Dolly Parton knew best! Learn how to make her iconic three-ingredient recipe for cuppa cake from Steel Magnolias.
Dolly Parton may have been best known as a hit-making country singer and songwriter, but she was also beloved for her time on screen in a variety of film and TV roles. One of our all-time favorites is when Dolly played beauty salon owner Truvy Jones in the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias.
In the movie, Truvy shares her recipe for a simple three-ingredient dessert called a cuppa cake, made with a cup o’ flour, a cup o’ sugar and a cup o’ fruit cocktail with the juice. She says it’s so easy, you don’t even need to write it down. We knew we had to put this iconic movie recipe to the test.
How to Make Dolly Parton’s Cuppa Cake
This recipe is from Steel Magnolias, the 1989 movie starring Dolly Parton. It was also printed in Dolly’s first cookbook, Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s. It’s made with three simple ingredients that can be found at any store.
Ingredients for Cuppa Cake
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup fruit cocktail, with juice
Directions
Step 1: Prep the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch square baking dish or an 8-inch round dish. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and fruit cocktail. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir until a batter forms.
Step 2: Bake until golden and bubbly
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth with a spatula. Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown or “gold and bubbly” as Truvy says in the movie.
Step 3: Cool and serve
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Serve the cake warm with vanilla ice cream and extra cherries.
How does Dolly Parton’s cuppa cake recipe taste?
The cuppa cake recipe definitely produces a sweet treat that couldn’t be easier to make. It’s not quite a cake—it’s closer to a cobbler with it’s dense, rich texture and moisture from the fruit cocktail. Since there isn’t a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda, it doesn’t get the rise you’d expect in a fluffy cake texture.
In the movie, Truvy says she likes to serve cuppa cake over ice cream to “cut the sweetness,” which is the perfect combination. We tried it with vanilla ice cream, but a fruit ice cream such as peach or cherry would be fantastic, too. While it’s not really a cake, the result is still delicious and would quickly (and simply!) cure any sweet tooth in a pinch.
