A heritage recipe for Chocolate Little Layer Cake, a regional specialty from southwest Georgia. Tiny yellow cake layers filled with boiled chocolate frosting.
I really love the way technology makes it possible for us to share our recipes these days. What we used to do through cards and letters, newspaper and magazine clippings, or simply by word of mouth, we can now accomplish within seconds.
Just a quick Google search and virtually any recipe ever thought of appears on your screen. I'm even more grateful that technology is helping us to preserve our old heritage recipes like the one I'm sharing with you today - Chocolate Little Layer Cake.
A Heritage Recipe
These beautiful multi-layer cakes have, for as long as I can remember, always been a part of family reunions, church dinners, and most holidays in the southwest corner of Georgia where I grew up. You might think at first glance that they're standard cake layers that have been split and filled, but they're not. Not at all. Each little thin layer is baked separately.
To make it even more different from traditional layer cakes, it's iced with warm icing while the layers themselves are still warm. Totally goes against the conventional method, doesn't it?
In the small town where I grew up, lots of ladies make these cakes for a little extra income on the side. They come in two versions - chocolate or caramel. Some of them make a fairly brisk business of it, especially around Christmas.
Now way back when, these cakes were made by cooking each layer in a hoecake pan or iron skillet on top of the stove, but now most everyone cooks the layers in the oven. It just goes faster when you can bake three or four layers at one time, you see.
If you're really experienced with little layer cakes, you can get as many as fourteen layers from your batter. I got ten this time. I need to practice more.
A Modernized Recipe For You
The original recipe that I have for little layer cakes is so typical of old-time recipes. It assumes that the cook pretty much knows what to do and only the bare essentials are given.
For instance, the instructions for the batter read "Mix well. Grease 8" pans with Crisco. Put 2 large cooking spoonfuls in each pan. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes." That's it.
And the instructions for the icing are "Place over low heat until all is dissolved. Do not boil. Be sure all sugar is melted." Well, alrighty then!
I've tried to re-write and modernize the instructions a bit for you.
A few years ago, Kim Severson of the New York Times did a story on these little layer cakes. I had the pleasure of hearing Kim speak once at food blogging conference. She's a very accomplished food writer and has received numerous accolades, including several James Beard Awards.
In her NYT story, she talked about how the cakes were made only in one area in Alabama and on Smith Island near Maryland. Well, I can assure you that they are part of the fabric of at least one small southwest Georgia town as well :-)
How to Make Chocolate Little Layer Cake
Before starting your baking, make sure to have all the ingredients at room temperature. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and go ahead and prep your 8" cake pans with shortening and set them aside.
How many layers you bake at once depends on how many pans you have and can fit into your oven without them touching. Some people use the disposable cake pans for this, but I don't see the need. I just wipe them out and re-grease between each set of layers.
Make the Icing
Now, unlike other cakes, you actually start your little layer cake by making the icing first.
Place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. The heat should be barely medium-low. If in doubt, go lower.
Add the sugar, baking chocolate, evaporated milk, butter, and vanilla all at once. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally.
It is important that the icing does not boil and that you make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved and no grainy texture remains.
Make the Batter
Meanwhile, make the batter. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs all at once and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour and water alternately, beginning and ending with flour. (Note: the batter will appear to be curdled after each addition of water – this is normal.) Mix in the vanilla.
Bake the Layers
Pour approximately ¾ cup batter into each prepared pan. Smooth the batter to the edges. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the layers are barely golden on top. Remove from the oven and turn out onto cooling racks.
Clean the pans, grease them, and repeat baking. When the second set of layers goes into the oven, begin icing the first set.
Frost the Layers While Warm
Place a still-warm layer on a cardboard round set on a cooling rack inside a baking sheet. Spread ¼ cup of icing on the layer smoothing it gently to the edges. Top with the next layer and repeat.
(Note: the icing will be thin and fairly runny. It will drip down the sides of the layers. This is to be expected. Any excess icing should be scraped up and returned to the pan and all of it used in icing the cake. This is why I strongly recommend doing the icing of the cake on a cooling rack set inside a baking pan.)
When all the layers have been stacked and iced, spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake. If the icing becomes thick, return the pan to very low heat until it returns to spreading consistency.
Smooth the icing around the sides of the cake, but realize that the contours are supposed to be visible on the outside of the cake.
