Chocolate Little Layer Cake
Part cake and part confection, this heritage recipe for Chocolate Little Layer Cake is made by home cooks throughout southwest Georgia. The cake consists of tiny yellow layers baked individually then filled and topped with old fashioned boiled chocolate icing.
I really love the way technology connects us. It makes it possible for us to share special recipes like this Chocolate Little Layer Cake beyond our closest circle of friends and family. 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 internet 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 this beautiful 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 boiled chocolate icing while the layers themselves are still warm. Totally goes against the conventional method, doesn’t it?
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 a 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 :-)
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.
Way back when, the thin layers for 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 usually get a ten layer cake. I need to practice more. If you’ve never made this cake before, aim for about seven layers your first time and gradually increase as you improve your technique.
😎 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 making 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 boiled icing are “Place over low heat until all is dissolved. Do not boil. Be sure all sugar is melted.” Well, alrighty then!
In the recipe below, I’ve tried to re-write and modernize the instructions a bit for you.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The delicious and unique boiled chocolate icing.
- Tastes great and is easy to make once you get the idea.
- It’s a very old, sentimental part of southern foodways.
🛒 Ingredient Notes
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- Granulated Sugar – This is just plain old white sugar. We tend to use Dixie Crystals in the south.
- Baking Chocolate – It’s really important to use the right kind of chocolate for this recipe. You’ll need to purchase Baker’s Premium Unsweetened Baking Chocolate, which produces the distinctive look, texture, and taste required for this recipe.
- Evaporated Milk – Be sure you’re buying evaporated milk NOT sweetened condensed milk.
- Butter – Like most old-fashioned southern cooks, I use salted butter in everything, including this recipe. I can’t remember the last time I purchased unsalted butter.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a quality extract such as McCormick’s.
- Eggs – The fresher, the better.
- Self-Rising Flour – Southerners love our White Lily flour for any type of baking. It’s made from soft winter wheat and produces very tender baked goods.
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🥄 How to Make Chocolate Little Layer Cake
Prep the Pans and Ingredients
- Before starting your baking, make sure to have all the ingredients at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and go ahead and prep several 8-inch cake pans with shortening and set them aside.
👉 PRO TIP: 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 disposable cake pans for this, but I don’t see the need. I just wipe the pans out and re-grease between each set of layers.
Make the Icing
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 so that 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. Mix in the vanilla.
👉 PRO TIP: The batter will appear to be curdled after each addition of water – this is normal.
Bake the Layers
- Pour approximately 3/4 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 1/4 cup of icing on the layer, smoothing it gently to the edges. Top with the next layer and repeat.
👉 PRO TIP: Note that 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.
🔀 Variations
- Many cooks around my hometown also make this cake with a caramel icing. I don’t have the original caramel icing recipe, but the version I use for my Southern Caramel Layer Cake should work well.
- I’ve also seen commercial versions of the little layer cake done in coconut, red velvet, and even lemon. I prefer the chocolate and caramel versions.
🍽️ What to Serve With Chocolate Little Layer Cake
This cake is the perfect dessert for practically any occasion. I’ve served this for Sunday night family dinner, birthday parties, family reunions, and even bridal showers. It’s the perfect ending to a traditional southern meal of country fried steak, old fashioned green beans, fried okra, cornbread, and a fresh cucumber salad!
🍚 Storage
Store the cake in a covered container at room temperature for three or four days.
This cake freezes very well. To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped cake in a freezer container and freeze for up to three months. Allow the frozen cake to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
❓ Questions About Chocolate Little Layer Cake
As mentioned in the post, this icing is really thin and runny. It’s not the consistency that you usually think of for icing. The way I handle it is by placing a wire cooling rack inside a baking sheet and setting my layers on that to start. As I add icing, it drips off into the baking sheet. Keep scraping it up and adding it back to the pan. You’ll eventually use all the icing.
There are a few reasons that the icing can turn out grainy. A few tips are to make sure you have all the ingredients at room temperature before you start and to make sure all the sugar is completely dissolved.
The best way I’ve found to keep the layers from shifting is to insert two or three very thin bamboo skewers when you get about halfway up the stack. Keep layering and frosting, and cut your skewers off before you put the last layer on so they don’t show on the outside.
🧾 More Popular Cake Recipes
More Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
📖 Recipe
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 3/4 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 1/4 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.
- 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.
Notes
- The specific type of chocolate traditionally used for this recipe is Baker’s Premium Unsweetened Baking Chocolate. This chocolate produces the distinctive look, texture, and taste of this recipe.
