This Granny Cake has been a staple at my family gatherings for many years. With its moist pineapple base and sweet, nutty topping, it’s not just a dessert – it’s practically a tradition. Whether I’m making it for a holiday or a casual potluck, it’s always one of my most requested desserts.
Although not the prettiest cake ever, one thing I love about this cake is how simple it is to make. This cake is completely from scratch but there is no creaming butter, no adding dry ingredients in multiple parts, and no delicate folding to avoid deflating the batter. I think Granny had it figured out when she created this recipe!
Granny Cake With Fresh Milled Flour
I love to make and eat cakes, but I also like to limit sugar as much as I can. No easy task when you have a major sweet tooth like me! Thankfully, with so many alternative ingredients available today, it’s possible to reduce (or even eliminate) sugar while still enjoying a delicious and healthy cake.
About This Recipe
This is a recipe I’ve been baking for many years, traditionally made with all-purpose flour and regular sugar. It’s a rustic, moist cake with a sweet, nutty topping that’s completely irresistible. But let’s be honest, it wasn’t exactly the healthiest treat. So I decided to give it a makeover, swapping out a few ingredients to make it healthier overall.
About the flour
You can absolutely use store-bought flour for this cake. The traditional choice is all-purpose flour but you could also use a white whole wheat flour or a mix of both. I find that half all-purpose and half whole wheat is a great compromise.
In my case, I wanted to use fresh milled whole wheat flour, which retains all the fiber and nutrition of the wheat berry. If you would like to read more about that, I did a post about why I like using homemade flour. For the flour, I used a mix of hard and soft white wheat, which worked beautifully. This would also work with just one or the other. However, if using all soft white wheat, you might need to add a bit more flour.
If you’re just starting your fresh milled flour journey, I’ve got a helpful guide to walk you through the basics.
If you enjoy recipes using fresh milled flour, you might try my Fresh Milled Flour Pancakes, which turn out tender and fluffy with 100% unsifted freshly milled soft white flour.
About the sweetener
The sweetener was a bit trickier since there is sugar in the cake, the first topping, and the second topping. I’ve tried swapping all the sugar for sugar-free alternatives before, but it just wasn’t the same. In other recipes, such as my Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour, I’ve had good results using a combination of allulose and sucanat to reduce refined sugar while keeping the flavor just right. Therefore, I decided to use the same sucanat/allulose combo along with a little cane sugar. It’s not 100% sugar-free, but that small amount of sugar really helps preserve the original taste and texture. Once divided over 12 or more servings, that’s not really a ton of sugar per serving so I’m ok with that. It is still dessert after all!
Ingredients
NOTE: Vanilla is not included in the ingredient shot but it is part of the ingredients. It goes in the liquid topping.
Let’s run through the ingredients:
- Flour – I used freshly milled half hard white wheat and half soft white wheat to approximate an “all-purpose” mix. Feel free to use all of one or the other depending on your preference. If using all soft white wheat, you may need to add up to 1/2 cup more. Of course, you can use all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour if you prefer.
- Sugar – I used a mixture of white sugar and allulose in the cake and second topping. If you’re not into alternative sweeteners, use all white sugar. I do want to mention allulose is less sweet than regular sugar. Therefore if you swap one-to-one with sugar, your finished product will be less sweet than you might expect. If you want to keep the same level of sweetness, increase allulose by about 25%.
- Baking Soda/baking powder – you need both in this particular recipe as the pineapple makes the batter quite heavy.
- Eggs – large eggs, right out of the fridge is fine for this recipe.
- Crushed pineapple – make sure this is crushed pineapple in juice, not syrup. You’ll use the entire thing, don’t drain it.
- Sucanat or brown sugar – I used sucanat for the first topping but you can substitute light or dark brown sugar. I think coconut sugar would also be good if that’s something you keep on hand. Note that the cake will be darker with sucanat than it would be with regular brown sugar in the nutty topping. If that bothers you, definitely use regular light or dark brown sugar.
- Walnuts – I tend to go heavy on the nuts, about 3/4 generous cup, but you can use more or less as you like. Pecans would work equally well.
- Evaporated milk – regular evaporated milk is best here.
- Butter – I used salted butter.
- Vanilla – I like Molina Mexican Vanilla blend but your preferred brand will work just as well.
Instructions
With two toppings for this cake, it might appear complicated at first glance, but it’s really quite simple.
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside.
- Prepare the first topping by combining sucanat (or brown sugar) and chopped walnuts in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the fresh milled flour, sugar (or other granulated sweetener), baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the (slightly beaten) eggs and crushed pineapple (including the juice) until combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Allow the batter to rest while the oven comes to temperature.
- Pour the batter into the greased 9 x 13-inch pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the first topping (sucanat and walnuts) over the batter.
- Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Prepare the second topping: About 5-10 minutes before the cake is finished baking, combine second topping ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and keep warm until the cake is ready.
- Pour the second topping evenly over the hot cake. Let the cake cool before serving.
If you enjoy wholesome and simple bakes like this one, you might also love my Blueberry Baked Oatmeal. It’s simple, hearty and makes a perfect addition to breakfast or brunch.
Common Questions
Why not preheat the oven before making the batter, as usual?
I’ve learned fresh milled flour performs best when allowed to hydrate for a few minutes before baking. That’s why I make the batter and then heat the oven. Those few minutes while the oven preheats give the flour time to absorb moisture. You can also preheat the oven first and simply wait 10 to 15 minutes after mixing before baking.
Can I make other substitutions?
This recipe is very flexible. The original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, which is what I used for years. I have also used a gluten-free all-purpose blend successfully, swapped one-to-one. You can use all white sugar or use your preferred sweetener for the cake and liquid topping. Just keep in mind that with any substitution, the taste and texture will vary slightly. When in doubt, start by swapping out just a portion of the amount called for.
How do I store leftovers?
I like to store any leftovers in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to five days. If you want to store it for longer, you can freeze it. Wrap it well to avoid freezer burn, and thaw it in the fridge. Let if come to room temperature before serving. If you’re in a hurry, you could certainly warm individual pieces in the microwave (thawed, if previously frozen) for a few seconds.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Fresh Milled Flour Granny Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups (240g) fresh milled flour I used 120g hard white wheat & 120g soft white wheat
- 3/4 cup sugar or granulated sugar-free sweetener I used 1/2 cup allulose & 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 1 can crushed pineapple in juice
First Topping:
- 1/3 cup sucanat or brown sugar
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped
Second Topping:
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 1/2 cup sugar or granulated sugar-free sweetener I used 1/4 cup allulose & 1/4 sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Set aside.
- Prepare fist topping ingredients. Combine sucanat (or brown sugar) and chopped walnuts in small bowl. Set aside.
- Add flour, sugar, allulose or other sweetener (if using), baking soda and baking powder in large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine dry ingredients. Add the eggs and crushed pineapple (including liquid). Mix with wooden spoon or spatula until liquid is incorporated and there are no dry patches remaining.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Allow batter to rest for 10-15 minutes until oven comes to temperature.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle first topping (sucanat and chopped walnuts) over cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
- About 5-10 minutes before cake should be done, add evaporated milk, butter, sugar, allulose or alternative sweetener (if using), and vanilla to medium saucepan. Cook at medium low heat until it comes to a boil. If it starts boiling before cake is done, lower heat to lowest temperature and keep warm until cake is done. Once cake is done, remove from oven and pour liquid evenly over the hot cake. Allow cake to cool before serving.
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