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One Bowl Yum-Yum Cake (No oil or dairy!)

This Yum-Yum Cake recipe is amazingly delicious and moist, without the need for any oil or butter. It’s a time-tested recipe that’s been handed down through generations.

Yum Yum Cake slice with coconut whipped cream

One Bowl Yum-Yum Cake Recipe

What is Yum-Yum Cake? Turns out, that’s a rabbit-hole kind of question that has no clear cut answers and no two recipes are the same. Most recipes involve pineapples for a tropical vibe. Some recipes are heavy on icing and some start out with boxed cake mixes.

Our yum-yum cake uses crushed pineapple and its juices to provide an incredibly tender and moist texture. It’s neither icing-laden nor does it involve a box cake mix. The best way to describe this cake: deliciously moist with a tropical flavor twist…so good on its own, there’s no need for sugary icings/frostings at all.

For those that would like more deets on your eats, here’s the lowdown:

  1. Despite the fact that there’s no oil/butter or dairy, this cake amazingly tender and moist
  2. It’s a one-bowl deal. No pile up of various mixing bowls here.
  3. It tastes like tropical paradise. The flavors here can brighten even the cloudiest of days. You can further the brilliance by serving with fresh berries of your choice. We used a light, fluffy coconut whipped cream to top it off with.
  4. It’s an age-old recipe that’s been handed down through the generations and is reliably delicious every single time.
original yum yum cake recipe

Here’s the old paper recipe given to my mom decades ago, straight from an old school typewriter. It’s a tattered piece that’s been taped and re-taped because the recipe is too good to lose. (I realize some of you have never actually seen a typewriter; whether you’re 5 or 95 or anywhere in between, you’ll fall in love with this cake.)

loaf of yum yum cake with strawberries

Baking with Kids in the Kitchen

If you have kids in the kitchen, this yum-yum cake is ideal for getting kids in on the baking action right alongside of you. If your kids are older, this one-bowl cake recipe is easy enough for them to try on their own. No electric mixer nor stand mixer is needed for this cake. And no worries about greasy messes, since this cake requires no greasy ingredients.

In fact, there are only 7 simple ingredients that go into this wondrous cake. Aside from the typical flour, sugar, and eggs, it’s the can of crushed pineapple that gives this tropical tasting cake its superior moistness. Yes, crushed pineapple is the secret ingredient to this easy, oil-free, dairy-free cake.

Use a hand whisk to combine all ingredients in a bowl, dump it all into your chosen baking pan, and let the magic happen.

slices of yum yum cake with strawberries on white plate

 

Try this ONE-BOWL APPLE CAKE, Too:

Yum-Yum Cake (No Oil or Butter!)

4.80 from 25 ratings
This Yum-Yum Cake recipe is amazingly delicious and moist, without the need for any oil or butter. It’s a time-tested recipe that’s been handed down through generations. 
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 12

Ingredients  

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower middle position. Grease a 9x13x2 pan.
  • In a large bowl, hand-whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, pineapple with juices, and vanilla extract. Hand-whisk just until incorporated; do not over-mix.
  • Use a rubber spatula to evenly distribute batter into the greased pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached; take care not to over bake. Let cool on a wire rack completely before serving. Cake keeps well wrapped airtight at moderate room temp. Can also be frozen airtight for up to several weeks. 

Notes

We found this cake to be ultra moist and sweet enough as-is, without any need for icing or thick frosting. Instead, we opted to top it with a bit of coconut whipped cream, which is light and fluffy over this tropical style cake.
You can also use a loaf pan (as we did in these photos) in lieu of the 9×13. If using a 9×5 loaf pan, simply adjust bake time to about 50-60 minutes or just until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.9g | Protein: 3.7g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 271.8mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 40.8g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Lactose
Method: baking

Did you make this?

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Lemon Olive Oil Cake– this luscious lemon cake is bright, sunny, and. bursting with flavor. You won’t taste the olive oil, but you’ll feel great about baking with it.

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Add a comment

Recipe Rating




48 comments

    • Paula Montenegro
    • 5 stars

    I never heard of this cake, but does it sound just perfect for me! I love one-bowl recipes and the flavors are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

    • Jenny
    • 5 stars

    Can’t wait to try this cake, looks so moist and delicious! I love that it has no dairy and oil!

    • Marta
    • 5 stars

    Me and my kids had such a great time making this super simple cake recipe!

    • veenaazmanov
    • 5 stars

    This cake looks delicious, sounds healthy too. One Bowl sounds interesting.

    • Lin
    • 5 stars

    I made this cake and the topping for my friend who is lactose intolerant and it was incredible! So easy to make and so moist and delicious! Needless to say it lasted only two days! Thank you for sharing your precious family recipe with your readers!

      • chewoutloud

      That’s awesome, Lin! So glad you all loved it 🙂

    • lea

    what if i have 7×3 inches pan?