I'm quite interested in knowing whether my readers have ever seen this type of cake or whether it really is localized to the southeast Alabama-southwest Georgia area. If you have a minute, please leave a quick comment. Thanks!
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Chocolate Little Layer Cake
Ingredients
- Solid shortening for greasing pans
For the icing:
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 ½ ounces unsweetened baking chocolate see notes
- 10 ounces evaporated milk
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the layers:
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 6 eggs
- 3 ½ cups self-rising flour sifted
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 8” cake pans with shortening and set aside.
- Make the icing first. Place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar, baking chocolate, evaporated milk, butter, and vanilla all at once. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring frequently. Do not boil. It is important to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved and no grainy texture remains.
- Meanwhile, make the batter. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs all at once and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour and water alternately, beginning and ending with flour. (Note: the batter will appear to be curdled after each addition of water – this is normal.) Mix in the vanilla.
- Pour approximately ¾ cup batter into each prepared pan. Smooth the batter to the edges. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until layers are barely golden on top. Remove from oven and turn out onto cooling racks.
- Clean the pans, grease them and repeat baking. When second set of layers goes into the oven, begin icing the cake. Place a still-warm layer on a cardboard round set atop a cooling rack inside a baking sheet. Spread ¼ cup icing on the layer spreading it gently to the edges. Top with the next layer and repeat.
- When all layers have been stacked and iced, spread remaining icing over top and sides of the cake. If the icing becomes thick, return the pan to very low heat until it returns to spreading consistency.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
-- This post was originally published on April 24, 2012.
More Little Layer Cake Recipes ...
- Little Layer Chocolate Cake from Southern Living
- Southern Little Layer Cake from Divas Can Cook
- Fourteen Layer Chocolate Cake from All Recipes
- Chocolate Fudge Little Layer Cake from Southern Kitchen
Katie says
This cake is a staple of church gatherings & town meetings in our little hometown of Pelion, SC. There are few and far between who can really master this delicious cake. Thank you for sharing your version & tips to go along with it.
Lana Stuart says
My pleasure, Katie.
Brenda says
My great aunt made this cake but her recipe is A little different. For one thing she used buttermilk instead of water. Her daughter upgraded her recipe. I have used both. We live in NC.
Amanda says
We live in the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia, and these cakes are very popular. There is also a lemon version we call lemon cheese, even though there is no cheese in it!
Lana Stuart says
I make the Lemon Cheese Cake, too Amanda, but not with the little layers. It's delicious!
Stacy says
I’m going to try this recipe. I grew up in Albany, GA and my grandmother would make this frequently. I live in Iowa now, but last summer I visited family in Alabama, and we had this! It’s one of my favorite cakes!!
Lana Stuart says
I lived in Albany for 22 years - grew up in a little town just south of there. Small world!
Brooke says
I’m from Southeast Louisiana and have been making this cake for 20+ years. In my family, the 14 LAYER cake originates from my granny in North Alabama :)
Lana Stuart says
Yes, it's pretty much all throughout the southeastern states. Everybody knows and loves little layer cakes!
KM says
I was just googling an alternate icing recipe for my little layer cake because mine calls for cocoa powder and I’m out. To answer your question about the origins of the cake, this cake was a staple of my childhood! Little old ladies would make it and bring it to cover-dish meals. I lived all over the eastern half of North Carolina, and this cake turned up wherever I lived. Definitely not just a small part of GA!
Lana Stuart says
Yes, they're available all over my home area, too. And always delicious!!
Mandie says
We lived in Statesboro, GA for several years and these cakes were a staple! I wish I could find a caramel recipe as well!
Shirley Shipman says
I made my first 14 layer cake today. It turned out so pretty. The recipe was close to mine but I used whole milk instead of water. I found that Bakers Joy is a handy spray for this cake. I cool the cake for a minute then flip the cake on my hand and then I place on stack and ice. This is not a difficult cake to do. Just need patience.
Lana Stuart says
I'm glad to know your cake turned out pretty, Shirley! As you said, it just takes patience.
Sherri says
Just after i married my husband 26 years ago, his Nana decided to turn this recipe over to me. She taught me this cake wigh a few differences. I have made it for every christmas since. They are from the Columbus, GA area.
Lana Stuart says
It just wouldn't be Christmas without this cake!