juice. Instead of needing two separate bowls — one for creaming the sugar and eggs and another for the dry ingredients — both cake batters can be made in a single bowl. After baking, both versions require you to poke holes in the cake, similar to a tres leches cake, to allow their stovetop-prepared, gooey topping to soak through.

If you closely compare variations of these two recipes, however, you'll notice that the Do Nothing Cake often represents the simpler core recipe originating in the Midwest. In contrast, Texas Tornado Cake often includes more added ingredients like additional spices, different kinds of nuts, or even a fruit cocktail substitution for the crushed pineapple.

Of the two cakes, the Do Nothing Cake is the version found in most American cookbooks, appearing as early as the 1940s. The cake rose to popularity before boxed cake mixes became common, when baking required scales and was labor-intensive. The Do Nothing Cake got its name because all you had to do was mix the ingredients in one bowl and pour them into a baking dish. Much like the wacky cake from the Depression era, the Do Nothing Cake doesn't contain milk or butter; instead, it gets its moisture from the juice of canned crushed pineapple.

Even though the batter of a Do Nothing Cake is much simpler than its Texas Tornado counterpart, the topping is nearly the same, using evaporated milk, pecans, and toasted coconut for a German chocolate cake-style consistency. Whether you decide to poke holes so the warm topping seeps through the cake or keep the frosting more like a whipped topping is up to you. Either way, the gooey texture makes it delicious served both warm and cold.

The Texas Tornado Cake is essentially the Southern evolution of the Do Nothing Cake. It immediately establishes its regional identity by mixing pecans directly into the batter — a nod to the official state tree of Texas. This provides a desirable crunch, often enhanced by other textural additions like shredded coconut and raisins.

The key flavor distinction lies in the fruit base. While the Do Nothing Cake uses only crushed pineapple, the Texas Tornado Cake incorporates an entire can of mixed fruit cocktail. This combination of peaches, pears, grapes, cherries, and pineapple gives the cake a highly varied and complex texture that is richer and juicier than that achieved with pineapple alone.

The final thing that sets Texas Tornado Cake apart is its use of spices. Many recipes call for ingredients like nutmeg or cinnamon, and you can even experiment with ground cloves and ginger. This is in contrast with the Do Nothing Cake, which is all about showcasing how great a simple recipe made from pantry staples can taste.