      • chewoutloud

      You can use your pan, but adjust the bake time. Check doneness with toothpick inserted in center; once it comes out with small, tender crumbs attached, it is done. 🙂

    • lei

    hi what if i only have 7×3 inches pan? tnx

    • Jairah
    • 5 stars

    I made the cake yesterday! It turned out great and tasty! I’m very glad I found this recipe, since my dad is a very healthy person he doesn’t eat dessert with oil or butter, so thank you so much!! But while it was baking it took longer than 30 minutes since the center was still liquidy, I wonder why is that?Is it because I used brown sugar? Also, I have few questions since I’m going to bake this cake again for my mom’s birthday but it’s going to be different. I wonder if I can change the recipe a bit and make the yum yum cake into a yum yum sponge cake, is that possible? Do I need to lessen the flour by 1 cup only and add more eggs by 1 or 2?

      • chewoutloud

      So happy you guys enjoyed this cake! As for your bake time, it can be oven-related; brown sugar may increase bake time slightly. Regarding sponge cake, this recipe is really meant to be more dense/moist so I would advise not to change the original recipe too much. One thing you can do to get a bit fluffier texture is to add 2 egg whites to the 2 eggs in a mixing bowl; beat eggs until they reach stiff peaks, and then gently fold them into the batter (don’t add eggs until the end rest of ingredients have been mixed.) Otherwise, for a true chiffon/airy type of cake, this Banana Chiffon Cake is great.

    • Romina

    Can you reduce sugar at all?

      • chewoutloud

      Yes, you can reduce to your liking, keeping in mind the more you reduce the more texture may change a bit. Happy baking!

    • Alexa
    • 5 stars

    I can see why this cake was passed down in your family; it’s absolutely delicious. I’m going to start keeping cans of pineapple on hand for when a craving for this yum yum cake strikes I reduced the sugar to just 1 cup, and whipped the egg whites separately before folding them in at the end. I also baked it in a round pan (for about 50 minutes) and it came out perfectly. Thank you thank you for sharing your recipe!

    • Paayal
    • 5 stars

    Hi.. Thank you for such a lovely recipe. You can’t believe how much it means to me to finally find a cake recipe that’s without oil and butter. Just a question could I use any fruit instead of pineapple .. Thank you.

    • Sophia Rehman

    Hi! Is the pineapple juice necessary? Can I replace is with lemon juice or orange juice ? Or omit it ?

      • chewoutloud

      Sophia, the pineapple juice is key in this particular cake. That said, you can definitely try it with OJ…it will have a very different flavor but should taste good.

    • Lin

    I scoured the Internet for a dessert without butter or milk and came upon your cake and whipped coconut cream and I am so thankful I did! My friend is lactose intolerant and I thought she could not have butter but she can. She absolutely loved the cake and the whipped topping and so did everyone else!! I put it in a loaf pan and it ran over in the oven but I had put a pan under it as it looked so full and glad I did. I had to cut it out of the loaf pan but it was just fine. Thank you so much for this family recipe! I plan on making it many more times. I could not get over how moist it was without oil or butter. It is keeper for sure!!

    • Natasha Jones

    Thank you for sharing! This recipe is a revelation! It’s SO difficult to find cakes that don’t include butter or oils- and that actually taste good. This cake is amazing on its own, and a wonderful base for a number of variations.

    My favorite so far- I cut the recipe in half, added 1/8 tsp each of nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon to the batter, sprinkled the base of a greased pie plate with about 2 tbsp of brown sugar and laid a few canned mango slices on it before spooning in the batter, cooked for 35 mins (turning the oven down to 325 about halfway through)… and after cooling for 10 mins, inverted it onto a plate. Incredible upside-down tropical cake… it’s almost impossible to believe that there’s no butter or oil in it!

    Again, thank you! This is a game-changer for those looking to bake without added fats.

      • chewoutloud

      Agreed, Natasha! This cake is a wonderful base for changing up however you like. Love your ideas! And yes, it’s the only one I love for having zero added oils/butter. 🙂 So happy you loved it. Happy spring!!

    • Jhilik

    The cake is getting baked in the oven, rising up beautifully. Smells heavenly. Baking it for a little longer than 30 mins. Fingers crossed.
    Can’t thank you enough.

      • chewoutloud

      You’re so welcome! It’s an old family favorite and we love it, too 🙂

    • Haleemah Alli Bankole

    can we use less sugar or no sugar at all? just tried it delicious

      • chewoutloud

      Hi, Haleemah! You can cut back on the sugar, but I wouldn’t eliminate it completely. So glad you liked it! 🙂

    • annie

    I just made this recipe and added some coconut and lemon zest into the batter, and my house smells divine! I did notice the the centre of the cake deflated quite a bit once I took it out of the oven. Any tips on that? Thank you for the recipe!

      • chewoutloud

      Annie, so glad you liked this cake! As for the center, you may need to bake a bit longer, as each oven varies. You can loosely cover cake in foil towards the end of baking and let it go another 5-10 minutes OR just until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. At that point, it shouldn’t deflate when cool. Thanks for coming over, Annie! (P.S. Your coconut addition can also be adding to the weight of the batter, causing some deflation – just a thought.)

    • HJ

    Hi 🙂 just wondered if the cake freezes well? Wasn’t sure if anyone tried it!

    • Vighnesh

    Loved your one bowl yum cake recipe !! Just wanted to ask whether will it work with whole wheat ?

    • thalia

    this cake looks so good. and i love the name hahaha. the photos are lovely!

      • chewoutloud

      Thanks, Thalia!

      • Rachana Patel

      Can I replace eggs with flax meal or can you suggest any other egg replacement?

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