The 3-Ingredient ‘Steel Magnolias’ Cake Is Taking Over the Internet

As Dolly says, "It's the only dessert you’ll ever need in your life.”

By
Carissa Chesanek
Carissa Chesanek
Carissa Chesanek is a food and spirits writer with more than 13 years of experience in the industry. She loves researching new trends, chatting with chefs and mixologists about their craft, and creating well-researched and fun copy for her readers.
Allrecipes' editorial guidelines
Published on July 9, 2024
a colorful illustration of a young Dolly Parton.
Photo:

Shutterstock/Allrecipes

Summer calls for fruit-filled desserts that are sweet and (more importantly) easy to make. While you could go about making a cobbler for your next outdoor gathering, you may want to try something even more straightforward.

Enter the Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake recipe from the classic movie “Steel Magnolias.” Dolly Parton’s character, Truvy, talks about this cake in the film, and it couldn’t sound easier or more delicious. No wonder it’s currently trending on social media. Here’s how to make the cake and why it will be your new favorite summer go-to recipe from now on.

How to Make Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake From 'Steel Magnolias'

 This Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake is super easy to make. It only requires three ingredients, each measured in one cup (or “cuppa,” as Truvy says). For this Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake recipe, you need one cup of flour, one cup of sugar, and one cup of canned fruit cocktail with the juice.

Simply preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) before you combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir everything together, then pour the batter into a greased baking dish. 

Pop the cake in the oven until “gold and bubbly” and brown around the edges, about 40 minutes. Let the cake cool before serving it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 

We like this treat because it’s super sweet and easy to prepare. Preparing it takes no time and doesn’t cost much money, either. It’s ideal for those warm summer months when you want something effortlessly tasty that you can make repeatedly.

You can customize this dessert to your liking (or your guests' liking). We’ve recently seen many variations posted online and can’t wait to try them all. One TikTok user, @blakeghali, prefers mango over fruit cocktail. Another user, @pinchearana, opted for cherry pie filling and chocolate chips, and @foodfunmovieb1 went with canned peaches for a peach cobbler-like cake, citing, “It’s the only dessert you’ll ever need in your life.” We’ll start with the OG version, then let our imaginations go wild. How about you?

Was this page helpful?