Lazy Daisy Cake

Lazy Daisy Cake is and old-fashioned favorite that’s really all about the buttery brown sugar coconut icing. And yes, it is easy and ideal for a lazy day dessert that you’ll be making often.

I think my dad was well into his 60s when he announced to my mother and me at the kitchen table that he wanted a Lazy Daisy cake for his birthday. Said it was his favorite. We about fell out of our chairs because until that day he’d never asked for it and we’d never even heard of it. And it’s not like we don’t ask him, every year, what kind of birthday cake he’d like.

Now that Dad has spoken up the Lazy Daisy is an all-around Merrell family favorite and we make for all kinds of occasions. Our Lazy Daisy discovery happened before internet recipe research exploded so I had to dig deep to find a recipe that sounded like the cake his grandmother made for him. Ultimately I did find a handwritten recipe in her recipe box. Now you can find Lazy Daisy all over the web. Thank goodness because it’s a keeper.

Lazy Daisy cake has a lot going for it. The cake is just a simple carrier for a buttery, brown sugar coconut icing so I often use a white or yellow cake mix doctored up with real butter and buttermilk or sour cream in place of the oil and water. Add a shot of real vanilla and bake as directed. The icing is just like the icing on a German Chocolate Cake but without the nuts (another one of my dad’s favorites).

The icing in many recipes is a little too sparse for us coconut lovers. We pile it on thick. It takes just a minute to mix it all up in a saucepan and pour over the cake and it sets nicely. Broil the icing a minute or two if you like, but you don’t have to. The cake does very well with a few hours (or overnight) melding of flavors. It’s easy to transport and you will want to use the decadent icing on cupcakes.

Lazy Daisy Cake

minmerrell Lazy Daisy cake is an old-fashioned easy sheet cake topped with decadent coconut brown sugar icing. Desserts Lazy Daisy Cake European Print This

Serves: 16

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Icing:
• 1 stick butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt (especially if you are using unsalted butter)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy with an electric mixer.
Add the eggs and blend until well mixed.
Add the flour, buttermilk, and vanilla and blend well.
Bake about 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and feels springy and the sides are pulling away from the pan.
Cool while you make the coconut icing.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
Add the sugar and cream and bring to a boil. Boil about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the coconut, vanilla, and salt.
Spread warm icing over the cake.
Broil the cake a couple of minutes to caramelize the top lightly.

Notes

We like the icing thick. It's ultra-sweet so small serving pieces are a good idea. Substitute all-purpose flour for the self-rising and add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.