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Nana's Funny Cake Recipe

Nana's funny cake on a plate with vanilla ice cream
Photo Credit
Becky Luigart-Stayner
Yield
Makes 2 pies.
Category
Cakes and Frostings
Course
Desserts
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Nana’s Funny Cake is the perfect dessert for a family gathering or weekend party. The piecrust adds a unique twist to a traditional cake recipe. This cake has a delicious chocolate-y layer on the bottom and a crunchy chocolate layer on top.

This recipe comes courtesy of Mary Lou Knauss of Duncannon, Pennsylvania.

“My mother-in-law made this Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for years. She brought it to the family cabin whenever we spent weekends together, and it has always been a family favorite! She shared the recipe with me when I got married, along with some of her other wonderful recipes. It continues to be a requested dessert.”

Crust:

Ingredients
2 unbaked 9-inch piecrusts

Cake:

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened, or shortening
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Topping:

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two pie plates with piecrust. 
  2. For cake: In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, milk, butter, baking powder, salt, and eggs. Pour half into each pie crust. 
  3. For topping: In a bowl, combine sugar, hot water, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Pour half of topping over each pie.
  4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Note: During baking, the chocolate “topping” sinks to the bottom of the cake, forming a chocolate layer seen in the picture above.

About The Author

Samantha Jones

 

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Comments

Mike Killa (not verified)

6 months 3 weeks ago

any recipes using graham cracker pie shells

Mike Killa (not verified)

6 months 3 weeks ago

any recipes using Gramm cracker pie shells

C (not verified)

2 years 10 months ago

Are the results the same if you cut the recipe in half?

Hi, C. It should not be a problem to make only one pie instead of two. But after you try it you might wish you had made two! Enjoy!

Gary and Conni… (not verified)

2 years 10 months ago

I’ve bought an almanac for the last 50+ years! I use it often ! Thanks !

Karen marchetti (not verified)

4 years 8 months ago

Can this cake be frozen?

Yes, this cake can be frozen. Good idea!

Ashleigh (not verified)

4 years 9 months ago

I used to work at a bakery in a farmer's market in Pennsylvania and they had funny cakes and they were absolutely delicious. I distinctly remember the owner of the stand telling me about how the funny cake was made by doing the pie crust and then making the cake and then you pour the chocolate topping thing over the cake and it sinks down. However every single recipe I have found online says put the chocolate in and then put the cake in and I've always been very hesitant about those recipes because that's not what I was told when I was working at a pastry stand. I am so so grateful to have found this recipe that stays true to what I was told is done to make a funny cake. I am so so so excited to try this out because I can't express how much I miss funny cake used to eat it at least once a week and now I don't have access so now I got to learn how and this recipe seems like a great one so thank you so much.

MB Riter (not verified)

4 years 11 months ago

To those saying it is incomplete....it is NOT....the chocolate you pour on top of the cake batter sinks down to the bottom as it bakes. THAT is WHY it is called a FUNNY cake....it's funny that it does that....other than sometimes a little brown marks the top, there is no evidence of the chocolate throughout the cake part. You would think YOU assemble it on the bottom but no! It's ''FUNNY" = peculiar!