Lazy Daisy Cake

Updated March 11, 2025

Lazy Daisy Cake
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Rating
5(1,037)
Comments
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Also called Danish dream cake (drømmekage), this vintage recipe has a tender cake topped with a “lazy” frosting of butter, brown sugar and coconut. Then the whole cake, still in its pan, is run under the broiler until the brown sugar melts, turning fudgy, and the coconut toasts and singes in spots. It makes for a lovely treat that keeps well, too. The topping, brittle and crunchy on the day it’s baked, gets softer and creamier after sitting at room temperature overnight, where it will last for three days.

Featured in: Lazy People, This Cake Is for You

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 12 servings

    For the Cake

    • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
    • 2large eggs, at room temperature
    • ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
    • 1cup/128 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1teaspoon baking powder
    • ½teaspoon fine sea or table salt
    • 2teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
    • ½cup/118 milliliters whole milk

    For the Topping

    • ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter
    • ¾cup/165 grams packed dark or light brown sugar
    • ¼cup/60 milliliters whole milk  
    • Pinch of fine sea or table salt
    • cups/105 grams shredded coconut (either unsweetened or sweetened)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

366 calories; 20 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 33 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 200 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square or round baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter the paper.

  2. Step 2

    Using an electric mixer or beaters, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. (You can also do this with a wire whisk, though it will take some time and effort.) Beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Beat in vanilla or cardamom, if using.

  3. Step 3

    In a small saucepan, heat the milk and 2 tablespoons butter, stirring until the butter melts and the milk steams, but don’t let the mixture boil (a gentle simmer at the edges of the pan is fine). Pour the hot mixture into the eggs, beating briefly until you have a smooth, runny batter. Pour into the prepared pan.

  4. Step 4

    Bake for 22 to 32 minutes, until the surface is pale golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed with your finger.

  5. Step 5

    While the cake is baking, prepare the topping: In a small saucepan (you can use the same one you used for the milk, and you don’t have to wash it), melt the butter. Add brown sugar, milk and salt, and stir until the mixture comes to a simmer. Turn off the heat and stir in coconut.

  6. Step 6

    When the cake is done, pour the coconut mixture evenly on top and place it under the broiler for 1 to 4 minutes, until the topping is bubbling and browned. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn (a few singed coconut shreds are nice).

  7. Step 7

    Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving. If not serving on the same day, store at room temperature and serve within 2 days.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,037 user ratings
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Comments

This was the cake recipe 8th graders learned how to bake in Home Economics in the late 1960's. It was delicious. Then, we learned how to sew an apron!

Oh, my goodness! Memory lane! My mother used to bake this for my birthday! One year when no one was looking I scraped off and ate the entire icing!

Lazy Daisy cake was a childhood favorite. My mom made this cake often. Now, let's bring back Pineapple Upside Down cake - another 1950-60's classic.

The 4H cake that was entered in your first county fair in the 1950s. We practiced this cake as often as we could for weeks before the fair. My parents must have been sick of it by the time my younger sister entered hers, but they never said a word that wasn’t positive.

I made this with Bob’s Red Mill Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour for my son with Celiac, and it turned out amazing! Definitely a good recipe for that substitution if you need it.

so yummy!

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