Italian Bakeless Cake
Italian Bakeless Cake combines pineapple citrus filling, vanilla wafer layers, coconut, and pecans into a creamy chilled dessert. No baking is required for this classic icebox treat.
Equipment
- 2-quart baking dish (9x9 or 7x10)
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Paper towels
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 20-oz can crushed pineapple drained well
- 1 box vanilla wafers
- 1 8-oz carton cool whip thawed
- 2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 20-22 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Place the maraschino cherries on several layers of paper towels and let them dry while you prepare the filling. Dry surfaces help prevent red cherry juice from streaking across the white coconut topping.
- Whisk the sweetened condensed milk and fresh lemon juice in a mixing bowl, then fold in the well-drained crushed pineapple. The mixture should become thicker and creamy before it goes into the dish.
- Arrange vanilla wafers across the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish, then spread all of the pineapple filling over them and cover with a second wafer layer. Keep the cookies close together so the filling supports an even, cake-like slice.
- Spread the thawed Cool Whip gently over the top wafer layer, then scatter the coconut evenly over it. Use light strokes so the loose wafers beneath stay in place.
- Finish with the chopped pecans and dried maraschino cherries. The topping should have an even snowy layer of coconut with bright cherries sitting cleanly on top.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving. The wafers are ready when they cut easily with a spoon and no longer feel crisp in the center.
Notes
Cherry tip: Dry the maraschino cherries on paper towels before topping to prevent red juice from staining the white coconut layer.
Texture cue: Refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours or overnight so the vanilla wafers absorb moisture and soften into a cake-like layer.
Topping option: Toast the coconut and pecans in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant and let cool completely before adding them to the Cool Whip.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.