- Store your cake in a covered container at room temperature for three or four days.
- To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped cake in a freezer container and freeze for up to three months. Allow the frozen cake to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
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 healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on April 24, 2012. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
how many layers can I get from this recipe? I need 15 layers
As I explained in the post, the number of layers depends on how thin you pour the batter. I usually get ten layers but some people can up to about 14.
Yeah I read that after I sent the question. Thank you for responding back.
Can you substitute buttermilk for the water in the batter ? It turned out perfectly, just love buttermilk in cakes and wanted to try.
I’ve never tried this recipe with buttermilk. My intuition is that it might make the layers too tender and they’d have more tendency to fall apart. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes.
I did 3/4 cup buttermilk and 1 cup milk. It was tender and it didn’t crumble. It had the taste I enjoy. It was for a family reunion and I got rave reviews. I might try with all buttermilk when it’s not a special occasion. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad it worked out for you!
is the icing supposed to be thin and runny?
Well, in the post I did say this — “👉 PRO TIP: Note that 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.”
All I have is 9 inch pans. How much batter would I put in each pan?
I’ve never made this particular cake in 9-inch pans.
Do you have a recipe for a caramel icing to use with the little layer cake? I’ve struggled to make a little layer caramel cake! Thanks!
There is a specific caramel icing that is used for the little layer cakes, but I don’t have that recipe. I’ll try to remember to ask someone that I know who makes them next time I’m back home.
I’m so glad to see this recipe! My aunt (in southeast GA :) ) made this cake many times, and it was always a hit and one of my all-time favorite desserts!!
I will be making this and definitely sharing this wonderful treat to bring back fond family memories!! Thank you!!
Hope you and your family enjoy the cake!
OMG I love this recipe and thank you for it. I made it yesterday and this is to me a true old fashion cake. Most cakes now a days have so many ingredients that’s its crazy and yours has just the right amount. I didn’t have the Bakers chocolate or the self rising flour on hand but I had some off brand chocolate and added salt and baking powder to the apf and it was still good. Thanks again! 😊
Made this recipe exactly how you said. It turned out perfect! It wasn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be.
That’s so great to know, Felicia! Once you give it a try, you see how simple it is.
The sugar will not dissolve completely. Coud I use powdered sugar instead?
I don’t have any experience with substituting powdered sugar in this recipe.
This recipe is very similar to one that my Venezuelan mother-in-law always made for my husband’s birthdays. Thank you.
Thanks for the recipe. I will be trying it this weekend for my son’s 16th birthday. These cakes are made in North Carolina as well and my grandmother made them regularly before she died. He has requested the “the cake that grandma made.”
Hope it turns out great for your son’s birthday!
My icing… the sugar never fully dissolved 🥺 I sat there playing with the temp and never would get to where I needed it. It is 3c sugar in the icing and 1.5 for the cake… or is it the opposite?
Thank you!
Yes, you’re correct. 3 cups for the icing.
This cake is also popular in Southeast Georgia. Thank you for sharing the recipe. My grandma used yellow cake mix, but she made the boiled frosting from scratch. I can’t wait to try it!
Instead of greasing the pans, my grandma always used parchment paper. She would use the cake pans to trace a pattern. She cut out a stack of parchment paper circles before starting on the icing. Then she put a circle of parchment in the bottom of each pan before baking the layers. It made it easy to flip the cake layers out and just peel off the paper.
This cake is also very popular in the Florida panhandle – which is practically lower Alabama! I have a few aunts that make these and bring them to the family reunion. They are like a family tradition.
I lived in Iron City Ga and this cake was made very well by one of the town’s senior lady and my Mom had one made for us every time we came over. Thank you for sharing.
I grew up in Middle Georgia and this cake was always at church dinners,family reunions and Sundays when the preacher came to eat dinner with us. This cake is delicious-one you can savor while you eat and forget about calories and carbs.
Thank you for making the recipe easier and I can’t wait to make it for my family.
Hope you enjoy it!
I’m from South Carolina and my grandma and mama made this cake all the time. We use cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate
My mom was from Jacksonville, Fla but and made this cake often. We lived in the the Atlanta area and in Dublin.
This cake is a favorite in that region, for sure.
My icing is more liquid than I think it should be. It pours on rather than spreads. What am i doing wrong . It’s the 14 layer cake
This is a very runny icing. It doesn’t spread like a conventional icing. You have to keep pouring it back over the cake as I mentioned in the post.