Preacher Cake

This tender, moist cake recipe with crushed pineapple, pecans, coconut and cream cheese frosting is an old Southern tradition to serve when the preacher comes by for a visit!

PHOTOS UPDATED APRIL 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
2. WHY IS IT CALLED PREACHER CAKE?
3. FAQ ON PREACHER CAKE
4. MORE OLD-FASHIONED RECIPES

I heard mention of this cake last week and the name really rang a bell for me. I knew exactly what it was and remembered eating it growing up. I thought about it so much that by the time the weekend rolled around I knew I had to make one!

I just knew I had a recipe for it somewhere so when I went looking and couldn't find one I was stumped. I looked through all my recipes and binders and notes and still could not find one.

Then I even pulled out all my old-school community and church cookbooks and looked through all of them. Nothing.

I knew enough about the cake to know it had crushed pineapple and nuts in it (and maybe coconut?) and that all sounded an awful lot like a Hummingbird Cake (without the bananas). And that's what I recall the texture being like too.

I decided to switched up a few things in my Hummingbird Cake recipe, bake it in a 13x9 pan (because that's how I remember Preacher Cake being made) and went with that!

I decided to put coconut in it because I love coconut but I’m not 100% sure if a true Preacher Cake has coconut in it or not. I guess that depends on your preacher... ha! 

WHY IS IT CALLED PREACHER CAKE?

From what I've been told over the years, Preacher Cake got its name because it was a cake you usually had the ingredients for in your pantry, so if the preacher told you he was coming to visit, you could whip one up.

But I'm not sure that theory holds water. This isn't a "whip it up quick" cake. It's not hard or fussy but it's no dump cake either. And I don't know about y'all but I can't see too many people keeping pineapple, pecans, coconut and cream cheese in stock. 

What makes more sense to me is, since it's made in a 13x9 dish, it's easy to tote around. So when it's time to make a dessert for a fellowship dinner, Sunday school, bible study, etc. you might be likely to make this cake. And it's special without requiring any fancy cake decorating skills.

FAQ ON PREACHER CAKE

Is this the same thing as Hummingbird Cake? Nope, but close. Hummingbird Cake has bananas and this cake doesn't.

Can I make it into a layer cake? Yes! This recipe makes a lot of batter so it will easily fill 3 8 or 9-inch cake pans. You will likely need to double the frosting to have enough to frost it, though.

Can I make this in a bundt pan? Yes, but this is too much batter for one standard bundt pan. Fill 2/3 full then pour the remaining batter into a smaller pan to bake a separate, smaller cake. Use the toothpick test to check when the cake(s) is done.

Can I make this in a tube pan? Yes! A standard, 2-piece tube pan will easily hold and bake this cake. Baking time is the same.

Does it need to be refrigerated? No, not the first 3 days or so. There is enough sugar in the frosting to preserve the cream cheese for 3-4 days. 

MORE OLD-FASHIONED RECIPES TO TRY

BLACK BOTTOM CUPCAKES - An easy recipe for chocolate cupcakes stuffed with chocolate chip cream cheese filling. Very much like a cupcake stuffed with cheesecake!

OLD-FASHIONED RAISIN CAKE - A vintage Depression-Era snack cake made with raisins, molasses and cozy spices without any eggs, milk or butter that’s super moist and perfectly sweet.

CHOCOLATE COBBLER - An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes.

AMISH SUGAR CREAM PIE - Sugar and cream bake together to form a creamy, almost caramelized, satiny smooth filling in this old-fashioned vanilla custard pie recipe.

OLD-FASHIONED COCONUT PIE - The perfect recipe for classic, old fashioned baked coconut custard pie that's both creamy and chewy in all the best ways! 

Recipe for How to Cook Preacher Cake

Preacher Cake

Yield: 15 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

This tender, moist cake recipe with crushed pineapple, pecans, coconut and cream cheese frosting is an old Southern tradition to serve when the preacher comes by for a visit!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup flaked coconut (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 3-quart 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. Set out butter and cream cheese for frosting so that they are very soft when it's time to use them.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl then whisk together; set aside. 3 c. flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3. Combine sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large bowl then whisk together until well combined. 2 c. sugar, 3 eggs, 1 c. oil, 2 tsp vanilla
4. Stir in pineapple (with juice). 1 20-oz can
5. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients.
6. Stir in chopped pecans and coconut then mix all ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined. 1 c. pecans, 1 c. coconut
7. Pour cake batter into pan then bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until cake is set in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Cool cake completely in pan then the frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
9. Cover and store at room temperature up to 3 days.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Whip cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy (about 2 minutes). 8-oz cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 1 tsp vanilla
2. A powdered sugar then continue mixing until smooth and creamy. 2 c. powdered sugar
3. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over cake.

Notes

• If making into a layer cake (or anything you're not going to leave in the pan), grease and flour the pans instead of using cooking spray.
• Double the frosting if making into a layer cake to ensure you have enough.
• Feel free to omit pecans or coconut if desired.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2013/11/preacher-cake.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2013

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