Ugly Duckling Cake

An Ugly Ducking Cake is a vintage cake recipe packed with so much texture and flavor that you would never believe it was made with boxed yellow cake mix and a can of fruit cocktail! This is one of those “grandma’s secret recipe box” kind of recipes! Super simple, yet unbelievably addicting! The fruit cocktail in this cake really is the hero. It leaves this cake incredibly moist, while pulling a near Houdini act and disappearing into the cake!

Make dinner this week a vintage theme! Serve this classic cake for dessert after one of these classic dinner ideas:

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

Classic Sloppy Joe’s with Tomato Soup

Chicken Ratatouille

Equipment needed for this yellow cake mix cake recipe:

• Stand mixer
• 13×9 Baking Pan
• Sauce Pot

Shopping List for an Ugly Duckling Cake:

• 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
• 16 oz Can Fruit Cocktail 
• Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• Eggs
• Brown Sugar 
• Butter or Margarine
• Granulated Sugar
• Evaporated Milk

How to make this vintage cake:

For Cake:

• Preheat oven to 325F and spray a 13×9 baking pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• Combine the first FOUR ingredients (everything BUT the brown sugar) in a stand mixer.
• Blend and then beat on MEDIUM for 2 minutes.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
• Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
• When almost finished baking, start making the topping.

For topping:

• Bring butter, sugar and milk to a boil in a small saucepan.
• Boil for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in coconut flakes.
• Spoon over hot cake in pan.
• Serve warm or allow to cool.

Commonly asked questions:

1. Can I use sweetened coconut flakes?  A. Yes!  However, it will add to the overall sweetness of the cake. 
2. Can I use other kinds of milk if I don’t have evaporated?  A. Yes!  You can use regular milk.  However, make sure that you reduce the milk by boiling it prior to adding the sugar and butter to it.  Depending on what type of milk (whole, 2%, skim, etc…) it may take more or less time to boil the water out.
3. Can I make this recipe into muffins?  A.  Yes!  However, you will need to reduce the cooking time.  Start checking your cupcakes around 20 minutes and cook until the cake springs back when touched and/ a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Can I add nuts to this recipe?  A. Yes!  Absolutely!  The best place to add them is to mix them into your topping!  I prefer to add walnuts!
5. How do I store this cake?  A.  Leave the cake in the pan and simply seal it with plastic wrap.  It will be good for up to 1 week on the counter or 2 weeks in the fridge!

Ugly Duckling Cake

Vintage cake recipe packed with so much texture and flavor that you would never believe it was made with boxed yellow cake mix and a can of fruit cocktail!

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 20 people

Calories 286 kcal

Equipment

• Stand mixer
• 13×9 Baking Pan
• Sauce Pot

Ingredients

  

For cake:

• 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
• 16 oz Can Fruit Cocktail **with syrup
• 1 c Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• 2 LG Eggs
• 1/2 c Brown Sugar **firmly packed

For topping:

• 1/2 c Butter or Margarine
• 1/2 c Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 c Evaporated Milk
• 1 1/3 c Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Instructions

 

For Cake:

• Preheat oven to 325F and spray a 13×9 baking pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• Combine the first FOUR ingredients (everything BUT the brown sugar) in a stand mixer.
• Blend and then beat on MEDIUM for 2 minutes.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
• Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
• When almost finished baking, start making the topping.

For topping:

• Bring butter, sugar and milk to a boil in a small saucepan.
• Boil for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in coconut flakes.
• Spoon over hot cake in pan.
• Serve warm or allow to cool.

Notes

Commonly asked questions:

1. Can I use sweetened coconut flakes?  A. Yes!  However, it will add to the overall sweetness of the cake. 
2. Can I use other kinds of milk if I don’t have evaporated?  A. Yes!  You can use regular milk.  However, make sure that you reduce the milk by boiling it prior to adding the sugar and butter to it.  Depending on what type of milk (whole, 2%, skim, etc…) it may take more or less time to boil the water out.
3. Can I make this recipe into muffins?  A.  Yes!  However, you will need to reduce the cooking time.  Start checking your cupcakes around 20 minutes and cook until the cake springs back when touched and/ a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Can I add nuts to this recipe?  A. Yes!  Absolutely!  The best place to add them is to mix them into your topping!  I prefer to add walnuts!
5. How do I store this cake?  A.  Leave the cake in the pan and simply seal it with plastic wrap.  It will be good for up to 1 week on the counter or 2 weeks in the fridge!

Keyword ugly duckling cake, ugly duckling cake recipe

Want more recipes like this? Check out these other desserts from Struggle Shuttle:

Easy Carrot Cake with Orange Frosting

Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins

Crème de Menthe Brownies

Giant Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

Let me know what you think about this ugly duckling cake recipe in the comments!

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