Equipment Needed
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Can opener
- Spoon or spatula
- Fork or whisk (for light mixing)
- Oven mitts
Step-by-Step Instructions
We start by preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C). No need to grease the pan—the frosting and pineapple provide all the lubrication we need. I open the can of crushed pineapple with its precious juice and pour the entire contents directly into the bottom of the 9×13 inch pan. I use my spatula to spread it into a fairly even layer, making sure the juice coats the entire pan. The sweet, tangy scent already promises something good.
Next comes the fun part: the frosting. I open the can of German chocolate frosting and, using two spoons, I plop generous dollops of it all over the pineapple layer. I don’t try to spread it or make it neat. In fact, the more uneven and blobby it is, the better. Those concentrated pockets of frosting will melt into glorious rivers of chocolate-coconut goodness. I’ve learned that trying to smooth it out here is a wasted effort and actually works against you.
Now, for the final layer. I take the box of dry yellow cake mix and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the frosting and pineapple. I literally just shake it right out of the box in a steady rain, covering everything from edge to edge. This is the “dump” part, and it’s wonderfully liberating. Once it’s all in the pan, I take a fork and give the top layer a very, very light rake or stir, just barely disturbing the surface. This isn’t to mix it all together, but to help the dry mix settle into the wet layers underneath in spots.(See the next page below to continue…)