Chocolate Little Layer Cake Recipe (2024)

I have tried to make this cake and failed. Always in the back of my mind was, I am going to accomplish this cake before I pass away. Thank this beautiful lady for her generous gift.

Never ice warm layers. Try this and see if your luck is any better. I will find my recipe and send to you. Too much milk is a no no too. I make 20 to 22 layers.

I finally made this!I had stored it forever after reading the story.I made it for my birthday. I am not the biggest lover of chocolate so changed it to caramel frosting.I would make it again.Why didn't the Times, or someone, suggest weighing the batter and divide by 12!? It's the easiest way to make certain the layers are level and you have enough batter for these super thin cakes.Oh and borrow some cake pans, at least 4 so that it cuts down on the washing.

I made this last night, and it turned out amazing!!! The icing was perfect. The cake was sweet, light and fluffy. This was my first time making a southern layer cake, and it was pretty easy! I'll be using this recipe for years to come! Thanks for sharing!!

This reminds me (and looks very similar to) Baumkuchen, which is a German cake made out of very thin layers. Usually it's made on a spit, but to make it at home, the thin layers are cooked one on top of the other under the broiler.

Thank you for making an effort to preserve some of these old time recipes and share them before they are lost to history. Sometimes I wonder how many wonderful things from the past we've already lost that no one will ever see or taste again.

I have made this cake several times, and it is always perfect. This cake is part of growing up in the south. The layers are not supposed to be uniform. Yes- you do ice layers warm. No- you do not let the icing cool. It is supposed to be thin. Once you start baking layers, it goes super fast. I prefer the taste of all purpose flour, so I never use cake flour. Also, you do not have to wash the pans in between layers. You need to get layers in oven as quickly as possible.

See Dobos Torte recipes, which classically have a caramel top, but my grandmother covered with more chocolate frosting.

I followed the directions as written except that I used non-fat milk instead of whole milk and a 12 oz can of evaporated milk + an extra 3 oz of non-fat milk (since my can was 12 ounces and not the 15 ounces). Regardless, the cake turned out perfect. It took me about 20-25 minutes to make the boiled icing so I wasn’t ready to start assembling until half the layers had finished cooking. The assembled cake is very tall so be sure you have a way to store if not eating that day!

My great grandma my grandma and my mom all made this cake throughout my entire life. I'm 62 I think it's time I learned to make it. My great grandma would cut it into four pieces wrap it and wax paper and then tin foil and put it in the freezer for when we came up to visit from Florida

This will be my first attempt making this cake any good recipes out there that are help me out? This cake looks very hard to make but I really want to try it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

How does one get 15 layers? Three cake pans, twice in the oven, per instructions is only 6 layers. Does one slice each layer crosswise to make 12 layers? I find this recipe very confusing.

This cake and a caramel version have been staples at my husband’s family reunion for the 50 years we have been married. It’s not uncommon for people to make their first stop the dessert table.

Southern cooks would probably use White Lily flour.

If you substitute flour for cake flour what’s the ratio? Is it the same?

Note, this was the first cake I ever baked. And I had the chance to try it with my 6 year old (we are not even home cooks, at least not yet). We read and followed the recipe to the best of our abilities to build a 7 layer (not ready for 12 or 15 yet) lopsided fugly looking cake. And at the same time, it was so much fun to bake with my daughter. To tell you what, I think we did a good job following along for our first time baking. Nothing beats having fun in the kitchen with your family.

I first encountered this type of cake about a decade ago at Ditch Day in Dudley, GA, an annual gathering where people gather to do maintenance work on a small, family cemetery. I live in Atlanta. Several extended families are involved and I never tracked down the baker of the cake. I've been looking for a recipe ever since. I found this cake remarkably doable....and very close to the one I encountered in the wild....spare your icing...I did run out on the sides and might do a recipe and a half.

Living in the county east of Geneva County, AL growing up I would have this cake at my friend's house when her mother would make it. (My mother being from Philadelphia could never have made this) I was afraid I would never have it again after she died and was so happy to see the recipe here. I tried it for Thanksgiving this year and it was so good. Thank you. My only note would be to make absolutely sure you have a pot that you feel is just too large to make the icing. It won't be.

Ok so i made this cake today(11-25-2020) and it tasted really good but did not look pretty. I had a time with the boiled frosting. I gotten to 226deg not to 230. I boiled it for at least 15 minutes on the lower temp then raised the stove setting to try to get the temp higher. any suggestions?

I’ve made this a few times and it’s always amazing. It’s exactly like the little layer cakes that my grandmother’s neighbor made in my childhood in southwest Georgia.

I have made this cake several times, and it is always perfect. This cake is part of growing up in the south. The layers are not supposed to be uniform. Yes- you do ice layers warm. No- you do not let the icing cool. It is supposed to be thin. Once you start baking layers, it goes super fast. I prefer the taste of all purpose flour, so I never use cake flour. Also, you do not have to wash the pans in between layers. You need to get layers in oven as quickly as possible.

Made the cake without issue. Cooled layers. Made frosting with KAF black cocoa. Whipped it as it cooled. Disaster to frost with cooled frosting. Cake ugly, but tasty. Hacked cake to bits , layered it with bourbonny whipped cream and lots of summer berries. Concoction loved by all. Will try again with a different boiled chocolate frosting.

Is there a substitution possible for the shortening in the cake? We don't use it at all.... thanks.