Also known as "Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake," the recipe for fruit cocktail cake was first shared by Dolly Parton's character Truvy Jones in Steel Magnolias. The original recipe calls for just three ingredients (you may already have them stashed in your pantry) including canned fruit cocktail, self-rising flour, and sugar. I put the recipe to the test in our Better Homes & Gardens kitchen and found the finished fruit dessert was quite good, with one simple change.

Our Take on the Classic Fruit Cocktail Cake Recipe

The original recipe called for just one can of mixed fruit. After tasting the fruit cocktail cake recipe as written, we loved the flavor but felt it was a little too dense. For the next round, we used one can of fruit cocktail in juice and one additional can of drained fruit cocktail. Be sure to drain the second can of fruit really well. The finished cake was the perfect combination of juicy fruit and crisp cobbler-like topping. I would compare it to a classic dump cake and it's just as easy to make. And like Parton's character recommends, I tasted it with a scoop of ice cream to help "cut the sweetness." This Cuppa Cake is a delicious Southern favorite I highly recommend trying.