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If you’re familiar with the 1989 classic film “Steel Magnolias,” you know that the movie is chock-full of food, as befitting a good Southern story. One of the most enduring memories for food and film lovers alike is the mysterious armadillo cake (and yes, it can be real), but also popular is Dolly Parton’s character Truvy Jones’ signature “cuppa cuppa cuppa” cake. But is that a real recipe, or just some good, old-fashioned Hollywood nonsense?
We’re happy to report that the recipe is not only real, it’s also really easy, and really delicious — as long as your sweet tooth is ready to do some heavy lifting. As Truvy Jones says, all you need is “A cuppa flour, a cuppa sugar, and a cuppa fruit cocktail with the juice, and you mix and bake at 350 [degrees Fahrenheit] to a golden bubbly” (via YouTube). And really, that’s all there is to it.
There are two categories of movie food: Movies that helped popularize existing dishes, and movies that created new, iconic dishes, which is how the popularity of the Vesper cocktail can be explained. While there’s no clear origin story, the cuppa-cuppa-cuppa cake would appear to be an example of the former, with it being described as a classic Southern recipe. Given the simplicity and affordability of the ingredients, its classic status makes sense, as fruit cocktail has been around since the 1940s, and has long been a go-to for any number of meals. That doesn’t just apply to desserts either, fruit cocktail can even be used as a glaze on meatballs and ham.
Balancing flavor in your cuppa cuppa cuppa cake
While Truvy Jones’ beloved recipe is called a cake, it’s fair to say that texture-wise, it’s closer to a thick cobbler, given the lack of baking soda or powder to let the flour reach a cake-like consistency. Using self-rising flour will help the texture stabilize a bit on that front.
The other common skepticism, including from those who hear the recipe in the movie, is how sweet it is. In “Steel Magnolias,” Dolly Parton recommends serving it with vanilla ice cream to cut the sweetness, and many who have baked this recipe find that to be sound advice. Another way to counterbalance the sweetness would be to use unsweetened whipped cream instead of ice cream, as it will still give a beautiful, cool creaminess to the cake without adding even more sugar.
While this cake definitely qualifies as a creative way to use canned fruit cocktail, those who still want the fruit but are trying to keep the dish from becoming cloying can also experiment with canned cherries, which are more naturally tart than the usual peaches, pineapple, and grapes of a fruit cocktail. While you want to avoid maraschino cherries, which will have the opposite of the intended effect, sour cherries, such as those sold by Sadaf on Amazon, offer a deliciously balanced blend of sweet and tart. Just remember to include the juice from the can, as the cake needs the added moisture.
