Easy Do Nothing Cake Recipe with a Salted Brown Butter Twist

In my little American kitchen, “do nothing cake” is the dessert I reach for when I want big comfort with almost zero fuss. It’s that retro, pantry-friendly sheet cake that smells like warm pineapple and vanilla, then gets drowned in a sticky coconut-pecan topping that somehow feels like a hug.

This version keeps the classic, one-bowl ease, but leans a little more grown-up with a salted brown butter glaze and a whisper of bourbon. If you’ve ever found the old-school ones too sweet or oddly soggy, this is the fix I bake for potlucks, holidays, and “I forgot I promised dessert” nights.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Salted brown butter magic: I brown the butter until it smells nutty and toasty, then add salt to sharpen the sweetness into a caramel-like finish.

One-bowl, no-mixer ease: This is a true dump-and-stir moment, a simple sheet cake that behaves even when you’re tired.

Pineapple does the heavy lifting: Crushed pineapple brings moisture and lift, giving the crumb that tender “poke cake” vibe without adding oil.

Crunch against gooey: Toasted chopped pecans and flaked sweetened coconut add the bite that keeps each forkful from tasting flat.

Retro roots, modern balance: When I want another low-effort classic, Southern chocolate cobbler hits that same comforting, vintage-dessert note.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need everyday baking staples plus crushed pineapple and evaporated milk, the two quiet heroes that make this do nothing cake moist, glossy, and reliably gooey.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 oz.)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

Topping:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Crushed pineapple: Do not drain it, the juice is the moisture and the acid that helps baking soda do its job. This is the main reason the cake stays airy even without added fat.

Evaporated milk: This is what turns the topping into that fudge-like, set-yet-gooey layer. Regular milk tends to stay thin, and sweetened condensed milk pushes the sweetness over the edge.

Fresh pineapple: I avoid it here because the enzymes can mess with texture, canned crushed pineapple is heat-treated and bakes predictably.

Pecans and coconut: Toasting both makes them taste deeper and less “just sweet.” If you only toast one, toast the coconut, it transforms fast.

Bourbon idea: A bourbon with vanilla-caramel notes plays beautifully with brown butter. If you skip it, the browned butter and salt still carry the whole dessert.

How to Make do nothing cake

Prep the pan and dry mix

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 x 9–inch metal baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

Finish the batter the one-bowl way

1. Make a well in center of the dry mixture and crack in eggs; whisk the eggs in the well until lightly beaten.
2. Add vanilla and the crushed pineapple with its juice, then stir until well blended. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour, overmixing makes a tougher crumb.
3. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out to the corners.

Bake, then poke while it’s hot

1. Bake at 350°F until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 33 to 36 minutes.
2. Immediately poke holes all over the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon, while the cake is still steaming and soft.

Brown butter topping and pour hot-on-hot

1. To prepare topping, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, then keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns nutty-fragrant and browned to the color of caramel, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Stir in sugar and evaporated milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium (or temperature needed to keep mixture at a vigorous boil); cook until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir in pecans, coconut, and vanilla.
4. Pour hot topping over cake, spreading evenly. Serve cake warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Secrets for the Ultimate Gooey Poke Cake

The “no fat in the batter” truth: This is the part most folks miss, there’s no butter or oil in the cake itself. The eggs and crushed pineapple do all the moistening, so gentle stirring is the difference between tender and chewy.

Brown butter is a flavor cheat code: When the foam calms down and you see amber flecks, you’re there. I pull it right when it smells like toasted nuts, one minute later and it can tip into bitter.

Hot-on-hot is the anti-soggy rule: Pour the bubbling topping onto a still-hot cake so it soaks evenly. A sentence I learned baking Kentucky butter cake applies here too, the soak works best before the crumb fully sets.

Poke size matters: Use a standard wooden spoon handle, not a fat straw or a chopstick bundle. Holes that are too wide create tunnels, and that’s when the glaze pools and the bottom turns wet.

Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

Pro Tips

• Toast your chopped pecans and flaked sweetened coconut in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes, stirring often, and add them once they smell fragrant.
• Use a medium saucepan for the topping, the evaporated milk mixture boils up fast and needs space.
• Keep the boil vigorous for the full 3 to 5 minutes so the topping thickens into that classic gooey layer.
• Let the browned butter reach a true caramel color, pale butter tastes flat in the glaze.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overmixing the batter after adding flour, it develops gluten and makes the cake tougher.
• Using fresh pineapple, the enzymes can throw off the texture and make it oddly soft.
• Under-boiling the topping, less than 3 minutes often stays runny.
• Poking holes too large or too deep, which can make the base soggy.

Serving & Storage

Serving Ideas

I love this cake slightly warm, when the coconut topping stays silky and the brown butter aroma blooms. A dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or a strong, dark roast coffee keeps the sweetness feeling intentional.

For a brunch table with multiple sweets, something like cream coffee cake balances the spread with a lighter, bakery-style crumb.

Storage & Reheating

Store covered at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days. The flavor actually settles and improves after a night in the fridge.

To rewarm, microwave a slice for 15 seconds so the brown butter glaze loosens up again. If you like cleaner cuts, chill first, then warm individual pieces.

Freezing works beautifully, wrap squares tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge so the topping stays glossy instead of weeping.

Conclusion

This do nothing cake keeps the 1940s-style simplicity, but the salted brown butter topping makes it taste like you meant to impress. If you play with anything, let it be the level of toasting on the coconut and pecans, that’s where personality shows up.

When you’re on a retro-dessert kick, Southern chocolate cobbler is another cozy classic worth having in your back pocket.

Frequently Asked Questions