Preacher Cake

This light, moist, and tropical preacher cake is the easiest dessert ever!  You mix it together with a wooden spoon, in one bowl… no mixer needed!

Who doesn’t love a great cake?  However, some cakes can be complicated and fussy to make… but not this one!  This preacher cake uses staple ingredients, requires NO mixer, and is way less time consuming than most cakes.  Try it and see!

I have to confess… I LOVE cake!  Probably not too much of a shock, seeing as how I label myself the “chunky” chef, right?  As much as I love to eat it, making a big, impressive layer cake takes way more time and attention to fine detail than I’m usually able to handle.

When I want a dessert… I don’t want to have to spend hours and hours creating it!  Sure, layer cakes have the impressive curb appeal, but I think sheet cakes are making a comeback!

There’s something so home-y, and so comforting about a classic sheet cake… reminiscent of birthday parties and family gatherings.  This recipe isn’t really mine… I found it years ago on South Your Mouth‘s blog.

Seriously, some great food on there… check it out.  I’ve made this cake numerous times for my family (both immediate and extended), and it ALWAYS gets rave reviews!  I make a few tweaks, which I’ve included in my recipe below.

I think summer is the perfect time for a cake like this preacher cake.  It’s light, moist, tropical… not to mention, fuss-free!

You might be wondering why I’m calling it a “Preacher Cake”, right?  Honestly, before reading the original recipe, I’d never heard of such a thing.

But from what I can tell, and correct me if I’m wrong, but the name stems from back in the day, when the preacher would call and ask to stop over for a visit.  Naturally, you’d want to be a good host/hostess and serve him something to eat… and that’s where this preacher cake comes into play.

It’s easy and uses regular ingredients you probably have in your fridge/pantry, so you could whip up a homemade dessert with minimal effort 🙂

I hope you give this one a try this summer!  It would go perfectly with a meal of Pepper Crusted Bacon Cheeseburgers, Bacon and Brown Sugar Baked Beans, and Mediterraean Pasta Salad.

Some tools I used for this recipe:

Stainless Steel 3pc Mixing Bowl Set with Rubber Grip Handles – I LOVE these mixing bowls and use them daily!  The rubber on the bottom keeps them secure on the counter, and the handles and pour spouts make things really convenient.

Cake Boss 13×9″ Baking Pan – I was leery of this, because I felt like I was just paying for a name, but this is without a doubt, the best cake pan I own!

OXO Good Grips Offset Spatula – Perfect for all your frosting needs!

Baker’s Joy Cake Pan Spray – All of my cakes and baked goods pop right out of the pan with this spray… ZERO sticking!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Preacher Cake

4.86 from 14 votes

Author: The Chunky Chef

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

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This light, moist, and tropical preacher cake is the easiest dessert ever! You mix it together with a wooden spoon, in one bowl... no mixer needed!

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 20- oz can crushed pineapple with juice (do NOT drain)
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts divided
• ▢ 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
• ▢ CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
• ▢ 8 oz package cream cheese softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup butter softened (1 stick)
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• ▢ 2-4 Tbsp heavy cream (amount depends on personal preference heat, and humidity in the air - start with 2 and go from there)
• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar sifted or whisked to remove lumps

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9" baking pan with non-stick spray (I use Baker's Joy), and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon).
• In a larger mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to combine well. Mixture will be creamy.
• Sprinkle in dry ingredients and stir together until just incorporated (when no more streaks of flour remain). Mixture will be very dry and sticky.
• Add in crushed pineapple, walnuts and coconut and mix until combined. The liquid from the pineapple will transform the mixture into a normal batter consistency.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. When done, cake should be set in the center, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Set cake pan on a cooling rack and cool the cake, in the pan, until completely cool.
  
• MAKE THE FROSTING:
• In a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, butter and vanilla and whisk or beat with electric mixer (if desired), until light and fluffy.
• Alternate drizzling heavy cream and adding powdered sugar, whisking/beating after each addition, until all sugar is incorporated into the frosting. If frosting is a little thick, add a bit more cream. If frosting is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
• Use an offset spatula to spread frosting over the top of the cake.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup walnuts and a bit of flaked coconut if desired.

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Chef Tips

1. If you prefer, you can omit the coconut.
2. Recipe from South Your Mouth

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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