This cake, to quote my mom, is"buttery, coconutty, sweet goodness in my mouth!"  With a simple butter cake recipe and caramelized sugar/toasted coconut topping, this is a quick, no-fail treat.  The recipe I use is one that was passed down from my great grandmother, so I wasn't surprised when I did a little research on the origin of the name and saw the cake referred to as an "old fashioned" dessert many times.  The best explanation I found for its history was that is was devised in the 1940s when cakes were still made from scratch, so simplicity was preferred.

Lazy Daisy Cake


Ingredients

 For the cake:
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla 
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

For the topping:
  • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 7 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp milk
  • 1 3/4 cup flaked coconut

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat to a boil: 1/2 cup milk and 1 Tbsp unsalted butter.  Cool slightly.
  3. Butter an 8" square baking pan.
  4. Beat 2 eggs with an electric mixer for 5 minutes until thick and pale yellow.
  5. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla to the eggs.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.
  7. Gradually add dry mixture to the egg mixture.
  8. Pour in warm milk and beat the batter well.  Batter will be thin.
  9. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
  10. While the cake is baking, prepare topping.
  11. Start by melting the butter (try a glass dish in the microwave).
  12. Melt the brown sugar into the butter, stirring continually.
  13. Add milk to the sugar/butter mixture.
  14. Stir in the coconut.
  15. When the cake is finished baking, remove from the oven and turn the oven temperature to broil.
  16. Spread coconut topping over the top of the cake while it is still in the pan.
  17. When the oven is heated to broil, caramelize the sugar and toast the coconut carefully - watching it until it turns light brown and bubbly.  (consider watching it with the oven door open)
  18. Allow to cool in the pan.  The cake can be cut and served from the pan, or use a board to flip it out before flipping it back upright onto a platter or cake stand.